Live music census, soundproofing to boost Sydney nightlife

After lockouts and lockdowns, it’s no secret Sydney’s nightlife isn’t what it was. But the great late-night reset is under way — here’s how they plan to become NIMBY-proof.

Sydney’s night-life is back — if you know where to find it.

Newly created government body Sound NSW is gearing up to launch a new soundproofing program to give support to live music venues by providing access to otherwise expensive acoustic experts and grants to undertake soundproofing ­upgrades.

The NSW government will also launch the first ever Live Music Census in a bid to better understand live music in the state.

Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham told The Saturday Telegraph extensive regulatory reform was under way to make it easier for new venues to open.

“We can’t just deal with this as a liquor licencing issue, this is about planning, transport, sound and noise,” he said.

James Thorpe, CEO of Odd Culture, in his bar with Heidi Pavlic. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“In many ways, the existing rules and regulations create a bit of a monoculture. We actually want a framing system,” he said.

“We want to make a licencing system that supports a range of diverse venues and good operators, and incorporate new ideas about what people want to do after dark. It shouldn’t be all about alcohol.”

Trophy Eyes plays a gig at Crowbar. Picture: Niko Bonfrere

A special entertainment precinct in Enmore and a diversified venue offering in Newtown has made the area a success story for post-covid night-life.

Sydney hospitality group Odd Culture will open the precinct’s first 4am licensed bar later this year, and credits a diverse option of bars, dancefloors and pubs for the area’s success.

“It’s about creating diverse late night experiences, like having a meal at 1am or sinking some schooners and watching a band at 3am — late doesn’t just mean clubs and pokies,” CEO James Thorpe he said.

“A 4am licence in Newtown is huge because there’s so many hotels and not many bars, and on Sundays all the pubs close by ten so there’s a real gap.”

The new venue, Pleasure Club, is set to open later this year.

One of Odd Culture’s existing venues, The Duke of Enmore, is known for live music, and credits a new approach to sound complaints to its continuing prosperity.

In the Enmore entertainment precinct, when a neighbour has a noise complaint now they have to sit down with the venue to work out a solution, rather than complaining anonymously to council.

“We had a neighbour down the street who had a legitimate problem about the sound,” Mr Thorpe said.

“Because they weren’t anonymous we knew what the problem was, and we could identify it was a specific window that was leaking sound, so we could fix the problem.”

24 Hour Commissioner Michael Rodrigues. Picture: Daniel Boud/Time Out

Soundproofing and licencing reform is top of mind for Tyla Dombroski, co-owner of Leichhardt’s Crow Bar.

The venue has been a target of complaints from one neighbour and because of outdated licence conditions from the previous owner, the venue is forced to shut its beer garden early.

Ms Dombroski said while live music and night-life had bounced back after covid, especially in the inner west, recent cost-of-living pressures had made people reluctant to spend up.

“The industry has really hit the ground running this year, there’s lots of artists touring and so much on offer and people are happier for it,” she said.

“It is slightly delayed on ticket purchasing, people are very budget conscious.”

The success of Crow Bar has been buoyed by the migration of punters out of the city and into the inner suburbs – with lockouts and lockdowns credited.

24 hour commissioner Michael Rodrigues is on a mission to improve Sydney’s night-life offering. He said Sydney had changed, and now suburbs like Enmore and Burwood were the new Kings Cross.

Regulatory issues, late-night diversity and the customer experience are all top of mind — including improving the way security guards interact with customers.

“There is work that needs to be done to the regulatory system and also on systems and processes to streamline how long it takes to get a venue open and be modified to use as audience demands change,” Mr Rodrigues said.

“There are also challenges with the way security operates in the city around venues and I think the industry is trying to improve that.”

Recent data from Liquor and Gaming has shown a small increase in live music venues from 133 in March to 137 now.

However few new liquor licences have been approved in the past five years, including just 39 in the last financial year.

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