Brisbane’s CBD has lost three of its established live music venues in the past week – O’Skulligans will reportedly cease hosting live music, while Laruche and The Victory Hotel have announced their closure.
The Warner Street bar O’Skulligans held its last night of live music last Saturday (February 11) as part of the 2023 Mountain Goat Valley Crawl. Though the venue has yet to make a public statement, Brisbane band Apparitions – who performed at the venue on Friday February 10 – alleged in a Facebook post that noise complaints were the cause.
The bands Dave & the Mudcrabs and Seven Enemies, who had shows planned at O’Skulligans, also said on social media that the bar is no longer hosting live music, as The Music reported.
Laruche, meanwhile, will shutter after 13 years of trading. The Ann Street nightclub announced its “official closing party” on Tuesday (February 14); it’s set to take place on Sunday February 26. “An iconic Brisbane venue that has meant so much to the underground scene is closing its doors,” a statement from the venue read on Instagram. “Dragonfruit is proudly hosting a 16 hour project between Bakery Lane and Laruche. An event not to be missed.”
Tickets to Laruche’s closing party are available via Moshtix, with both the first and second release of tickets having already sold out.
Laruche owner Geoffrey Slater said in a statement to NME that the venue will close for renovations and come back as a “new exciting venue” under different ownership.
“I’ve decided to pursue other opportunities and was offered a good price from some successful Melbourne operators wanting to expand into Queensland,” he said.
Slater, who took over the bar in August 2019, added: “Running a bar was definitely a bucket list event for me, although the timing probably wasn’t the greatest but we made the most of it, knuckled down with the support of family, friends and business associates, and the dedicated, resourceful young people in the business. I will never forget how they stepped up to the plate and supported us.”
As reported by the ABC yesterday, the Victory Hotel on the corner of Edward Street and Charlotte Street – which has been heritage-listed in Brisbane since 2009 – was leased to ALH Hotels. A spokesperson for the company said it had decided “not to enter a new lease with the [building’s] landlord”, with The Vic, as it is colloquially known, ceasing operations after this Sunday (February 19).
“We are proud to have been the custodians of the Victory Hotel for the last two decades, and we are sad to be saying goodbye to this iconic venue,” the unnamed ALH spokesperson added. “We would like to thank everybody that has played some part in the operation of the Vic since 1993. A lot has changed in this time, and we know a lot of memories have been made too.”
In a since-deleted social media post, The Vic’s manager, Phil Coles, reportedly confirmed reports of the venue’s closure. “The sad day has come after 21 years where we have to close the doors on a Brisbane icon,” he wrote. “It’s been an honour to have been there on and off for 12 of those years and venue manager for the last five years. The Victory has been the best and most testing venue I have ever run. I will miss it dearly.”
Additional reporting by Ellie Robinson.