What Happened to The Grand Hotel Sydney - Australia's Punk Music History

#punkrock #australianmusic
An obscure yet relevant punk venue, The Grand Hotel in Sydney was an important and influential venue that played host to many great bands during its brief and exciting existence. Credit must go to Des Devlin, who created the first real film about Sydneys subculture of punk in the 70s. Distorted:" Reflections on early Sydney punk." A must see. Google it. Enjoy.

[@williamwebb8908]

My band ROCKS played there many times. There's a picture here of us standing at the rear entrance. Great times.

[@Gioia67]

Cool. I found this a fascinating story. 👏

[@williamwebb8908]

All the ROCKS pics you show are mine and I have plenty more.The Scabs' drummer Greg Morris joined us after they kicked him out. ROCKS are still playing today.

[@beardfirelabelstudio4837]

Hi Gioia, Rohan Healy here son of David Virgin (Sekret Sekret, Broken Toys, SPK) dad watches all your videos and loves em. Keep up the good work. Rohan.

[@Gioia67]

Aww thank u That's awesome 👌 thanks for the support 💖

[@MalcolmBaxter]

Thanks for this brings back a lot of great times! I was in the Last Words

[@Gioia67]

Awesome. What a great time that would have been 👍👏👌

[@MalcolmBaxter]

It was Giola we had so much fun great bands won\t see the like again I don\t think.

[@PhalseProfit13]

Awesome video thank you

[@Gioia67]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@hojuchris]

The "Pogo" loved it! cant forget the fun that i had with clements!! Played with John after the grand great time!

[@MrKaliSana]

Thanks for your little video. I loved The Grand Hotel, the bands and the scene. I wasn't a personality like some but I was a guy who loved going there on Friday nights after doing a week's shit work in an Artarmon factory. Thrash about, sweat and shout, I was in to it. So much so, I'd go again on the Saturday night. Back then I had so little money I'd often save up for a few schooners that I would drink from a straw from before letting myself go. Sundays I had pulled muscles that ached and T-shirts that were ruined. I remember the manager who once bought me a beer. I also remember Joy C (still in contact), Laura Lee (lost contact) and Les Hassle (RIP). What I most loved was that it was an affordable, unpretentious venue where one could feel they were among kindred spirits and have a good time without having to prove anything in a fight. For me, this was real authentic music that I haven't resiled from. A small, crowded venue with a shit sound system and everyone having fun bouncing off walls and each other. PS: I found your little video wondering if Albo was the punk he says he was. I don't think he was but he might have turned up for a Mental As Anything gig which, IMHO, would've been as "punk" as The Angels or Midnight Oil as the Bondi Lifesaver. PS: Did X ever play at the Grand? I saw them lots of times at The Civic but that was a long time ago.

[@Gioia67]

@MrKaliSana thanks for the support. Yeh not too sure but I reckon X would have played there ...most of us in our 20s had little money 💰 lol I spent mine on travel and music 🎶

[@paulhetet5603]

The Grand Hotel was the first alternative venue I ever went to!!!2

[@bondalemecovillage6738]

Great stuff, saw Mental as Anyth8ng & INXS in 79'at the Paddo Green. Great video thank you for the history

[@Gioia67]

Cheets Will have to look at the Paddo green too👍😃

[@lachlanhulley3195]

Fitting Tribute to Uncle Dougie 2MMM

[@Peter_LiveMusic]

Sydney's best punk venue. Saw many bands there but X were the stand out.

[@mywordisthelaw]

Not sure that Doug Mulray's tune reflects what was actually going on at The Grand. Magic days though. We ( The Thought Criminals) recorded Rejex and Suicide Squad and put them out on our Doublethink label. The PA a LOT of bands used was owned by Hilton Fatt and his brother Jeff, who later played with the Cockroaches and became a Wiggle.

