‘Heart and soul’: Rockers’ move for Aussie pubs

Table of Contents

There's something uniquely special about being squashed into a band room at your local, having a beer spilled around in a small – but no less intense – mosh.

But the cost of hosting these exclusive shows is leaving pubs in a tough spot, with big expenses for high-end production, rented gear and amphitheaters, and even soundproofing venues, alongside the big bill for booking a band.

Fair dinkum! Aussie rockers Dune Rats pulled off a crackin' good show at the legendairy Beach Road Hotel in Bondi on Saturday arvo as part of Tooheys on Tour, a ripper of a program to give live music a fair go in the local venues.

The venue held a special spot in the band’s hearts, being one of the very first gigs they played in Sydney after starting out in 2010.

"That venue's got heaps of nostalgia for us, I s'pose, 'cause we used to shift above the joint as part of the deal when we played there," singer Danny Beusaraus said.

“Fair dinkum, you'd have $5 bob in your bank account, chillin' in one of the best digs in Bondi … Head downstairs, check out the show, have a ripper of a time, and then stroll up the stairs with a pint of tinnie in your hand.”

Beusaraus said it was "surreal" to be back at the venue, with smaller gigs often giving a more up close and personal cheek-by-jowl experience with the audience compared to the bigger shows.

“It's like having a beer with the bloke or sheila in front of you, ya know, about half a metre away,” Beusaraus said

At Bondi, if someone wants to have a yell at you, they don't have to travel far to let you know what they think.

Smaller gigs are important for bands that are just starting out.

“Yer don't just start out playin' at the Hordern Pavilion, or a 650-seat venue,” he said.

“Yeah, you'd get a good show with a 100-strong crowd in a pub.”

However, many hotels were battling with the cost of booking live acts, with Beusaraus saying many couldn't make a go of things following the pandemic.

He said while the bigger ones managed to ride out the tough times, it's crucial to keep the smaller pubs financially afloat.

Owner of the Beach Road Hotel Scott Whitehouse reckons he'd struggle to land a big act like Dune Rats to play at his venue now without the foot-in-the-door help of a program like Tooheys on Tour, despite having booked 'em plenty of times in the past.

He reckons it'd be between $10,000 and $15,000 to hire a band of the same calibre, and other ongoing costs like boosting security, renting gear and sound equipment, and having a sound expert on board would only add to the stress.

“Flicking the switch and throwing on the bar isn't the only thing,” Mr Whitehouse said.

“It’s not cheap.

“G'day, we're a large spot, fair dinkum, we can tolerate it, reckon, cover the expenses, but those smaller pub-style venues, it's a fair bit tougher to keep those costs afloat, mate.”

G'day, Beusaraus reckons the partnership with Tooheys was a ripper of a way to give local pubs a leg-up, and also start a chinwag about the wider issue.

“Tooheys are trying to encourage bands to get back to the pubs, because it's such a fair dinkum way for them to get their start,” he said.

“Fair dinkum, it's a ripper of an ecosystem (between bands and pubs), and we're stuck in it together.”

The final gig for the Dune Rats will be at the Mona Vale Hotel on Saturday, following previous shows at Bondi and The Entrance Leagues Club in Bateau Bay.

The owner, Ben Hanson, has been on a crusade to re-establish live music at the venue since he took over approximately 18 months ago.

“I wanted to put the heart and soul back into the community with live music – a decent, family-friendly pub where blokes in their 20s to oldies in their 80s can rock up and have a good time,” he said.

“Mates, you need to have these areas for people to gain experience in gettin' better and become good actors, but it's also for the theatre-goers.”

“Live music is what gives the pub its real heart and soul, don’t you think?”

Mr Hanson echoed Mr Whitehouse, and said that running shows without the assistance of similar initiatives was a real challenge.

“Live music is right out of the budget – it costs a fair bit to get it set up, and you've also got to shell out for heaps of security personnel.”

“Fair dinkum, if you can nail it, it can be a real winner.”

Having recently hosted The Terrys with the assistance of Aussie beer Stone and Wood, Mr Hanson said he "felt like he was 19" watching young people having a crack.

“They're bustin' around, bit of a mosh pit, and it was as right as rain," he said.

Gotta say, it's great to see young blokes and sheilas out there enjoying quality live tunes since the COVID thing started, so we all need a fair dinkum effort to get live music going strong again.

Tooheys are set to chuck in 10 grand to the music charity Support Act as part of the partnership, with brand director Karen Sterling-Levis saying that pubs and live music were "the beating heart of Australian culture".

“Cheers to the pubs and music that bring us all together!” Ms Sterling-Levis said.