Sydney live music venue The Newsagency forced to close

The owner of a Sydney live music venue says she is in shock after being forced to close her business amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Newsagency is being forced to close. Picture: Jess Gleeson

The owner of Sydney live music venue The Newsagency says it is a “slap in the face” that she’s being forced to close her business amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Alison Avron, 34, moved to her current Camperdown location around three years ago after investing significant time and money on securing a liquor licence for the intimate venue that showcases new musicians and other performers.

Ms Avron has run The Newsagency since 2011 when it was located in Marrickville but moved to the Camperdown site in 2017. She said she had a “good faith agreement” with her landlord, who gave her a “sweetheart deal” on the rent and assisted her efforts to transform the site from an industrial property into a live music venue.

With the support of Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne, Ms Avron was able to get council approval to overcome planning controls and enable a live music venue to operate.

It took her about a year and cost around $100,000 to set up the business including $15,000 for council approval, which then enabled her to get a small bar licence. She ploughed $50,000 of her own money into the business and secured grants for about $40,000.

Ms Avron said she had just started to pay herself a wage when the coronavirus pandemic happened, forcing her to close the business in March.

At the time she said her landlord seemed very understanding of her position and so Ms Avron was shocked to receive a notice to vacate at the beginning of August, giving her a month to get out.

“I am on a rolling lease so they can kick me out anytime, they only had to give me 30 days notice,” she told news.com.au. “After three years you would at least think they would give you a proper reason.”

In a letter of support for Ms Avron on August 19, Mayor Byrne appealed to the landlord Dylan Lopez to change his decision.

“It is difficult to see what benefit would be achieved by evicting The Newsagency at this time,” Cr Byrne wrote in the letter.

“I am not aware of any prospective small bar or music venue operators that are taking on new leases at this time.

“I am concerned that the forced closure of this business will be seen by the community as emblematic of the way that the arts sector has been hit during the crisis.”

Ms Avron said Mr Lopez was now asking for the transfer of the liquor licence that allows the venue to serve alcohol to about 100 people.

“I’ve put my whole life into making this space a beautiful, amazing place,” she said.

“I knew I had a sweetheart deal so to be kicked out for something that’s not under my control (COVID) is just such a low blow.”

Just a month prior, Ms Avron said they had been in talks about signing a lease, something she was willing to do even though it would have seen her rent doubled.

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The live venue in Camperdown featured a grand piano and small bar. Picture: Jess Gleeson

While Ms Avron hadn’t paid rent since March, she had just re-opened her business and wanted to stay. But the landlords didn’t relent even after she paid some of the money she owed.

Ms Avron said she was given no reason why the landlord suddenly decided to end her tenancy and she had been unable to contact them since she was given the notice.

She said they didn’t seem interested in mediation to resolve the issues.

“I got the hint, I think they just didn’t want me here anymore,” she said.

“It’s really like being kicked when you are already down and it felt like COVID was a convenient excuse for them.

“It doesn’t align with our good faith agreement. Now more than ever we should be kind to each other, it really doesn’t make sense.”

Landlord Dylan Lopez told news.com.au he was now focused on consolidating the venue and finding an operator to “take it to another level”.

“All I can tell you is there won’t be a McDonalds there, an IGA or 7-Eleven. We will not be renting it out for anything other than an arts driven business that involves music, food and alcohol.”

When asked why he was forcing Ms Avron out during the pandemic, Mr Lopez said he needed the time to turn the venue into what it needs to be so that it was “commercially sustainable”.

“This is not about COVID and about kicking her out at a difficult time, I could have kicked her out 24 months ago, even if I didn’t kick her out, they can’t operate … it’s only delaying the inevitable, the business model created simply does not work,” he said.

“It doesn’t stack up commercially to keep throwing money at it. This time is what I need to set that venue up to be commercially sustainable.”

Mr Lopez said he hasn’t found a new operator yet but believes he can find someone so that the venue will be there “for the next 20 years”.

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Alison Avron. Picture: Jess Gleeson

It took about a year to get approvals for the business. Picture: Jess Gleeson

Mr Lopez said Ms Avron had already been in arrears for her rent pre-COVID and he did his best to support her and see her through the pandemic.

“But I already had concerns about her bar strategy and whether it could meet the vision we had for that site,” he said.

Mr Lopez said his family had been involved in the arts community in the inner west for over a decade and his vision for the site at 74-76 Pyrmont Bridge Rd was for a place where young artists could record music and perform.

He said the rent he was charging was 50 per cent of the market value and that he has allowed The Newsagency to use extra spaces without paying. In total he believes he has funded more than 60 per cent of the business.

“I feel like it has created a building block for us to take it to the next level,” he said.

“I believe I have given Ali every opportunity to drive the business and for success. Her vision is great but on the commercial side of the business, and in not connecting to social and artistic groups in the area, she has not achieved the vision we set out to achieve.”

Ms Avron acknowledged that she had previously been in arrears for her rent but it was only for about $3000.

“If we were talking about $25,000 then they may have a case that commercially the business wasn’t viable, but it’s just not true,” she said.

She said Mr Lopez had not told her about his plans for the site and that the rent she owned for the coronavirus period, which she believes is around $10,000, was not equal to the goodwill she has built in the business.

“I've built the business at that location based on my reputation,” Ms Avron said.

While she acknowledged Mr Lopez and his family had helped with the fit-out of the bar, she said “they did something because they wanted someone in property”.

“I wanted to make sure the landlords could see that I was serious and was I footing those bills – only for them to go on to bigger and better things,” she said.

“It’s a slap in the face for all my work and it makes my blood boil.”

The Newsagency is being forced to close. Picture: Jess Gleeson

Ms Avron said the outcry over The Newsagency’s closure had been overwhelming.

“I’ve had all these lovely beautiful messages from people … how they loved the feel of the venue and some of their favourite artists came from the venue,” Ms Avron said.

Many took to Facebook to express their sadness at the closure.

“Absolutely gutted by this news,” one man posted.

Another wrote: “So wrong for this to be happening. Not only is the Newsagency a fab venue; it’s also less than 500m from home!! It’s people like you Ali who are the champions of live entertainment.”

Musician Helen Perris said it was a “gigantic loss for Sydney and the music scene”.

“It was such an important venue, especially for new artists,” she wrote.

Burlesque performer Memphis Mae wrote: “This is incredibly sad. What an institution. You created an amazing space for us mental performers to do what we do weirdest. We love the newsagency with all our hearts”.

Ms Avron said the future for The Newsagency was unclear, although she is hopeful of finding a new home.

“It’s hard to say, we are in a pandemic and gigs aren’t the same. It’s easier to stay in the same place,” she said.

“I think in this time what we need is stability but it’s not very stable to be kicked out into the street and be told your business isn’t welcome.”

The Newsagency will be open until this Saturday night, August 22. It will need to be out of the premises by August 31.

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