Purple Sneakers stands with Sydney
We're here to join the overwhelming chorus of musicians speaking out against Sydney’s lock-out laws. Read our full response:
We're here to join the overwhelming chorus of musicians speaking out against Sydney’s lock-out laws that are essentially crippling not just the live music scene in Sydney, but its vibrancy and soul.
Our very own owner, Martin Novosel, has been with Purple Sneakers since day dot and is indebted to the wonderful nightlife of Sydney, without it there would be no Purple Sneakers at all. He has spoken out against these measure put in place by Mike Baird and the NSW Government and in support of the amazing KEEP SYDNEY OPEN movement. You can read his full statement below:
"Purple Sneakers stands with Sydney... Let's rally to KEEP SYDNEY OPEN!!!
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Before Purple Sneakers was a blog and a radio show on FBi Click, it was a little late night weekly party held at the Abercrombie Hotel every Friday night. Purple Sneakers closed between 5-6am (often much later) every Saturday morning.
Although the Abercrombie now closed (because like many other venues which supported local music it is now closed due to development) under Sydney's current political climate I very much doubt that a party as wild as Purple Sneakers would last a few weeks, let alone the 6 years that we lasted.
The Abercrombie's license was owned by the late great Alex Lind. Alex was a pioneer and a supporter of the local music scene. He not only allowed, but helped Purple Sneakers and other local party crews (like Popfrenzy, HAHA Industries, Drum n Bass BBQ) push the envelope in terms of what could be done at a small shitty old man's pub on the intersection of Broadway and Abercrombie. We pushed that place to its limits... Putting bands on the roof, pushing into abandoned levels of the building, putting bands on at 2am and 3am in the morning, projecting visuals onto the side of the old brewery, often times running well into day light hours, and doing pretty much whatever we could to make Sydney nightlife that bit more interesting.
Purple Sneakers and the Abercrombie Hotel was a place where local artists like The Rubens, RÜFÜS, Cloud Control and plenty more local and international artists, DJs, bands and producers would play some of their first shows before going on to contribute far more to local and international culture. Not to mention being a place of exchange of creative and cultural ideas, and a place responsible for the making of so many new friendships. And this is just one of the many Sydney late night clubbing stories born before the time of lockouts and excessive restriction on Sydney's night life...
But what about the ones that will NEVER BE thanks to old mate Mike Baird and the current NSW state government???
There are plenty of people who partied at, worked at, DJ'd at, or just passed through Purple Sneakers in the early days who remember what Sydney was like as a vibrant city where late night partying and cultural exchange was a thing... And I have no doubt that they will will all back me up when I say this...
This Sunday we together as a city support Kyson Koh (who coincidentally DJ'd regularly in the first years at Purple Sneakers) and his brave mission to KEEP SYDNEY OPEN..." - Martin Novosel
Join the Keep Sydney Open rally this Sunday 12:30pm at Belmore Park. For more info, visit:
facebook.com/events/434172900111114/
SEE ALSO:
KEEP SYDNEY OPEN ANNOUNCE THEIR FIRST PUBLIC RALLY
OUR FAVOURITE SMALL SYDNEY MUSIC VENUES
AUSTRALIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY REFLECTS ON AMAZING NIGHTS AT GOODGOD
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