NAKED CITY: DETOXIFYING THE CROSS

Believe it or not there was actually a nanosecond in history when punters travelled to Kings Cross on a weekend to drink coffee rather than alcohol in their search of socialising and entertainment. The phenomenon may have only occurred at a few select venues but it’s certainly something to reflect upon in the current climate of boozing, bingeing and brawling.

Maybe it was the enlightenment of the 1960s but in circa 1964 you could climb the steps of an old tenement house, still adjacent to The Bourbon in Darlinghurst Road and enter a series of rooms illuminated only by ultraviolet lighting. This was the ‘Folk Attick’ and for a measly five shillings you could drink all the instant coffee you wanted, lounge on an ample supply of oversized scatter cushions and enjoy what was billed as “non-stop folk-singing by Australia’s best artists”. It was the beginning of the short-lived Sydney folk boom and duffle-coated young students joined assorted bohemians in an atmosphere of peace, reflection and social conscience.

Needless to say this well-meaning experiment in alcohol free social interaction was equally short-lived as the cartel of colourful Sydney businessmen extended their vice-like grip on the KC nightclub and strip club scene. These days any attempt to restrict trading hours or the sale of shots after midnight is strongly resisted by the various licensees as the State Government and City Council pull out all rabbits to curtail the weekend grogathon.

Well believe it or not we did a quick survey amongst friends and fellow travellers and found a sizeable number of punters who would gladly venture into an alcohol free Cross and merrily drink coffee all night, albeit espresso rather than Nescafe instant. We’re not exactly advocating that the Folk Attick be resurrected in 2013 (although that’s not such a bad idea) but what we would like to see is special dispensation given to entertainment venues that have an alcohol free policy.

The City Council might even set up a prototype, much like the trial of the outdoor pissoirs some months ago. Rent free space could be provided for a collective of musicians, even folksingers, to set up their own boozeless bar or club. There would be no need to show ID at the door and bouncers would be irrelevant as an atmosphere of communal respect would prevail.

A showcase for the nouveau sobriety, these grogless venues would soon become beacons of the New Cross Order, much to the chagrin of the ruling club and pub booze bosses. As drunken young men and women stumbled towards the nearest taxi rank, they would pass the windows of these detoxified havens, glimpsing scenes of human serenity and unbridled calm unheard of at 3.30am on the Golden Mile.

Research has shown that ultraviolet lighting can actually have a calming effect on both rats and people so maybe the Council could switch the street lighting to “ultra” after 1.00am. Buskers have previously been denied access to the Cross in the wee small hours but a posse of Council subsidised folk-singers, churning out old favourites like Kumbaya and serenading the late-night drunks, could further enhance a celebration of peace and love – as opposed to a flurry of punches outside the KC chicken shop.

Forget about the banning of traffic from Darlinghurst Road and the need to show a linked ID when entering any of the twenty or so nominated booze barns. It’s time to change the KC drinking culture altogether. The message is you can still have a good time without plying yourself with alcohol and if we have to look to a tiny short-lived club from the mid 1960s for inspiration, then “O Lord, kumbaya!”.