Comments on PERTH AUSTRALIA - 6 0 0 0 T I M E S: Perth : So You Want to Open a Bar? LOL!

Its great midland is allegedly getting a new pub, ...

2012-01-17T23:48:11.583+08:00

Its great midland is allegedly getting a new pub, unfortunatly it will be the midland folk attending it. look what they did to the Junction hotel, prettied it up, renamed it but the same old bogans patronage it. No taxis in the area to get home- midland,.the forgotten suburb.

I agree in some ways, although I avoid Northbridge...

2012-01-11T20:58:16.277+08:00

I agree in some ways, although I avoid Northbridge most of the time because there are so many social problems in Perth that are fuelled by drinking. I heard somewhere that Perth has more murders (per capita) than any other city in Australia. Not sure if that's true or not. Perth really needs to get their current issues under control before they expand Northbridge. Although I do think that it would benefit from more alternative bars like Bird and Ezra Pound. They tend to attract the more "mature, responsible" crowd that generally don't cause major problems.

Oh and there is a new Irish pub opening up in Midland sometime in the near future. Not like anyone really cares about Midland. It's going to be owned by the same people as 7th Ave Pub.

Sadly this is the reason why - unless you work in ...

2012-01-05T10:37:21.053+08:00

Sadly this is the reason why - unless you work in mining - most of us leave Perth once they hit their mid-20s.

Having spent the last 12 years in Melbourne (an exceptional established bar scene) & Sydney (a new & vibrant bar scene) - it's quite simple. Bars provide an alternative to big messy, noisy pubs, which is ironically where I've always come across anti-social behaviour. Hand on heart - I've never seen a fight in a bar in either city.

Good luck Perth - you're gonna need it.

Good article bro! Perth is such a Nanna state if a...

2012-01-04T23:38:49.026+08:00

Good article bro! Perth is such a Nanna state if a business man or woman has the balls to venture out and start up a new restaurant as long as they can prove they have a decent business plan, have done the demographic research and have the appropriate licences and qualifications to run such a premises then they should be allowed to an encouraged to open a place of business. We are always looking for new places to eat, drink and relax. After a good 10 years of venturing out and trying different restaurants I feel as though we have tried everything Perth has to offer. If they gave the people more choice then we would be putting our money back into the WA economy rather than having to jump on a plane the first chance we get just to experience a little variety and choice! this should be a decision made by the local governments and by and residence not the police commissioner!!! The Australian government and police are so far out of touch with the people they might as well have some body on the other side of the world running this country. Beyond a joke!!!

Love all of your blogs you write well, and tell th...

2011-12-01T12:43:20.470+08:00

Love all of your blogs you write well, and tell the truth without fear!

If you can't find a burger in Perth after 10pm...

2011-11-26T01:43:45.949+08:00

If you can't find a burger in Perth after 10pm you aren't looking very hard. I can think of two 24/7 places and one 4-5am place off the top of my head. I know there are others. Crapdonalds obviously excluded from discussion... You did say BURGER - not 'poison passed off as food' after all.

Well im hungry right now, and its after 10pm... so...

2011-11-23T00:08:13.148+08:00

Well im hungry right now, and its after 10pm... so I can't even get a burger... props Perth

I tried to like living in Perth....I really did. B...

2011-11-02T20:17:13.702+08:00

I tried to like living in Perth....I really did. But I'm afraid that the 3000's called...

Like your blog, btw.

3066

Hi Melissa, thanks for the compliments. No tips a...

2011-08-21T21:38:55.757+08:00

Hi Melissa, thanks for the compliments.
No tips are given on here, or via email, apologies.

Hi Very cool blog who ever you are!! I wondered ...

2011-08-21T19:50:11.990+08:00

Hi

Very cool blog who ever you are!!

I wondered if you could give me a bit of info about some of the abandoned places in Perth you have taken pictures of. Can you tell me how you got access to them? I am particularly interested in Treasury building, Swanbourne Hospital and the Entertainment centre.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Melissa
smudge78@hotmail.com

Does this all just apply to Perth CBD? How hard is...

2011-08-10T13:24:24.954+08:00

Does this all just apply to Perth CBD? How hard is it to get a licence for the suburbs, not too far out, like Maylands, Inglewood, Tuart Hill etc?

I worked in the industry for over 10 years includi...

