Marrickville live music venue The Great Club closes

The well-known Sydney venue — which has hosted performances from Tim Rogers and Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett — has shut with no update yet on it’s future.

The Great Club is currently closed with no update yet on it’s future as a music venue. Picture: Monique Harmer

After two years of fighting NIMBY noise complaints, the owner of Marrickville music venue The Great Club is stepping down immediately.

Alison Avron opened The Great Club at the end of 2020, however the site has been a music venue since 1952.

While the music venue has been fighting a small group of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) noise complaints, it was negotiations with landlords that forced the decision.

In a statement, Avron said after a “wild 72hrs” she was “stepping down as boss lady at The Great Club.”

“For some time now, I have been in negotiations with the landlord about ongoing issues at the venue but unfortunately we couldn’t reach a solution that benefited both parties,” Avron said.

Alison Avron, owner of Marrickville's The Great Club, has stepped down. Picture: Richard Dobson

For the past two years the venue, which has hosted performances from Tim Rogers and Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett, has been under threat of closure with licensee, Avron forced to spend more than $30,000 in legal fees to fight a small group of NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) noise complaints.

In January 2023, she was threatened with criminal proceedings and she warned she may have to pay a $250,000 bill to upgrade sound proofing at the venue.

However in May, the Inner West council dropped any threats against the venue.

Avron, a musician herself, previously ran Camperdown’s music venue The Newsagency and one of few female music venue owners in Sydney.

The Great Club situated in what’s been voted the coolest neighbourhood in NSW by Time Out.

It is currently closed and there is no update on whether the venue will remain a music venue.

However in the meantime, upcoming events at The Great Club have been moved to other venues.

Promoter Love Police, who has organised band performances at The Great Club told The Daily Telegraph the venue was essential to the “ongoing live music scene of this city.”