The Gold Coast has lost another Live Music Venue… RIP Nightquarter

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Paul 'Browny' Brown

In what would have to be one of the BIGGEST blows to South East Queensland’s Live Music scene, Nightquarter, on the Gold Coast has announced they will be shutting their doors due to absolutely fucked reasoning, leaving the GC without a large scale live music venue.

Owners, builders and local legends Michelle Christoe and Ian Van der Woude broke the news yesterday on Facebook and have received nothing but astonishing WTFs? and support as they revealed the rent had been increased more than double what they’re paying now.

In a lengthy statement, the pair revealed:

“It is with great sadness that we announce that NightQuarter Helensvale will be closing on February 1, 2019. Michelle and Ian (owners) would like to say THANK YOU to our incredible community for your unwavering support over the last three years.

We are proud to have hosted over 6000 live performances, supported Commonwealth Games by putting on 54 events as part of Festival18 and passionately embraced the entertainment and live music scene on the Gold Coast.

We have seen young local talent such as Harry J Hart, who started off as a 14-year-old busker with 4 songs to his repertoire, to now performing with the likes of Adam Brand; and brilliant performances by emerging Gold Coast artists like Matty Rogers, Electrik Lemonade, Hanlon Brothers, Hussy Hicks, Casey Barnes…and so many more! We have brought touring bands back to the Gold Coast such as UB40, RUFUS DU SOL, SAFIA, Simple Plan, The Living End, Grinspoon, Dune Rats, Xavier Rudd, Flight Facilities, Presets and Illy where they previously missed Gold Coast. We launched Amy Shark’s single ‘Adore’ in 2016 and then hosted her sold-out show in 2018, she has of course gone on to put the Gold Coast on the map with her live music… we wish her all the well deserved success!

We are devastated and wish to highlight it was not an outcome that was foreseen and one that we fought against, however, we were unable to reach a viable tenancy agreement with landlords, SCentre Group, (who own and operate Westfield Australia and New Zealand) for a further term. The asking rent of over double we are currently paying was just not feasible.

Gold Coast, thank you for your support, your kindness, your enthusiasm and your friendship.

We hope you will join us at NightQuarter over the next few weeks to celebrate our last hurrah leading up to our last day on February 1.”

As expected many locals have voiced their opinions about the corporate greed which has now seen this fantastic venue shutting up shop. We were literally only just there a few weeks back for the Best Night Ever featuring Dune Rats, DZ Deathrays and WAAX and in the past, we’ve covered everything from Grinspoon to Amy Shark and Spiderbait/The Superjesus and more so to say this is a huge shock is an understatement.

With this, the only venues that come to mind down that way are Miami’s Shark Bar, Vinnie’s Dive Bar and the Cooley Hotel or a few smaller pubs, but nothing of the scale and magnitude that Nightquarter brought in for the area. We’re also devastated that the local vendors will have to find a new place to set up shop too. The whole situation is absolutely fucked, heartbreaking and we are still in shock.

Hopefully someone steps in with some land or an area for these legends to setup, it would be a massive shame for the Gold Coast residents and local shareholders to lose such an iconic establishment.

Browny @brownypaul

Photos & Video by Bec O’Reilly @bec.belles