Another Perth venue in danger

Sat 16th Oct, 2010 in Local News

The shortage of live music venues in Perth may be about to get worse with the news that Manhattans has been told by its local council that it is only permitted to have live music between 7 and 10pm, thanks to noise complaints from local residents.

Manhattans recently reopened as a venue for live music and has been quite a hit, offering a funky little space for original bands to play in a relaxed atmosphere not too far away from the city. All that may be about to change however, with the Vic Park city council responding to noise complaints from nearby residents, and restricting the hours in which live music can be played.

Abbie Gibson, the owner of Manhattans said she could not see a way for the venue to keep operating if she had to shut the bands down at 10 pm. She said she had poured her heart and soul and all of her personal finances into getting the venue to where it is today, but doesn’t see how she can possibly keep it going. It will cost ten thousand dollars to soundproof the venue, and when It was suggested that local bands and lovers of live music might be able to raise it to save the venue she choked up, touched that such a thing would even be offered.

Disgusted at this development and determined to take positive action, Steven Hughes from Injured Ninja approached Tyranocorp to offer to donate the door takings from tonight’s gig towards a fund for soundproofing the venue. The other bands on the bill, Fear of Comedy, Like Junk and Nagy readily agreed to donate their share of the door takings as well, and have put a call out far and wide for all fans of live original music to come down and make sure the door takings are as large as possible.

If you can’t make it to the gig tonight, but you can’t bear to stand idly by as another live music venue disappears, you can contact Abbie info@manhattansbar.com.au and see what you can do to help. If you’re in a band and would like to help, you can contact Laith Tierny at Tyranocorp tyranny@jazi.net.

Doors open at 7pm, but why not come down early and donate the cost of a beer or two to the cause?