2011-07-30T22:21:01.616+08:00

I worked in the industry for over 10 years including managing venues and promoting events. It was unthinkable back then as it is now, despite new laws/ license types, to open up any kind of interesting cosmopolitan left or forward venue of any size in Perth. The development of Perth's drinking culture and facilities has been retarded as a result. Our drinking culture is STILL in its infancy it has not been allowed to develop. Another two traditional stakeholders that have aided this retardation are the Cabaret Owners Assoc and HIA who wear their industry hats when objecting to each and every new license to protect their own businesses - what a pack of..... Obviously they fear competition because they are sitting so fat and pretty. Ownership in and around the city of venues is way too concentrated - just look at Entertainment Enterprises, BOSS, and whoever ownes/ operates Rise and all the businesses on that corner in Northbridge. No new blood/ investment/ ideas in Northbridge in 20 years and look what you get. Sure Bird and Ezra are credible and being used by why are there not more? Were they simply the "token" approvals to herald in all this change and progression in the not-so-dull dullsville? I cannot believe the police are given so much credibility in the area. Perhaps things will change when police can issue $200 fines for any sign of intoxication. Prhas we will need to obtain a "drinking plate" and have videos reviewed and fines will be issued based on video evidence (fine + video evidence review and administration fee).

So easy to rant about this but unfortunately - THIS IS PERTH!

The City of Perth should lead more instead of taking a back seat to the state government and police. It is soooo embarrassing hosting people new to Perth and visiting from elsewhere.

I am happy to come across with this article. It wo...

2011-07-13T02:02:28.825+08:00

I am happy to come across with this article. It would help me starting my own bar.

As a bartender in a small bar in the city where I ...

2011-07-05T21:27:11.297+08:00

As a bartender in a small bar in the city where I have only ever witnessed 2 incidents (fights) in 2 years, compared to a large tavern type place i worked with fights every fortnight. I can first handedly say the problem is not that people are drinking its how they are drinking. Its the mindset of the majority of the perth population, "I'm going out to get pissed" not to enjoy a few drinks with friends without losing control, losing control is the goal. Perth is not only a nanny state but a bogan state. Bogans ruin it for the rest of us. Small bars where patrons can be monitored much more easily as there are far fewer of them and its obvious when somebodys stumbling around or falling asleep when theres only 100 people in the place. Small bars can also educate in drinking as instead of slinging beers or bulk jacks and coke they're serving classic cocktails and actually creating new things. Its the bogan attitude of binge drinking that ruins it for all.

I grew up in Perth, lived there for 26 years... I...

2011-06-21T21:55:03.726+08:00

I grew up in Perth, lived there for 26 years... I worked as a bouncer for 7 years and as a glassy and behind the bar. It made me sick to my stomach a few years ago... watching the liquor lisensing destroy Perth... in actual fact apart from inner city areas (mt lawley, leedervilee, subiaco etc) on a friday night the only venue in the entire northern suburbs open passed midnight is Dusk in Joondalup, which is next on the "shut down list" as i worked there and we had 12 yes 12 undercover liquor liscensing police fining bar staff if a patron SAID they were drunk... I worked at the Rock (formally the BOG) when that got closed down... what a load of crap... it was Perth last 7 day late night bar... now a thing of the past. I feel sorry for people trying to get liquor licenses... actually trying to make money out of food and alcohol, not like Poker machines in every other state.... It actually made me so sick I left Perth forever... i live in QLD now, where as long as your not "unduly intoxicated" you can run amok until you get locked out at 3am... which is where the governments control measure causes ALL the problems... apart from that it is much better and CHEAPER to go out. WA's police and liquor licensing just want everyone to stay home on the weekends so Police dont have to do there jobs... Even my parents who are in there 50's would like to move away, but they run a business there so they cant... basically WA has the worst government ever... I would actually perfer to live in a 3rd world country to WA...

Restricting small bar licenses in Northbridge and ...

2011-06-21T13:59:27.466+08:00

Restricting small bar licenses in Northbridge and the CBD has little to do with large "beer-barn" style pubs out in the suburbs. The answer is not prohibition, it doesn't work. Why punish the majority because of a few dickheads in the minority? That's one of the main problems with Perth and its nanny-state-over-regulation. We need to think laterally.

PS, Come live on my street if you really want to see broken glass, graffiti, and drunken fools.

A pub opened near us. Sure, it's full of peop...

