Camperdown pushes to become Sydney’s live hub as new music venue launches

The Lady Hampshire tunes in to the community’s entertainment appetite, transforming into a live music venue as others crumble in face of NIMBY noise complaints.

Fangz will feature at The Lady Hampshire’s opening weekend. Picture: Supplied

Camperdown and its surrounds are pushing to revive Sydney’s live music scene with a new venue relaunching in April.

The Lady Hampshire on Parramatta Road in Camperdown, close to the once-thriving music venue The Annandale, is being turned into a live music venue.

The pub, formerly The Hampshire Hotel, was bought by Jon Adegmis’ Public Hospitality in 2021 for $11 million.

While the pub has been in operation since, the decision to switch the focus of the pub to a live music venue was to give it back to the community.

They will launch with a festival like weekend of entertainment, securing punk rock band Fangz and indie rockers Pacific Avenue to perform on their opening weekend of April 14th and 15th.

Pacific Avenue will play at The Lady Hampshire’s opening “festival”-style weekend. Picture: Supplied

“People remember The Lady Hampshire and the surrounds as a hub for live music. It wasn’t the cleanest or shiniest hub, but one where live music was at the forefront. We want to reinvigorate that so that ideally any night of the week people can walk in and be wowed by both local and international talent,” said Public Hospitality’s Entertainment and Event Manager Elliot Harper

Harper said he hasn’t been deterred by the recent closures of music venues in recent years, with Live Music estimating 200 venues have closed in the past 10 years due to lockouts and lockdowns.

While noise complaints from NIMBY’s are “the most challenging conversation to have with any live music venue”, Harper believes the pubs large block and commercial surrounds should help.

“We are playing cards we are dealt. There is an appetite in the community because there is a severe lack of venues that provide a proper space for live music talent. If we do are not doing then who else?”

The new relaunch comes as Public Hospitality has simultaneous launched new venues at their pubs around Sydney.

The Rose in Oxford Street has been turned into a Mexican-style bar El Primo Sanchez by the team behind Maybe Sammy. A wine and pasta bar Fabbrica, from the Love Tilley group, has opened in Balmain’s Exchange Hotel.

FIRST MEDIATION AS CLUB FIGHTS TO STAY OPEN

The announcement comes amid another venue in a surrounding suburb, The Great Club in Marrickville, fights to stay open after noise complaints.

After 18 months of noise complaints and tensions with neighbours, the owner of The Great Club, Alison Avron, this week had her first mediation under Marrickville’s Good Neighbour Policy.

After a two-hour meeting, Avron was instructed to take wording off her website which advised patrons of the on street parking, and to fix a noisy door which would frequently bang.

“It’s sad that it took 18 months for that to be resolved. Something that is very easy to fix,” said Avron.

“I requested this meeting in November 2021. I have to say I’m pretty disappointed on behalf of me and these neighbours that it took this long (to hold it). I wish they didn’t go this way and cause so much financial and emotional stress.”

Avron said it’s not over; but has booked acts at the venue until September and will continue to operate in the same way she always has.

It comes after Avron was forced to turn to crowdfunding to stay a float after spending more than $20 000 in legal fees to fight the complaints, which included being threatened with criminal proceedings.