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Sydney indie night forced todrop live music

Wed 25th Aug, 2010 in Local News

Over the past three and a half years, Sosueme has hosted bands including Art vs Science, Phillidelphia Grand Jury, Richard In Your Mind, Yves Klein Blue, Muscles, Cloud Control, Bridezilla and many, many more.

However, with the threat of thousands of dollars in fines looming, the popular indie night at Q Bar & 34b Stereo on Sydney’s Oxford Street has been forced to cancel live music.

A statement from the Sosueme promoters notes that:

“It seems we see yet another live music venue in Sydney forced to cease bands and bend to the demands of a few predominantly old and bored disgruntled residents. With the bullying tactics of police reaching fever pitch (with numbers as many as 10 at a time walking through the venue as many as 10 times a night), combined with the pressure from licensing authorities, the council and serial resident pests (who for some reason believe 100% peace and quiet in the middle of the city is achievable), the Exchange Hotel has been left with no choice but to bow to the demands of that extreme minority who can be described as no more than bullies… venues all across this city are feeling the same pain. It will start with the death of live music before systematically destroying every other part of Sydney nightlife if this nanny state nay-sayer culture is allowed to thrive.”

For now, Sosueme will continue without bands – with free entry until 10:30pm – while the promoters plan their next move.

Sosueme photo by Fastlane

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sarahanne

sarahanne said on the 25th Aug, 2010

Fucked, Sydney. Fucked.

jonnoseidler

jonnoseidler said on the 25th Aug, 2010

Not cool. Seriously.

Spicy McHaggis

Spicy McHaggis said on the 25th Aug, 2010

I'm planning to move to Parliament house and force them to close for their constant yelling.

jetgrrl

jetgrrl said on the 25th Aug, 2010

seriously who are these cranky residents... and what on earth were they thinking/expecting when they decided to live on oxford st?!? has anyone told them how nice the outback is this time of year?

flukazoid

flukazoid said on the 25th Aug, 2010

i hereby state that if anybody hearts this article, they assert themselves as being heartless

KatrinaC

KatrinaC said on the 25th Aug, 2010

i'm sooo cranky bout this...look at the bands who have performed here? i do wonder what the aim of the sydney council is. it certainly doesn't involve supporting live music and nuturing up n comers..shame on you clover!!!!

Spicy McHaggis

Spicy McHaggis said on the 25th Aug, 2010

I'd honestly argue that live music, and the dj shite that they play would have to be at the same levels, therefore, how is their justification true?

libby

libby said on the 25th Aug, 2010

how depressing. first the big dipper stopped running and now this... sydney sort your act out

chico21

chico21 said on the 25th Aug, 2010

agree. you don't move to that area and not expect noise!

CamMan

CamMan said on the 25th Aug, 2010

its an issue that exists not only in sydney but other others of aussie, as well as new zealand. damn shame!

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 25th Aug, 2010

It's the most depressing thing in the world that I know the type to people who are constantly calling up CoS council about "those bloody kids with their bloody rock and roll". And they're younger than we all think as well.

Fuckers.

clashpalace said on the 25th Aug, 2010

is this only sosueme hence fridays only?? or the venue as a whole?

veedz said on the 25th Aug, 2010

sucks for live music and for sosueme, absolute disaster in sydney who are trying to follow the nannying of qld...

but - soueme - just because a group of people make an extreme minority does not mean people should not at least listen.

craig123

craig123 said on the 25th Aug, 2010

planning and changing demographics are a big factor in the ever troubling decline of live music venues. A lot of the older generation that move to these areas are of course looking for smaller quieter and more convience, but there is also an element - that has been touched on of younger cashed up professionals of another type of "scene" who don't want this in thier backyard either. I for one think DINKS who would rather not hear the music be put in a bus and shipped off to Bourke or elsewhere and give them the NBN so they can work from home in quiet. Let the real music lovers take over the city and let it be free.

enough of my inane ranting.

belbel

belbel said on the 25th Aug, 2010

what do these residents expect???? why do they insist on living in areas that are known for live entertainment??? go live out in a retirement village or in the country and do everyone else a favour! first luna park and now picking on places on oxford street! go live somewhere that is not known for live entertainment its that simple, grrrrrrrrr

modtang

modtang said on the 25th Aug, 2010

I've never been and I never will but this is still bullshit. Anyone who lives near Oxford St and expects peace and quiet is a fucking tool and should probably just kill themselves.

grattan

grattan said on the 25th Aug, 2010

An exclusive excerpt from Off Oxford St - a new play by David Williamson.
"Martha, what is all that ruckus coming from next door?"
"It's the bloody neighbours killing themselves again Arthur"
"Well call the cops and get them to do it quieter... I didn't move next door to a live venue to have my Friday nights interrupted by noises"

And scene.

lllllluke

lllllluke said on the 25th Aug, 2010

oh this is just really fucking lame.

kerosenekid

kerosenekid said on the 25th Aug, 2010

They need to find a town planner who can argue the first occupier rights like in Fortitude Valley i.e where residential development is banned in nightclub slash music venue areas and people can't kick up a stink like this shite cos those venues were there first.

