Like thousands of Brisbane-born music fans, I saw my first gig at The Zoo in Fortitude Valley. I was 18, nervous, and probably drunk off two drinks, but I remember the feeling of seeing a live performance of music usually confined to my iPod Nano. Ballpark Music at The Zoo in Brisbane.
After 32 years, the venue will host its last show on July 7. Credit: Sue Yek That show was all it took for me to start scouring gig guides and blowing out the budget for festivals – like many who rely on music to fuel their existence. Many of Brisbane’s music venues are struggling now, with The Zoo’s closure amplifying the stress and uncertainty, especially for smaller venues.
But that makes it a good time for us to highlight the places local artists most love to play. Brisbane rock band Girl and Girl cut their teeth in lead vocalist Kai James’ mum’s garage, before playing their first Brisbane show at Tomcat in the Valley. “We’ve done a few there and a couple at Greaser,” James says.
“[We also played] this little studio above a tyre shop in West End, that was really cool. But they were promptly shut down.” For them, the most influential venue is The Junk Bar in Ashgrove.
“They’ve been really supportive of us ...
they’re a 60-capacity room, so they’re tailored towards smaller bands.” That size means they could sell out early on, an important experience for an up-and-coming band. And that’s why they had chosen The Junk Bar to host the party for their recently relea.
