In a story that is sure to warm the cockles of every hipster heart, the Leichhardt Council today confirmed that the iconic pub and cornerstone of Sydney’s live music scene will be sold to a new publican, as opposed to a property developer as was first feared.
Huzzah! Finally a bit of good news for Sydney’s young bands.
The closure of the Hopetoun hotel four years ago was a bitter blow to the live music scene in Sydney, one that it is still trying to recover from. The high prices demanded of venues to obtain licenses to allow bands to play, plus the price of paying for the necessary security has forced many pubs and smaller venues to opt to not have live music at all, even on the weekends.
There was a time in Sydney when just about every pub would have a couple of bands playing on a Friday or Saturday night, now there are less than 50 venues across the city.
However, the survival of the Annandale Hotel is a welcome victory, and one that has been celebrated by Lecihhardt Councilor Daniel Byrne, who has led the fight to keep the Annandale alive.
“Saving the Annandale, Sydney’s most iconic live music venue, is a mighty victory for music lovers across Sydney,” Byrne said.
“This victory must be the turning point for Sydney’s struggling live music scene.
“We will now accelerate our campaign to transform Parramatta Road into Sydney’s first live music zone.”
“The thousands of young people who have joined this campaign have put live music on the political agenda,” Byrne said.
“I am calling on music lovers across Sydney to join our fight to save live music in this city before it is too late.”
What an exciting idea that is, turning the area into Sydney’s very first live music precinct. Let’s hope it happens.
For now though, let us all raise a glass and shred a guitar solo to the continued existence of the Annandale Hotel. May it live long and prosper!
Sure it’s in desperate need of a lick of paint here and there, but its importance can’t be underestimated.
Image: Music Matters
