What ever happened to the Strawberry Hills Hotel music venue in Surry Hills Sydney

#australianmusic #pubrock #musichistory
Whatever happened to the Strawberry Hills hotel?
Take a look here as I revisit the former live music venue
Books referenced :
Lo Brow: A life of Rock, Paper and Fixes
Roger Griersin
Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977-1991 and Inner City Sound
Clinton Walker
The New RocknRoll Stuart Coupe and Glenn A Baker
The Real Thing 1957- Now
Martin Fabinyi & Toby Creswell
Lime Spiders Limelight by
Mick Blood
Tex Perkins
Rex by Tex
Websites
www.i94.com.au
Credit : Steve Lorkn for Troggs photos and Hoodoo gurus set list and Coupe de Ville photo
Credit: Facebook groups and members with various photos
Thanks ‪@Gioia67‬
Support the channel and buy my brother @robdido (editor) a coffee.
buymeacoffee.com/robdido

[@Thebibs]

I saw the Hard-Ons a few times at the Strawbs, in the mid 80's

[@Gioia67]

Hard ons supported Radio Birdman recently Loud! 😊

[@stevelawrie9115]

Nothing will tear the soul out of a pub like poker machines.

[@Gioia67]

Isn't that the truth!😊

[@jamesscanlon5969]

My old band, the Craven Fops, did our first professional show as a support for the Illustrated Man, which was made up of old and current members of Rose Tattoo, minus Angry. From memory, they were Ian Rilen on bass, Pete Wells and Mick Cocks on guitars and Dallas Royall on drums.

[@Gioia67]

Cool!!👌👏👏

[@mywordisthelaw]

Cool. Just to be clear, the Audas's sold the pub about 86. Ron the Dad retired to Brooklyn. They had nothing to do with the pokie change , that was the new owners. The Troggs were a coup, and they were still a rocking unit, but to be frank, very few people came. Maybe they didn't believe it really was the Troggs.

[@Gioia67]

That’s good to know. It’s so hard trying to find out information on owners though I met the daughter of the pub and should have asked her for more info

[@mickmcgood6543]

I did so many gigs there as a sound mixer. Mainly for the Crystal Set. The sound equipment was shit. The acoustics were useless. But the vibe was incredible. Like inviting 100 close friends to a party in a shoebox. Condensation dripping down the walls. It was just a normal part of life for us back then. Wow it seems so long ago now. Thanks for the video.

[@Gioia67]

You're welcome. Atmosphere is everything...intimate pubs like this are very cool 😊

[@shanecgriffo]

Some great memories from living in the area in the mid 80’s. The hopetoun was on the corner just up from my place then the trade union club and onto the strawberry hill a little further .. going out several times a week to see great bands, all within walking distance and usually free entry.

[@Gioia67]

Lucky you. How cool to walk there 👌👌👌

[@davewray9909]

It was the Southern Cross when I first played there. God, I’m so old!

[@Gioia67]

It was 👌💥✌️

[@Gary-td5xo]

Oh gawd, my band played the Strawb supporting Tex n The Dumbdums one night back in the early 80s, wild night 🙃

[@Gioia67]

Wow very cool!😊

[@MadBanners]

My old boss lived upstairs in one of the handful of rooms. It was the late 1980s. We had many nights on the drink there and he even brought his portable TV downstairs so we could all watch State of Origin. Most Fridays there was a half baked Jazz Band playing

[@Gioia67]

Fantastic!😊

[@rodmountford6665]

Went there and the Trade Union many times around 84-85. Saw Died Pretty, The Beasts of Bourbon, The Moffs, The Johnny's to name a few.. Tex and Ron were front men with a difference.

[@Gioia67]

Agree..such great attitudes and exciting times

[@GaryAudas-u2c]

Loved the blog , found it really interesting. I booked the bands for the pub. It was an amazing time to be involved in the inner city’s music scene. My late father did sell the hotel and moved to Brooklyn. He later returned to Sydney and had a business before moving to the south coast. He died of a stroke in a nursing home in Nowra. He loved so many of the bands and especially those members who stayed back after shows to have a drink and a chat with him.

[@Gioia67]

Aww So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your comments ❤️‍🩹

[@GaryAudas-u2c]

If you would like anymore information about the Audas Era at the Strawberry Hill Hotel please don’t hesitate to contact me. Gary

[@Gioia67]

@@GaryAudas-u2c cheers 🥰

[@DBASSDAN]

Played here a few times back in the day, good times.

