The Hydey @ Banks Reserve,Perth (13/02/11)

Fri 18th Feb, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The Hydey meant a lot of things to a lot of people. As a hotel, a community gathering place, a pool hall and, of course, a bar; its memories will stay with many until the day they die. But it was as a live music venue that the pub made an indelible impression upon the culture of Perth. The many bands that played at, drank in, and grew up around the iconic front bar—learning their chops and honing their skills—remain testament to its legacy. There is nowhere like it left in Perth.

This is the reason that Travis Johnson and Lindsay Hallam ’s documentary film on the subject was such an important project, and anyone who had anything to do with the place over the past 15 years or so would be pretty darn pleased with the result. The production team gathered up punters, musicians, promoters, bar staff (including former owner Paul Higgins and star bar manager Joy) and local music industry pundits, all of whom seemed more than willing to share their thoughts and memories on what the pub was… and what it all meant.

True to form, there were some pretty darn amusing interviews. Don Rat (The Rats, The Homicides) was a laugh a minute. Sam Scherr and Chris Pierucci (The Twats, Capital City) recounted classic stories of debauchery. The audience, nestled under the stars in the Banks Reserve amphitheatre, applauded and laughed in all the right places; and when the words “In 2007 the Hyde Park Hotel was sold to Woolworths” appeared on the screen, the entire crowd booed.

The screening of The Hydey was a short one due to the nature of the community funded event. At seven minutes long, it just scratched the surface of the craziness that manifested in The Hydey’s hallowed red room. But all the good bits were left in, and all the information presented was relevant and engaging. For the sake of the pub’s legacy, and everyone involved, it would be wonderful to see a full length version.

It may have been located at the edge of the desert, but for many musicians The Hydey was the place to learn and practice their craft. For us, it’s as relevant as others’ stories of CBGBs or The Grande Ballroom or The Cavern Club. The Hydey was home, and this film came pretty damn close to achieving the impossible task of capturing that.

Take a trip down memory lane and revisit our Hydey coverage over the years