Adelaide’s live music scene ‘suffering’ as iconic Hindley St venue Enigma Bar closes

The owner of Enigma Bar is throwing one final party on Friday night ahead of its closure – but says other live music venues are also struggling to stay open.

Enigma Bar on Hindley St has announced it will be closing its doors for good. Picture: Emily Olle

Adelaide’s live music venues are “suffering” as they struggle to attract international and interstate bands, according to the owner of a West End bar set to close its doors for the final time tonight.

Eric Ott, the man behind iconic Hindley St live music institution Enigma Bar, revealed this week he’d made the tough decision to shut the venue after 24 years due to increasing running costs and rising insurance premiums.

Mr Ott said he knew of other venues in a “similar boat”, who were also facing challenges bringing big-name groups to town over the past six to eight months.

Enigma Bar on Hindley St has announced it will be closing its doors for good. Picture: Emily Olle

“It’s sad that we have to close but it’s the economic circumstances, it’s insurance, it’s electricity prices … a live-music venue that trades two days a week is probably not feasible anymore,” he said.

Eric Ott from Enigma Bar. Picture Supplied

“The live music scene here is definitely suffering. Smaller capacity venues like ours haven’t been getting a lot of the touring bands and that’s made it quite difficult – and we don’t know why. But without that injection of some of the bigger internationals or interstate bands, you’re relying on locals who don’t have the pulling power. You just won’t get as many numbers through the door.

“I have talked to a few other venues who are in that similar boat to us. I reckon there will be a bit of stuff going down in the future, especially if we get more interest rate rises.”

Mr Ott said insurance costs for a venue of his size had grown to over $45,000 annually, which was unsustainable.

Enigma Bar opened its doors in 1999 and has played host to thousands of rock, punk and heavy metal gigs over its more than 24 years of trade.

Mr Ott, 67, said they are throwing a massive goodbye party on Friday night, featuring three bands and DJs, free entry from 8pm and the opportunity to take home a memento from the venue.

“We’re hoping people will come have a farewell drink and say hello, and remember where they met their best friends or did some crazy things when they were younger,” he said.

“It’s first come, first serve and the ones who come early can pick up some Enigma memorabilia too, we’ve got a some stuff to give away from around the bar.”

An online auction, by Evans & Clarke Auctions, will also go live on Tuesday night, and feature a “large range of commercial bar equipment”.

Tim Messer, from Evans & Clarke, said the auction will be catalogued and go live online on Tuesday for two weeks.