Arkaba Hotel inducted into SA Music Hall of Fame

From the early years of Filipino fanfare, to Midnight Oil to world-class DJ Carl Cox, the Arkaba Hotel’s 50 years of hosting live gigs has been etched into SA’s official music history books.

Jenny and Peter Hurley and Kiera and John Swan celebrate the Arkaba Hotel being inducted into the SA Music Hall of Fame. Picture: AAP/Roy VanDerVegt

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From the early years of Filipino fanfare, to Midnight Oil to world-class DJ Carl Cox, the Arkaba Hotel’s 50 years of hosting live gigs has been etched into SA’s official music history books.

Owners Peter and Jenny Hurley were “pretty chuffed” to see the Fullarton hotel, which they took over in 1991, inducted into the SA Music Hall of Fame last Thursday night.

Mr Hurley says the hotel’s musical tradition began with a resident Filipino band in 1968.

“(Midnight Oil singer) Peter Garrett always raves about his shows at the Arkaba,” Mr Hurley tells Eastern Courier Messenger over a coffee late last week.

“All the music identities have their wakes here. When musos chose to get together to celebrate the life of famous identities of the past, we’re normally the venue of choice.”

The Arkaba Hotel in June, 1988.

The music is still very much alive and kicking, though.

Holding up to 300 gigs a year, the diamond in the Arkaba’s diadem remains its top-floor destination, Top of the Ark, where its dodecagon-shaped dance floor and 13 booths have hosted tens of thousands of punters coming to see the likes of The Oils (in 1980), Cold Chisel, Mental As Anything, The Cure and Icehouse.

Adelaide act John Swan – aka Swanee, and the brother of Jimmy Barnes – remembers about 2000 people packed in one night, creating a “sauna” atmosphere, despite an official capacity of 600.

SA Premier-elect Dean Brown at the Liberal Party victory party at the Arkaba Hotel on State election night in December 1993.

Entertainment manager and local DJ Jack “Jaky J” Jericho says the Top of the Ark continues to pull in live music first timers.

“It brings a good, young demographic into the venue … they walk into the room and get that wow factor,” Jericho says.

“It might have been there 50 years, but they’ve never been in.”

The Hurleys have also recently renovated the Arkaba Lounge Bar for performances, while its Sportys Bar + Arena has an act every Saturday night and soloist every Friday afternoon.

Mr Hurley says they are just a few examples of much change over five decades at the “iconic” locale.

“50 years ago, people came to pubs just to drink schooners,” he says.

“You didn’t have to do anything else.

“That element of the trade has evaporated. You have to entertain people on a broad base and music is the logical thing.”

Frankie and The In-sect at the Arkaba Hotel in the 1960s.

Music has always been the M.O. for the Hurleys, who also own, among others, The Hackney and The Alma.

“At all of our pubs, we’ve always thought music is an important part,” Mrs Hurley says.

“It creates a different atmosphere.

“It puts dollars in the tills and it makes people happy. You feel like you’re contributing.”

However, Mr Hurley says it is harder than ever to find bands to fill rooms, with increasing booze prices and improved personal entertainment keeping punters at home.

“The reality is there’s not as many bands around now as there were was in the 1980s, for example, that can constantly pull a crowd,” he says.

“The differential between the cost of drinking at home and drinking on premises has unfortunately got wider.

“It’s a constant search (for bands), that’s why we’ve got a full-time guy (Jericho) doing it.”

The Governor Hindmarsh and The Wheatsheaf hotels were the first venues inducted into the SA Music Hall of Fame.