If I had more experience with the Sydney planning scheme I would put my hand up but being from Brisbane and only just about to graduate I don't think anyone would listen to me ha ha.

kerosenekid

kerosenekid said on the 25th Aug, 2010

http://www.valleyentertainmentprecinct.com/Venue_Contacts/Live_Music.aspx

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 26th Aug, 2010

I'd say a lot of the problem is hard for City of Sydney Council to fix.

1) A resident rings the Police on a Saturday night complaining of noise.
2) This gets passed on to the multitude of cops hanging around Oxford St.
3) A bunch of them enter the venue, disrupt the punters and tell management to cut down the noise.

When this happens every Friday and Saturday night you can see why the venue operator decides to just can the live music and hopefully stop many of the hassles.

What needs to happen is for the venues to ensure that they have adequate sound proofing and can keep the noise below the required levels. Then when the complaints come they need to stick to their guns.

ionecoe

ionecoe said on the 26th Aug, 2010

Definition of Fucked !

knate

knate said on the 26th Aug, 2010

Ok, this may sound a bit far fetched but hear me out... Oxford st is slowly but surely returning to it's roots. UN was shut down a long time ago, DCM's moved to Havana for a while so the dickhead element it attracted was pushed further up the road to where it's always been completely gay orientated (Stonewall, Columbian, Palms, Toolshed etc etc). When that finished Havana turned back into a gay venue, as did Nevermind. In the space of a few months, the entire north end was back as it was years ealier, predominantly gay orientated. Could it possibly be a push by the older long term and new residents of the area trying to take oxford st back into it's glory days, by ridding the strip of nights/venues that aren't tailored for the clientele?

laudev

laudev said on the 26th Aug, 2010

i was at q bar last friday night and i have never seen it so quiet. there was hardly anyone there, yet i saw at least four police officers roaming around. it's such a shame that residents feel the need to complain, yes i understand that the noise must get annoying night after night but at the same time, it's one of the things you should accept before you decide to move onto a street as filled with nightclubs as oxford street! so frustrating.

random_hero

random_hero said on the 26th Aug, 2010

Its Clover Moore the lesbo femo nazi

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 26th Aug, 2010

Clover Moore is straight. She's been married for 30 years or something.

random_hero

random_hero said on the 26th Aug, 2010

Elton John was married to a woman once

JoeyPz

JoeyPz said on the 27th Aug, 2010

so come on fasterlouder.. start this petition! we can't let these residents who knew where they were moving in to stop our right to party.

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 27th Aug, 2010

Petitions always work. Great idea.

Maybe if the venue tried to compromise with the residents who are complaining and improved their sound proofing, live music could continue.

Spicy McHaggis

Spicy McHaggis said on the 27th Aug, 2010

Noone explained to me what the difference between the live bands and the djs were in there though.

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 27th Aug, 2010

I'd imagine it's the drum kit. The thumping is normally the sound that travels through walls/floors the furthest.

knate

knate said on the 27th Aug, 2010

as opposed to dj's whose idea of sound quality is redlining the mixer with the bass so high and distorted the walls shake?

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 27th Aug, 2010

I was just speculating on the basis that it's the live music they've decided to can for the noise reasons.

Spicy McHaggis

Spicy McHaggis said on the 27th Aug, 2010

While I can see your rationale BH, I agree with Knate. The sound guy the band has can control their sound; DJs are in control of their own sound, which is rarely a good thing.

craig123

craig123 said on the 27th Aug, 2010

i like your posting Spicy - djs in control of anything is a bad thing.

grattan

grattan said on the 30th Aug, 2010

According to Mess+Noise:
City of Sydney spokesperson: "The City has not taken any recent action against the hotel in relation to noise issues – nor has it suggested cancellation of any organised events."

Dan_the_man

Dan_the_man said on the 30th Aug, 2010

It's only indie music. Get over it.

Now if it were real music, then there would be a problem

Spicy McHaggis

Spicy McHaggis said on the 30th Aug, 2010