[@Gioia67]

Nice😊

[@psychesonic1]

As a suburban lad in the 80's it was a place where magic could happen.

[@Gioia67]

💯 agree

[@kristinburton4953]

💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

[@stewartdavies929]

I have that book. It’s amazing!

[@alwaysright3718]

Lived near the Cricketers Arms from 95 to 99 and was a regular at the Hoptoun, Clock and Cricketers during that time, and they were great times...

[@Gioia67]

Sure were✌️💥

[@user-hl4fe7xo4q]

Celibate Rifles on a Sunday at the Southern Cross. The benefit night for the Redfern Brewers Inner City Football Club which featured, from memory, the James Baker Experience. Abbattoir - the "super group" that specialized in butchering Abba songs and which included members of Sunnyboys and Hoi Polloi. A Monday night at the Strill where the Particles turned up late because they'd only been told they were playing a short time earlier. They had to get a double adaptor from the local servo and their light show was a set of Christmas Tree lights. Their bass player was on the way to the airport so they had to get a replacement who only knew some of the set. Half way through the 3rd of 4 sets, they had to start repeating songs but no one gave a rats! There was probably less than 20 punters there but singer Astrid refused to start until everyone come up to the front. It was a brilliant night!

[@Gioia67]

Hilarious 😍😍

[@paulmcevoy]

Thanks for that. Great memories. I think I saw the Particles and or Pel Mel there. One night fireworks almost set fire to the drum kit. 🎉

[@Gioia67]

Oh wow! 😝

[@tonybaloney6656]

I use to go Thursday night for the Jazz until they realised machines make more money . Also remember seeing the Gladiators at The Arts Club across the road from the Strawberry around that time. Miss Celies is a very cool bar for live music these days .

[@Gioia67]

Jazz nights need to return. Sydbeyvhas so much potential 🎶💃

[@AlanCreed]

So many stories, so many great gigs witnessed and played in the 80s. Wild times.

[@Gioia67]

Absolutely 💯

[@Gioia67]

So true👌😊

[@DrFrankenskippy]

Love this ... thx really like your chnl

[@Gioia67]

Glad you enjoying the channel t. Thank you 🎶👍💥😀

[@waynetrenear326]

Hi. Do you you have any images of the posters?

[@Gioia67]

No All the pics I just found on Facebook mostly

[@anniecrestani1121]

We didn't discover Strawberries Hills till the Sunday afternoon Jazz Session's in the late 80s early 90s even my Parent's we all loved it my Dad had his 60th Birthday there he will be 90 this year we we're talking about it the other week if it was still there as we live in Queensland now many happy memories there Thankyou baci x

[@Gioia67]

Awww that's a great message thank you 😊

[@terryburns184]

Cockroaches every Friday and Saturday nights for free! and at half time a Shawarma Roll at Abduls. Good times.

[@Gioia67]

Fabulous ✌️✌️

[@hmao4466]

Awesome venue...

[@Gioia67]

Agree👍

[@navarrenavarre]

Love you Goose RIP and Box the Jesuit...I just had an acid flashback to a Moffs gig...how freakin good were they?

[@Gioia67]

👌👌👌✌️✌️✌️

[@PartTimeLaowai]

How about doing "What ever happened to the Oz live music industry"?

[@Gioia67]

@PartTimeLaowai great idea Cheers 👏👏

[@gostrum1]

I saw Eastern Dark there

[@Gioia67]

I hear they had a good following, not seen them myself but heard good things

[@gostrum1]

@@Gioia67 great gig 👌

[@MrHaides]

Some big bands played there under different names to try out new. songs

[@Gioia67]

Oh really ? Cool 👍👍

[@GenetNasty]

Played the Strawberry Hills Hotel in 83' the management was outraged with the volume of the Fender amp l was using suggesting the band quiet down for future shows, because the loved the band.

[@Gioia67]

Never loud enough 😆😆

[@namename1515]

Wildly overrated venue, playing there was especially awkward because it's too small, being a punter there was unpleasant because it's too small.

[@Gioia67]

Lol I like small venues 😊

[@princephilip-v5t]

I dont buy the pokie killed music narrative. The music died, it was good for a while, then wore off like pop art does, and people didnt want to go because the music wasnt that good anymore. And nightclubbing became the thing, with records playing. The 80s was just a good period for aus pub rock and all good things come to an end

[@Gioia67]

That's actuallyva very good valid point 👌✌️💥