The Warehouse reopens in May, kickstarting a busy year for live music in NQ

Music fans should expect the ‘biggest year’ of live music ever seen in NQ, thanks to an iconic venue’s reopening and an ambitious venue booker. Find out who is playing.

Local musicians Adrian Holds and Yeo Joo Lee from Tropical Low, Kurt Richardson from Varrim, Jake Curro from Alone@Last and Dwayne Wyles from Dubbzone can't wait for the reopening of the Warehouse. Picture: Evan Morgan

The reopening of a beloved, iconic NQ venue is set to give live music across the regions a shot in the arm, with a slew of prominent, and local, artists set to hit the local stage.

The Warehouse was a bustling live music section of the Mansfield Hotel during the 1980s, where Aussie rock royalty graced the stage, including Jimmy Barnes, INXS, and Midnight Oil.

Almost 40 years after the venue fell silent, a new chapter is about to begin, after owner Australian Venue Co’s spent more than $1.2 million refurbishing The Warehouse, beer garden, and a glam rock speak-easy.

A grand opening celebration is planned for the first weekend in May, where popular alternative band Spiderbait will hit the stage on Friday, EDM legends The Presents headline the Saturday, and Sunday showcases a free all-ages event called The Loading Dock.

It will feature 12 local bands and artists playing a mix of genres, raw energy, and undiscovered talent, and Darkcide Emporium – Townsville’s first-ever ‘Alternamarket’, featuring unique, handcrafted, and underground goods from local creators.

The music community has been buzzing since plans were recently revealed, with no one more excited than Townsville resident and venue booker for The Warehouse, Tim Pellegrino.

He said the venue had originally been planned to reopen in late 2022, but challenges involving red tape and additional upgrades needed to be overcome before they could welcome up to 700 punters back through the doors.

Tim Pellegrino is looking forward to reviving Townsville’s live music scene. Picture: Brendan Radke.

“The door has been slightly ajar (to live music in Townsville) for the last half a dozen years. I’m just going to kick that door open,” Mr Pellegrino said.

Heavily involved in organising hundreds of gigs over the past 15 years, especially while managing The Venue (formerly Bombay Rock and now Strand Fitness), where he enticed numerous Australian and international acts like Simple Plan, Fear Factory, Unwritten Law, Gomez, Butterfly Effect, Karnivool, and Pete Murray, to play in Townsville.

Australian alternative rock band Spiderbait -Janet English, Kram, and Damian Whitty – are ready to kick off a rousing opening celebration at The Warehouse this May. Picture: Supplied.

Determined to attract more international artists to Townsville, Mr Pellegrino was also excited to book Aussie headliners and provide a platform for local bands to ply their craft and develop a fanbase.

“We’re definitely going to take care of the grassroots element, build people up, put them on different stages in front of the punters,” he said.

Adrian Holds and Yeo Joo Lee from Tropical Low, Kurt Richardson from Varrim, Jake Curro from Alone@Last and Dwayne Wyles from Dubbzone can't wait for the reopening of the Warehouse. Picture: Evan Morgan

North Queensland's musical talent will be showcased in a free gig at The Warehouse on Sunday, May 4. Picture: Supplied.

“There’ll be a mix of free events and then ticketed events as well, so it’s not all about massive headliners, but they’ll be in there, don’t get me wrong.

“Then we’re just going to mix in some standard sort of events, like trivia. We’ve got touring comedians coming as well.”

While keen to support audiences who liked their music heavy, he also planned to attract fans of other genres like country and RnB.

Popular Australian electronic duo The Presets – Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes – will heat up the dancefloor at The Warehouse in May. Picture: Supplied.

Australian grindcore band King Parrot are champing at the bit to return to Townsville and deliver an unpredictable, energetic live show. Picture: Supplied.

Already a slew of gigs have been announced, featuring Peking Duck, The Bennies, The Beautiful Girls, King Parrot, Ben Knight, and tribute shows.

“Wait until I announce some of these other shows that are coming, this calendar is almost full, and I would say it’s probably the biggest year that Townsville has ever had for live music events,” he said.

The Mansfield Hotel’s revitalised beer garden area.

The Warehouse's bar area was taking shape in mid-March. Picture: Supplied.

“It’s actually bigger than The Warehouse. I look at it as the anchor for the region and then I can book the peripheral venues … in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton … so that’s how we’ll end up getting more shows up here.”

Also in his sights was attracting sideshows for bands booked to play music festivals down south, like the Good Things festival.

For more information, visit: warehousetownsville.com.au.

Originally published as The Warehouse reopens in May, kickstarting a busy year for live music in NQ