‘Heavy-handed, over-regulated’: Sydney’s big night-life problem

After two decades of lockouts and strict liquor laws, a Sydney night out generally involves an army of security and heavy questioning from bouncers, says one hospitality boss. There’s another way … in Melbourne.

Odd Culture’s James Thorpe, left, says Sydney comes off second best to Melbourne in the tale of two cities and their night-life. Pictures: News Corp

The head of an award-winning Sydney hospitality group who has moved into Melbourne said the Harbour City has some of the “strictest” liquor licencing laws in the world, which has helped to create a heavy-handed bouncer culture.

James Thorpe is the CEO of Odd Culture Group, which owns venues like The Old Fitz in Woolloomooloo, The Duke of Enmore and Newtown’s popular Odd Culture.

This week, Thorpe will open Odd Culture in Melbourne’s Fitzroy. And he says when he compares the two cities’ late night venues, Sydney is “far more regulated”.

“The past 20 years of lockouts and regulation from the state government in Sydney has raised a generation of publicans fearful of police and being shut down,” he said.

“I’ve seen a lot of colleagues employ heavy-handed guards to protect venues and make sure they are compliant,” he said.

Punters on a night out in George Street, in Sydney’s CBD. Picture: Damian Shaw

It comes as The Daily Telegraph revealed Darlinghurst’s Club 77 owner Dane Gorrel was bringing his security guards in-house to combat heavy handed bouncer culture.

“Walking through Fitzroy in Melbourne, most venues don’t have security guards. But if you walk down the main street of Newtown, there is an army of security guards,” Thorpe said.

The Odd Culture is known for shaking up Sydney’s hospitality scene. The group, from left, Nick Zavadszky, James Thorpe, Sabrina Medcalf and Michael Rodrigues, has venues in Sydney and Melbourne, and employs a strict “hands-off” policy. Picture: Supplied

He said liquor licensing laws in NSW are strict compared to global standards, adding it’s a very “Sydney thing” for patrons to be questioned heavily at the door of a venue about their activities during the day, and how many venues punters may have been drinking at before arriving.

Also not helping the issue is the “hangover” in perception from lock out laws and the lack of skilled guards available, Thorpe said.

It’s common for venues to employ third party security guards to get a liquor licence approved, even if there is no compliance law that requires them to do so.

When Newtown’s Odd Culture first opened they had security guards, however Thorpe soon had them removed.

“We don’t like employing security guards. We have large management teams who are trained in de-escalation,” he said.

“We train them to be emotionally intelligent, because we believe our obligation as a hospitality business is to create an awesome night out, even if that means being kicked out of a venue,” he said.

He also employs a strict “hands off” policy for contracted guards at the venues that do need them, and has fired guards who don’t adhere to the policy.

But he believes things in Sydney are changing: His soon to be opened basement club in Newtown, The Pleasure Club, was the first new venue in over 99 years to be given a 4am trading licence.

“The tide is changing and is slowly moving in the right direction,” Thorp said.

“We just need to keep conversations going about what we want Sydney’s night-life to look like and how we can better train and educate people to get there.”