All frequent gig attendees have a favourite venue. Maybe you prefer Tomcat for its cozy smoker’s area, or Greaser for inexplicably dive-y feel, or even The Brightside for its spacious floor that leaves plenty of room for moshing.
Whatever the case, as patrons, we have our preferences, but someone is always left out of the equation - what about the opinions of the local bands?
Well, wonder no longer, I asked a collection of Brisbane bands to list their favourite local venues, their most common and notable responses are featured below:
5. Crowbar (formerly the Zoo)
Crowbar only appeared within the last year to replace The Zoo, but in its brief establishment, Crowbar has already made a name for itself amongst live performers.
The dimly lit, unpretentious and welcoming venue has been praised by local artists.
Ant, the lead vocalist of popular Brisbane death metal band, Descent, said Crowbar takes everything that locals loved about The Zoo and “cranks it up to a ten”.
“The on-stage sound is literally the best I’ve encountered on any stage yet, apart from some overseas venues," said Ant.
“Stage access is convenient and easy, and the changes they’ve made have opened the venue up a whole lot. They’ve also installed air con which is a huge deal.”
Bryn Arnfield, lead vocalist of local metalcore band, Cardia, also praised Crowbar in all its aspects.
“It has great sound, a great stage, great staff and overall venue," said Bryn.
4. Tomcat
Despite its temporary shutdown, Tomcat maintains a reputation as a hotspot for live, alternative music.
The popular bar holds a special place in the hearts of many artists who eagerly await its reopening.
Local indie rock band, Clay Pigeons, described the venue as nothing short of “GOATED”.
“[Tomcat] is a home away from home for many local acts and is where most of us played our first or second gigs," said Clay Pigeons.
Guitarist and vocalist of Brisbane pop rock band, Whitt’s End, Jarvis Whittaker, also spoke highly of Tomcat.
“Tomcat has a great atmosphere. The design of the room is really cool, and we’ve had some great nights there," said Jarvis.
PFR Lounge
Fortitude Valley’s PFR Lounge is one of the city’s hidden gems. This homey, upcoming venue is adored by locals and bands alike.
Whitt’s End recently held their merch launch show at the lounge and had nothing but positive feedback from their experience.
“It was such a blast with a beautiful sound system and sick staff," said Jarvis.
Neighbours, a local indie rock band also spoke highly of the venue.
The band says while the venue is not fully developed yet, it remains an incredibly positive and welcoming space that caters toward smaller bands, which Neighbours said is a positive sign.
Black Bear Lodge
Black Bear Lodge could only be dubbed the “coziest” of all local live music venues. This snug drinking lounge offers patrons tranquillity from the outside commotion of Fortitude Valley.
While lead vocalist, Ant, is accustomed to the loud, hardcore side of live music, he says Black Bear offers a pleasant change to his regular noise.
“The stage sound is surprisingly good and being a smaller area the acoustics work well," said Ant.
“Black Bear Lodge is nice and cozy and suits smaller, more intimate shows. I really like the vibe in there and it feels like you’re playing someone’s lounge room, which is a good thing.”
Greaser
Finally, by far the most adored venue from this collection of local bands is no other than Fortitude Valley’s iconic hole in the wall, Greaser.
Greaser offers patrons and artists a delectably dingey atmosphere that pays a perfect homage to the alternative pillars of the live music scene.
Lead vocalist of upcoming rock band, Redline, Oliver Peel, said Greaser provides great sound and great staff.
“There's live music happening almost every night there and it always has a really cool vibe," said Oliver.
Cardia also commented on Greaser’s cool atmosphere.
“Tickets are normally free, so we don’t feel guilty about inviting people," said Bryn.
“Not to mention there’s lots of green room space which is always a bonus.”
Overall, most of the bands surveyed held Greaser to a high regard, commending the venue’s sound, lighting, green room, staff and general vibe.
Well, there you have it. Five venues beloved by Brisbane bands.
There are several elements in play to determine what makes a “good venue”, but based on the responses above, a general “good vibe” seems to be all a venue needs to please their performers.
As an editor at Queensland Lens, Grace Cameron is fiercely dedicated to independent and local news. Grace is a recent QUT journalism graduate, former copywriter and radio journalist whose interests include the live music scene, taboo subjects and investigative reporting. Grace is ecstatic to be working alongside a group of dedicated journalists who are similarly passionate about not only local news but giving aspiring journalists a voice and opportunity to share their work.
Comments