Overview
At times it seems baffling that in a city of 4.6 million people we’re struggling to keep our live music industry afloat. With the recent demise of the Annandale Hotel, there’s a gaping hole in Parramatta Road, once an inner west institution and home to Australia’s foremost musicians. Capped off with the new lockout laws, there’s now some gloom hanging over Sydney’s nightlife.
However, beyond the parameters of the CBD entertainment precinct, fresh meat is stewing in the inner west. The Roller Den is a spanking new venue that will occupy the basement of the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville. With an emphasis on hosting local and international acts of a variety of genres, this promising space is already creating some serious buzz with its stellar launch line-up.
A beacon of LGBTQI solidarity, the Imperial Hotel is an iconic local establishment, immortalised by The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert as the Erko drag hang-out, a nightspot brimming with queens and cabaret. “We’re not trying to take away from the existing identity, we’re just trying to expand it and bring other demographics in,” says the venue's booking agent Laurie Mahon from Kingdom Sounds.
This initiative to broaden the existing character will encompass a potential rooftop and a slew of art events alongside the live music agenda. "The Imperial Hotel have committed to a live music project throughout the entire venue,” says Mahon. And with the next few weeks oozing with home-grown musical talent, such as Stonefield and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, there’s been a gratifying show of support.
As well as national favourites, Kingdom Sounds have hauled in a spread of international acts with cult followings as well as crafting niche mini-festivals, such as the Japan Music Festival and Fiend Fest 2014. There will also be a series of indie club nights hosted by Common People, as well as a monthly hip hop night kicking off in a few short weeks. Coupled with the live music expertise of Kingdom Sounds, these types of events are testament to Newtown’s thrivingly eclectic music scene.
Tucked just behind King Street, the Roller Den is anticipated to be the keystone of a colourful new nightlife hub. It's part of an effort to revive the community-driven scene that birthed The Whitlams and AC/DC. The fast-selling launch party will be headlined by boisterous blues-rockers and proud inner westies The Snowdroppers. There's also a swag of Sydney outfits, such as Born Lion and The Dead Love, giving the event a strong local thrust.
There's also a sister space named The Corner Store that is creeping steadily into focus. This neighbouring room will offer a more intimate experience and nurture local bands, who will then graduate to the Roller Den as their popularity increases.
All in all, there's plenty of potential crammed into to this rejuvenated Erko haunt. From gothic/darkwave pioneers through to Tokyo's vibrant underground music scene, it's certainly an early display of diversity. "We definitely won’t be pigeonholed into a hipster club or a metal club," says director of Kingdom Sounds Steve Sewell. "We listen to everything, we’re not closed minded about music."
With some "very solid, international names" that are yet to be announced, this bold venue is set to make a lot of noise in the coming months.