What happened to the Hopetoun Hotel Surry Hills - Live Australian Indie Music Bands

#indiemusic #australianmusic #livemusicvenue
The Hopetoun Hotel in Surry Hills was a significant and much loved live music venue, popular throughout the 80s and 90s until it suddenly closed in 2019. Come along and enjoy a trip down memory lane. The list of bands is long and impressive. The memories will forever be etched in the minds of many punters, musicians, and of course all the lucky staff and management.❤️🎶💓

[@TheLexiconDevils]

Gentrification killed it. Same as Newtown. People moving in next door to a pub then complaining about noise.

[@DrFrankenskippy]

... sooo may precious wild 'n' free memories here!

[@navarrenavarre]

my ears are still ringing from the last time MASSAPPEAL played.....

[@jaffa3910]

@@navarrenavarre Is that whats going on with my ears. I saw MASS APPEAL a lot in the 80s, great band. ☠️

[@DBASSDAN]

Wow!!!! So many memories of playing here. Literally the bread and butter for me and a few mates back in the day.

[@Gioia67]

So good!

[@DeadOnArrival]

Had great times here, as well as Dee Why Hotel, Clock Hotel, Sandringham, Evil Star in Darlinghurst, Coogee Bay Hotel, Phoenician, Graphic Arts club, I still love visiting the Townie in Newtown when I'm in town, that place still has it... Wish I still had my Lubricated Goat Bandana.

[@plusone4726]

Hopetoun and Strawberry Hills were great when you were young and had no money. Saw so many great bands for nothing. Whilst so many were so great I loved the fact that so many were pretty terrible and were at least given a chance.

[@Gioia67]

💯 agree with you 👍👍👍

[@stoneageromeo1]

Great venue - long walk up the hill from Central - past the Trade. Saw many bands there, but will never forget Goose and Suzie in front of Box the Jesuit. Suzie banging the mannequin.

[@therocknerd4005]

Spent many a time at the Hopetoun. Having worked in community radio for a decade with a focus on Aussie music, my nights were spent either at the Hoey, Excelsior, Bar Broadway, Northpoint, Annandale seeing and interviewing bands. Highlights for the Hopetoun was the annual The Camels by Candlelight just before Christmas, seeing Vicious Hairy Mary, George, Red Jezebel, Motor Ace etc.

[@Gioia67]

Doing Annandale and Excelsior down the track ✌️✌️✌️

[@jaffa3910]

I'm so glad I found and subscribed to your channel,it brings back so many memories for me when I was living in Newtown in the 80s. 😎

[@Gioia67]

Glad you enjoying them💥🎶✌️

[@spaceengineer1452]

I played there 4 times in 97, 98. My band Submarine and later Art School would mainly play the Xcelsior , down the hill. We were always excited to get a gig there, as it was hard for us, being a not known band. I lived a few metres down the road in Bourke Street. Saw many great gigs, there. Met Lindy Morrison , who I hung out with and rolled, rollies (mine) for her. Enjoying all yr videos, well made.

[@thepanel2935]

The Hopetoun Hotel, also known as 'The Hoey' among locals and 'The Hopeless' by detractors...

[@Gioia67]

😂😂

[@thepanel2935]

I saw lots of bands there and spent years living within walking distance of the Hopetoun. One band I Iiked and saw was *_Poles Apart,_* but they probably didn't last long. In common with so many bands of their time, they never had an album contract or the support of a record label. So, finding their music _now_ is probably impossible.

[@SimonJHeath]

I was a barman there... it was fun,

[@jamesscanlon5969]

I played there many times in the Craven Fops, the Killer Sheep, the Ghost of Charlie Cousins and the Scrubhornets. I was enough of a regular that if the barmaids saw me crossing the street they would pour a schooner of Resch's and have it sitting on the bar before I arrived. Many memories of the place. There were sometimes lock-ins where we would retreat upstairs (or downstairs?) and carry on for many hours after closing. The time Phil Free was doing the barbecue out the back, came in to listen to the band, and the cooking fire almost set the pub on fire. But my proudest moment was one arvo when Chad Morgan was playing. Johnny Leopard (RIP) was coordinating the music side of things that day and he asked me to get on the microphone and introduce Chad to the stage. I had to think quickly and formulate a speech but I could do that in those days.

[@melissa1774]

Some of us had to take time off work to go to Rock Against Work. What larks! Lots of great memories. If it all got too much or too crowded, you could go downstairs and sit and watch the fish

[@SydneyDrums]

Wolfmother played there 20 years ago in 2004, Simon Day from Rat Cat was there. I was playing that night with Vanlustbader.. it was a great venue.

[@Gioia67]

Cool 👍👍

[@billymack333]

The Hopetoun did have Pokies for a while in the late 90s. It was the death knell for the bar.