2011-06-21T13:17:23.316+08:00

A pub opened near us. Sure, it's full of people having fun, getting pissed, getting laid and laughing.

Our suburb is now also full of broken glass. Burnouts after closing time, and drunken fools in the streets. For the first time in 8 years (but within 12 months of pub opening), the primary school was trashed and smashed grog bottles all over the place.

N. said "Why is the entire community being treated like children."

Um... because when adults are pissed, they're worse than children.

Hell yeah show me the way to Bluey's Bar &...

2011-05-12T10:54:10.850+08:00

Hell yeah show me the way to Bluey's Bar & Grill!

At Bluey's Bar & Grill we don't have t...

2011-05-12T03:12:52.293+08:00

At Bluey's Bar & Grill we don't have to conform to any gov standard. it's party all year round, and you can smoke Kronic....

I love this sort of place. It reminds me I'm ...

2011-04-27T15:28:24.279+08:00

I love this sort of place. It reminds me I'm not actually alone or entirely crazy in thinking Perth is this fragmented anti-city that needs a serious injection of the urban. My died in the wool suburbanite family and friends often look at me like that when I bitch about the sleepy superficiality they love so.

Anyway, I wonder if this isn't really a nanny state thing but a status quo thing. Cops and councilors probably just see a whole lot more to do if they let in all these small watering holes. There's all the trains and cars and deliveries and people and...ugh. Much easier if everyone goes home and watches Packed to the Rafters with the beer they bought at a nice Coles or Woolworths owned former pub. No fuss, no complicated planning or management or disruption of the economic landscape. Looks good come re appointment/election time.
Keep Perth Pleasant!

I think this article overstates the role of the po...

2011-04-26T21:20:21.752+08:00

I think this article overstates the role of the police commissioner in the decision process. It is obviously apart of the decision process to ask him what he thinks on behalf of the police.

I mean he isn't going to say "I think another bar in northbridge would be a great idea cause my band needs more places to play" or "I think this bar looks pretty cool so should be good fun".

His answer will always be negative cause as he is answering on behalf of the police and more people out drinking does generally mean more problems.

The final decision is the councilors or liquor authority I believe. If they cite his reason it is probably as a scapegoat for a project they don't like.

And we are supposed to be a country of lovable lar...

2011-04-15T14:40:51.506+08:00

And we are supposed to be a country of lovable larrikins....

When the police etc. say things to the effect of.....

2011-03-02T12:54:34.400+08:00

When the police etc. say things to the effect of...

"If the particular application was granted ill-health may be caused to people or any group of people due to the use of liquor, and therefore contrary to the public interest.”

“It is not difficult to conceive of circumstances in which licensed premises, no matter how conducted, will negatively impact on the amenity of the area”

I'm infuriated because is it the small bars ( The Bird, 399...) causing trouble or the numerous large pubs in Northbridge? Go to aberdeen st and see what happens when the The Shed and The Deen close. It's a judgment based entirely on firsthand experience but I don't think many who know the area would disagree.

Alcohol doesn't necessarily cause anti-social behaviour. There are broader issues which seem to be ignored.

Rather than reject new licences, maybe there needs to be a review of current licences or the genreal strategy that the DoLRG and Police employ?

very happy to stumble across this article and subs...

2011-02-27T12:53:24.088+08:00

very happy to stumble across this article and subsequent dialogue today. its a regular topic of conversation for me and my friends - "why can't we have more cool bars in perth?" - but apart from general agreement on the mediocre state of our night-life, we've never really discussed it in more detail. so it's been very informative to get some insight into the specifics of the problem here. good work everyone.

btw went to Helvetica for the first time on Friday, a long sweaty wait to get in at 5.30pm (obviously some very strict limitations on patron numbers) but staff made up for it with extreme friendliness and down-to-earth attitude.

I think WA in general has turned into something al...

2011-02-26T12:39:44.523+08:00

I think WA in general has turned into something alot like.. grandparentville. everyone seems to have eaten dinner before wheel of fortune is over, and the local badge gets heavy handed when you so much as blink out of line. im all for the rich and organic culture our city offers, but what im not all for is having the australian-ness about it taken away. a real aussie will have a few beers and go along his merry way without glassing some poor bastard -- its a sad minority that ruins it for the rest of us.

maybe they should make anti social behaviour laws harsher instead of licensing laws?

wouldnt that benefit us all?