View the Mobile Version of M+N

Local Music News

Hopetoun Hotel Update

News posted Tuesday, September 29 2009 at 01:00 PM.
Related: Hopetoun Hotel.

Hopetoun Hotel Update

Sydney’s Hopetoun Hotel will be closed for a minimum of three months, a spokesperson for the Surry Hills venue confirmed today (September 29).

Speaking to M+N following yesterday’s abrupt closure, the spokesperson said that extensive works were required to meet council standards, but that the venue is expected to open again thereafter.

“The works required are to make the pub compliant with fire ordinance and other conditions connected with the operation of the pub as a venue,” she said. “We have had notice for several months, however the work is extensive and cannot be done while the pub is trading.”

In the meantime, all foreseeable events including shows by touring internationals Tiny Vipers and Vivian Girls have been cancelled.

The spokesperson thanked members of the local music community – some of whom started a Facebook group, a Twitter page and a blog – for their support. “We wish to thank the patrons and supporters of the Hopetoun and apologise for any inconvenience caused by this temporary closure,” she said. “We will develop a strategy for dealing with the issues over the coming weeks and will take you up on your offer to help when the time is right.”

The spokesperson was speaking on behalf of Evangelos Patakas, the director of a company which has owned the Hopetoun Hotel since the late 1990s.

UPDATE (September 29, 3.25pm) Council security regulations have also been blamed for the Hopetoun’s temporary closure. Echoing the woes of a number of small venue operators in Melbourne, The Hopetoun has had to ensure that two security guards are present at all shows at considerable cost to the venue. “In a period of about a seven days we were fined a total of about $3000 for not having them on certain nights,” Hopetoun director Anastasia Patakas told M+N.

+

Related Artists


Your Comments

shineslikerubies  said about 11 months ago:

yay.


monochromic  said about 11 months ago:

''...but that the venue is expected to open again thereafter.''

that sure is good to hear!


le_disco  said about 11 months ago:

great news. fingers crossed eh

bring back the downstairs cocktail bar too!


filterfeed  said about 11 months ago:

and then build a bowling alley on top/underground. that's what you call a venue!


Zaphod  said about 11 months ago:

kula.shaker to launch the reopening!


hillsonghoods  said about 11 months ago:

ahh, good. storm in a teacup? change of mind? attempt to shut people up and let the owners make their own decision?


aloha  said about 11 months ago:

vivian girls has moved to hellen rose..


Orange Julius  said about 11 months ago:

uh i've heard that if it does reopen it won't be returning to the same hoey we know and love.


Temet  said about 11 months ago:

Probably should have planned the closure all a bit better if they had several months' notice, wouldn't you think?


southernbelle  said about 11 months ago:

I'm betting they were issued with a Fire Safety Order and they ignored it for a while, and then somebody from Council made a fuss and started enforcing it.


Dexter Ramone  said about 11 months ago:

Temet said 17 minutes ago:

Probably should have planned the closure all a bit better if they had several months' notice, wouldn't you think?

Agreed. I would have thought they're coming into a very busy part of the year for live music...


K Dilkington  said about 11 months ago:

So they knew this for months and didn't tell anyone, not even the staff apparently???... Look, I agree that Sydney can't afford to lose any more music venues and the Hoey is no exception - it's an institution. But when they say “We will develop a strategy for dealing with the issues over the coming weeks”. It begs the question: Why didn't you act on this months ago when you knew about it? And why f*** your own staff over by at least giving them some notice that this would be happening...


beertickle  said about 11 months ago:

So is Rider still open in the meantime?


wipey  said about 11 months ago:

People make mistakes, K-dog


andydepressant  said about 11 months ago:

I guess its a matter of them being outside the regs for a long time without being called on it so when the __ hit the _ it was out of the blue.


GnomeChomsky  said about 11 months ago:

What does this all mean for the bands entered in the Incentive?


MATTPHEONIXxoxoxo  said about 11 months ago:

Obviously they arnt gonna stay open for their staff if someone from councel says we are going to fine you 20 grand if ur opperating without correct bullshit are they dick munchers.


K Dilkington  said about 11 months ago:

I realise people make mistakes - but that's basic business. You have to comply with this stuff. I'm by no means supporting the council on this - They're a bunch of twunts. But if the owners had have made this known a bit earlier, plenty of people would have come forward to help sort this out before the situation got as bad as it did....


wipey  said about 11 months ago:

Yeah that's true.


Needyneddy  said about 11 months ago:

Tiny Vipers show (with Rand and Holland, Guy Blackman and Seaworthy) moved to BJB Studios performance space, in Surry Hills. Phew!


View Comments 20 to 337

We've limited the amount of comments shown in these larger topics to allow for faster viewing, simply click here to load all the missing comments ...

Zaphod  said about 2 months ago:

LOL. We don't care Kuro, there's heaps of places to play up here.


anonymous  said about 2 months ago:

exactly, you can play bowling at strike, you can play laser zone at the laserzone place, you can play pinball machines at timezone.


Mo  said about 2 months ago:

fuck i wanna play laserzone!


anonymous  said about 2 months ago:

harbourside at darling harbour!


Mo  said about 2 months ago:

yeh a couple of mates went n played recently, i am keen eh

when i organise a group of us for some laserzone action nony i'll shoot you a message


Zaphod  said about 2 months ago:

You probably won't though lol.


tenzenmen  said about 2 months ago:

excelsior is the new hopetoun


scallywag  said about 2 months ago:

what's the old excelsior ?


Mo  said about 2 months ago:

the new sando?


scallywag  said about 2 months ago:

i thought that was the new feedback


rosevich  said about 2 months ago:

keen for lazerzone, bitches.


Mo  said about 2 months ago:

nah that's the townie


Mo  said about 2 months ago:

rosevich said 11 seconds ago:

keen for lazerzone, bitches.


bring it oooon


anonymous  said about 2 months ago:

i'm going to buy the hopetoun and turn it into a lazerzone place...
...
...

with beer.


scallywag  said about 2 months ago:

and tacos


BurtBacharach  said about 2 months ago:

lazerzone in a darkened, decrepit, boarded up Hoey would be fun.


Mo  said about 2 months ago:

fuck oath ^^^


Texaco  said about 2 months ago:

The Bank Hotel is already blackened. And it's closer to our houses Mo!


Mo  said about 2 months ago:

^^^

true and you said BLACKENED!!!!

\m/


Texaco  said about 2 months ago:

Oops. I did too!


You need to be logged into Mess+Noise to contribute to the News.
Go on and Log In or if you you're not a member, feel free to Sign Up.

Today On Mess+Noise
Related M+N Content
In Other News