[@Gioia67]

Oh wow, I didn't know that. I hadn't heard many of these tunes so I'm really glad I chose the Grand as a venue to research. Ps was hard funding information, so was glad Des D produced that great doco. Yeh, Uncle Dougs tune is a fun addition really that was included to add humorous touch 😀

[@deanpd3402]

​@@Gioia67There is a punk connection with Doug's send up song, in the name of Bruce Griffiths who was one of Doug's writers. Bruce produced a number of compilation albums that included johnny dole and the scabs as well as the rocks.

[@user-tu4xh8dh2k]

The Grand was the best punk rock venue around. Nothing else afterwards was as good as The Grand in terms of having the real essence of punk rock. Original bands doing their own idea of what punk rock was to them. No pretension. It was real, not trendy at all. Plenty of great gigs, wild times and stories ... if you could remember them. There was no stage and if you wanted to go to the toilet, there was a dunny out the back but most people just went to the one in the band room, which meant you had to walk through the band while they were playing, ladies and gents all together, plenty of stuff going on in there. The juke box was in a room with pool table and pinball machines. The juke box would get smashed and everyone in the room would try to snatch their favourite punk rock 45's. Fred used to let us know about the cops too, "they're out the front", or "they're out the back". He saved a lot of people from getting locked up for the night. Plenty more stories but I'll shut up now.

[@Gioia67]

Thanks for the feedback. Pure and authentic indeed

[@mickmarton4921]

Hey Gioia, Was there a bar if you walked thru the Grand which was on the next street that ran parallel. I remember going there on Saturday arvo's & sometimes seeing Andrew Thompson from moving pictures play there. I really enjoy your content.

[@Gioia67]

Might be the Crystal palace

[@RebelRebelious]

I wasn't aware of this place but as I arrived in Sydney in October 1979, I guess it had probably gone by then. Any plan for a video of the Astra at Bondi? I recall seeing a fair few bands there.

[@Gioia67]

Yes I think the Astra should definitely be documented. Cheers 🍻 👏

[@johnathanwetherill456]

Another great video !! Johnny Dole and the scabs . Love that name !! LOL . Looks like your editor was a big fan of Uncle Doug as was I . Great tribute . RIP Uncle Doug who passed away this week . Thats was his song at the end and skit . Be a Cunning Stunt and have a calamari tonic to celebrate .

[@Gioia67]

I really enjoyed this one. And yeh Doug Murray's song always makes me laugh 😃

[@johnathanwetherill456]

@@Gioia67 Mulray .lol

[@irenepenno]

Thanks Gioia for your story and Sydney archive of The Grand Hotel. TOPS. I went to many Sydney city Venues at the time, but the Grand Hotel really was the kids running the kitchen. It was a Wild , do what you want time at The Grand. Besides from the Sydney Punk ''legend'' bands that played there. As I recall the Grand closed at only 10pm .The Bull wagons would often just wait out the front of the Pub at closing time to break up the crowd and arrest pissed Punks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqC7qGyOqtiYeqc. Sydney Punk music video dedicated To The Grand Hotel and The Civic Hotel Punks.

[@Gioia67]

Fantastic. It deserves so much more attention ❤

[@RolandElliottFirstG]

ALL GONE NOW, SAD REALLY

[@jimbeard2528]

It definately went later then 79 I think probably 81-82

[@Gioia67]

Ok Good to know 👌✌️

[@c-jsoldierwolf6926]

It wasn’t open in 81/82. After the Grand, closed, we went to the Civic hotel

[@corduroyempire]

Always use gloves when handling the dry ice - RIP Doug Mulray.

[@Gioia67]

Not the full squid. I think his tentacles haven't dropped 😆

[@queenslander7756]

One of my great disappointments having never played the Grand in my 40 year career! Oh well, next time round!😁

[@Gioia67]

@queenslander7756 . The funny thing is I worked there on that site /office building when I was 21 🤩

[@queenslander7756]

@@Gioia67 ❤️👍🏼