[@utterlybrilliant]

I only have one incredibly fond memory of the Hopetoun as not too many of the bands I listened to at the time (late 90's to early 2000's) played there. USA 90's Swing revival act The Royal Crown Revue played a three hour Jazz set in either 2000 or 2001. I went to the show with my dad who was a big jazz fan. He has since passed away this year, but I mentioned this show in his eulogy that he was not enjoying standing up for three hours. Good times. Sigh.

[@TheLexiconDevils]

flippin coins

[@theimpost]

Rock against work !! Free gigs on a Tuesday back in the day scuzza hills was genuine

[@khylerin70]

Clover Moore was reputed to live in Bourke St, on that basis alone it never had a chance. 😒

[@barkingbandicoot]

So sad, so sad! Of all the venues that have closed this is one I really lament. 😥

[@Gioia67]

At this stage it’s being renovated I think Fingers crossed 🤞

[@00ArjunA00]

I used to take a change of clothes to school, head into the city afterwards to go to Rock Against Work at the Hopetoun, like 90-92 or so. They were weekday bills that would start fairly early (late arvo, early evening). Back then, of course, ID checks weren't super strict. With longish shaggy hair and a goatee, walking in like I belonged there, then befriending the door guys, it became a very regular thing! Gosh I can't even remember most of the names I saw there, now. But it had *that* vibe. You were there, where the scene was, and many of the bands became big. Some of them you mentioned (eg. You Am I, The Clouds, Falling Joys, The Meanies, The Humming Birds, The Hard Ons, Beasts of Bourbon, Celibate Rifles etc.). Good Times!

[@billymack333]

Hopetoun was a great bar right into the mid late 90s. Caught many bands there, You Am I were a standout. Who remembers the dog race day between the Hopetoun and the Cricketers Arms. Hands down the best bar in Surry Hills in the early 90s was the Bentley Bar on Crown St. Operated as a normal inner city pub till about 10pm then kind of turned nightclub often till 8am the following morning. Joints openly smoked inside the venue all the time. The closest bar to the biggest Police station(Surry Hills HQ) in Sydney.

[@merranoneill2407]

I was at the cricketers the Australia Day after the last dog race, it was legendary and everyone was talking about it . . . . and we spent more time at the bentley than at home lol, so much character - Bentley with the doors and windows all open on a lounge catching the afternoon sun on a Sunday afternoon, . . . or 2am, 4am, 6am in the sweat and smokehaze, . . . I'd do it all again

[@5pindin13]

Great video! Also, ABC's 'Edge of the Wedge' (hosted by Mark Dodshon) broadcast Ed Kuepper performing 3 songs from his '85 solo debut 'Electrical Storm", filmed at the Hopetoun, in 1986. Title track, 'Told Myself' and 'Car Headlights". It's killer footage, if you can find it.

[@Gioia67]

Excellent! I'll kave a look. Thanks for the feedback 😀

[@5pindin13]

@@Gioia67 Cool. One rainy Tue arve, Rock Against Work was lucky enough to catch X, when Ian was still with us. VERY fond memory!

[@Gioia67]

I never saw Ian unfortunately. So many bands so many venues back then

[@albertvangestal3696]

Friendly venue. I played there a few times with The Cartwrights in the 1990s...nicest place to spend a Sunday afternoon. I also remember seeing Box The Jesuit, Wedding, Parties Anything and Lucky Dinosaurs in the 1980s at The Hopetoun. Great time to be alive in Sydney if you were a live music fan.

[@sydneyhiphophead5407]

Awesome venue. I was in a band around 2003 called Jedison and we played there a few times. 3 or 4 bands on a night for about 10 bucks entry. Wild when you think about how much live music you got for such money. I never knew so many big aussie acts went through there. I feel good knowing I got a chance to play at such an iconic venue. It does make me sad when I walk past and see it all run down so hopefully a reno happens and it re opens.

[@Gioia67]

Agree. It's very sad when u stand in front of it . Looks so forlorn . It was a happy place for so many years. Thanks for the feedback 😀

[@unclestevie.133]

The Cereal Killers played there a few times, I made $40.00...

[@johno1104]

I was a regular there 2004-2009 and it was great right up until the end. They definitely did have a security guard in the last few months even though I never saw a sign of trouble. I heard the council then insisted on 2 security guards every night and they pulled the pin. It was very sudden a lot of gigs had to get alternative venues.

[@Gioia67]

Wow. That's interesting. How ridiculous but then again security is everywhere these days 👌✌️

[@RebelRebelious]

I went to many Sydney music venues in the early 80s and I genuinely can't remember this place. There is a saying here, if you can remember your times in 1980s West Berlin, you probably weren't there! That might be the case with this place. ;0

[@Gioia67]

It was in a suburb not too far from the CBD ..near Central station. It was prob more popular late 80s 90s

[@maloz63]

Strawberry Hills hotel comes to mind

[@djinoz]

Anyone remember Andy who ran the corner shop across the road? ('80s) "Thank you, thank you very much" He'd multiply the purchase cost by x100. A classic inner city character.

