Just last month it was announced that Melbourne would be blessed with a gigantic music complex that looks incredible, however it looks like Brisbane and upped the ante, the Queensland capital announcing that they too will open an epic hub for musicians.
The Foundry, located at 228 Wickham Street in the heart of Brizzy’s Fortitude Valley, invites all musical creatives through its doors as of March 6 this year. The epicentre is a mammoth two level complex that is part 300-person live room, part rock’n’roll bar, part collaborative space and home to 20 creative studios.
The new space will see the coming together of all separate factions of the music to create one giant local industry juggernaut. As the press release reads, “An entire floor of backpacker rooms are currently being converted into The Foundry’s creative crucible set to house Brisbane’s brightest booking agents, publicists, street press, blogs and 4ZZZ. Supporting Brisbane’s creative community takes precedence over profits with tenants paying rent for a music industry sized budget, provided with free-wifi and the freedom to deck out the studios as they please” sounds unbelievable, right? Just wait, it gets better.
There will even be a room where bands on tour can sleep for the night at absolutely no cost, not to mention multiple rehearsal studios, in which the venue will not charge bands for room hire and will provide free use of the high quality backline.
This is a brilliant initiative taken on by the guys behind Sydney’s The Standard Bowl, Vic on the Park and Tokyo Sing Song, we’re stoked to see there are groups out there looking to make touring life for up-and-coming Aussie bands much easier, not to mention encouraging all heads of the music industry to come together in one location.
Australia’s live music scene at large has had some victories in 2015. Geelong has secured a brand-spanking new performance space, Melbourne scored a live music venue that specialises in dumplings, not to mention Little & Olver and 24 Moons, whilst Brisbane has seen The Brooklyn Standard and Sonny’s House of Blues.
