Overview
It has seemed over the years that 27th birthdays within the iconic realms of rock'n'roll have been thwart with some uncertainty.
Not so with Northbridge's Mustang Bar. It continues to power on as a beloved hub of good times, attracting patrons young and old who love the venue's long-held American aesthetic of music, cars, bars and diners.
Accordingly, the bar's 27th Birthday will be celebrated once again with a Tailgate Party featuring Mustang favourites Peter Busher & Friends, DJ Steele (early) then Felix and DJ James MacArthur (late). It's deliciously appropriate that it's taking place on Sunday, September 27.
This year's birthday celebrations have Mustang Bar owner, Mike Keiller, feeling both grateful and philosophical. The many years of revelry enjoyed by so many have come as a result of amazing hard work and loyalty by the hard-working folks who have been part of the Mustang Family.
"I'm not that sure many punters understand the economic ecosystem that supports a venue," Mike notes. "The 100's of 1000's of dollars spent on wages, live entertainment, DJs, security and more.
"Pat Murphy has been venue manager for something like 24 years and Jaye Gardner assistant manager for 20-odd years. Jaye started behind the bar and did the hard yards. They are the backbone of the venue."
There's the contractors. The Mustang Bar's plumber has been on the books for the whole 27 years, as has Audex PA Hire and Matrix Lighting. The resident electrician has powered the joint for 17. The venue's cleaner has been working for a decade (following a previous cleaner who also took care of things for 10 years before passing away and their life partner took over for the next seven).
"It goes on," Mike continues. "The great sound engineers… Mondo, then Kim Goodlett for 15 years until he passed away in 2018. Chris Tuna was the main guy after that. Ill health slowed him down so now a new crew is handling the roster.
"And the bands themselves. Everyone brings so much and has their own story. The lead singer of our Friday night late band (Flash Nat) is a lawyer at a busy practice. The main guy in the Saturday night band (Milton Kerr of Milhouse) is a psych and just released a book about playing live titled Hold The Room and the guitarist went to LA about 12 months ago working as session guy.
"Oh and of course there's our resident late night DJ James Mac. He is such a quiet personality. I have no idea how long he has been with us!"
But wait, there's more… the refrigeration mechanic ('he'll come out in the middle of the night to keep beer pouring',). The beer line cleaning contractor and maintenance - including keg fittings, fire panel monitoring, bulk waste disposal, bottle crushing, cardboard recycling, IT management services, point of sale…
"On and on," says Mike, taking a moment to breathe. "The expenses are pretty mind-blowing when you see a P&L spreadsheet.
"And let's not forget the Social Media Beast (Digital Loop) and the photographers engaged to provide content material.
"Then all the fun getting sucked out of it due to bureaucratic oversight whether it's police, government agencies, HR law, credit card fees, etc. But sure, there are plenty of things worse to do."
What the hard work and grinding daily realities of running a live music venue for 27 years and counting all adds up to, however, is a loyalty to staff, patrons, live music and the indomitable spirit of the Mustang Bar itself. It's no wonder it continues as one of the longest-running venues in Northbridge.
Have we forgotten anything though, Mike?
"I forgot the kitchen…fuck I wish I could forget the kitchen!"
Tailgate Sunday, the Mustang Bar's 27th Birthday with Peter Busher & Friends, DJ Steele, Felix and DJ James MacArthur happens on Sunday, September 27. Doors open at 6pm, free entry before 8pm. More details at mustangbar.com.au.