[@thepanel2935]

Are you talking about that old guy with a foreign accent who used to sing a little ditty to customers?

[@Gioia67]

lol. sounds like a charachter. thanks for that. its great hearing incidental things people remember.

[@merranoneill2407]

we still sing it to each other LOL x

[@grahambingham1649]

Hopetoun was forced to close after the owner, Evangelos Patakas, accumulated overwhelming fines and police citations for noise violations in a residential area that ultimately led to the council chaining the venue's doors shut in 2009.

[@Gioia67]

I saw an email that Clover Moore wrote. I personally think it was about money 💰

[@DjAtomize]

Pretty sure the Hopetoun had pokies in the end downstairs

[@manonymous4737]

SHit! Did the Hoey close? I saw Hard-ons many many times there, powder monkeys, so many bands.Wasn't that where they had the Rock against work in the afternoons mid week? (Ha just checked the other comments and yes that was where they had the rock against work. I musta seen so many of you people there over the years)

[@Gioia67]

Scaffolding still happening so no idea what's going on

[@BrynHull]

Here's footage of The Deadly Hume doing a 'Rock Against Work' in 1987. I was there friends with dancing in the middle. Good times! They were pretty loose arvos those "Rock Against Works". kzbin.info/www/bejne/aImvnqmmmcmgra8

[@Gioia67]

Fantastic! Thank you for sharing 🎶💓❤️

[@Stuart_Field]

Great vid well done! I might have this wrong but was there a little bit of ancient footage of Mark Tunaley??

[@Gioia67]

Yes I think u might ne right ✅️

[@Thebibs]

Played there a few times in the 90s

[@Gioia67]

😎 cool✔️✔️👏👏

[@grapsta]

Shout out to all the Frigid Sunday arvo party people

[@Gioia67]

Shout out :-)

[@damlaz5573]

ha, first band I saw there was the cockroaches, in the back room, 20-30 people?? Half the people normally would be standing on the food path with a drink......

[@liviabaggio1543]

The Merton in Rozelle is still going.

[@Gioia67]

Love the Merton . Their accomm is good too

[@liviabaggio1543]

@Gioia67 I'm a blues player from Melbourne but my friend Continental Robert and his band currently play at the Merton

[@SimonJHeath]

The reason why the pub shut was because of

[@Gioia67]

because ....? cheers

[@bangdeepaharda4203]

mutated noddys

[@Gioia67]

great name for a band

[@barkingbandicoot]

I think we have to come to the conclusion that the band scene in Australia is more like collecting vinyl vs listening to Spotify. There a die hards for it but it is niche. The 90's was the last real decade of pub rock. The 2000's were also good but not a patch on previous decades. Why? Commercialisation, gentrification, the banning of smoking, the glorification of rap, onerous rules and regualtions and pc culture being the biggest factors. Theory: Latin America has taken the baton. The Australian scene will get worse before it gets better.

[@Gioia67]

Agree 💯

[@yesand5536]

I remember many awesome nights at the Hoey. I was 21 and utterly naive, and to have a scene you could just walk into full of energy and non-mainstream music was such a great combo. And then you think its going to last forever because it kept going on year after year, and then it doesn't. Change is the only constant. I just want to see the point where my son finds his version of what I found and enjoys it for the time it exists.

[@bumerangsydney]

Nirvana apparently played there

[@edwingarland8266]

Kurt apparently went to the venue on his night of in Sydney. It is said ..

[@bashandmatttabbison]

They didn't play there

[@Gioia67]

A person wrote in a music related article that she was at the Hopetoun when Kurt Cobain jumped on stage. I believe her as this happened a lot back then. Mick Jagger appeared at the Kardomah in 88 one night

[@bumerangsydney]

@@Gioia67 perhaps this could be a separate video about where famous people showed up or played!

[@Gioia67]

@@bumerangsydney great 💡 idea!

[@GenetNasty]

I and my fellow band members along with everyone else lived in the downstairs bar where Jasmine ran the bar . Many overseas groups played there prior to their Australian tour, saw Pursuit Of Happiness , Harry Dean Stanton , PJ Proby . Played there most notably with with Spy.V.Spy , saw The Dangling Brothers , The Clouds, Silk and the Slatterns amongst many others. We all got totally slaughtered there because everyone went to the Hoey , then to the Clock, the Lebanese restaurant across the road sold Hash,we would visit the Dolphin for a top up then the Gas light eventually drifting off to Oxford st to catch a cab to the Cross.

[@Gioia67]

So many options and so much fun 🤩