Rad Bar

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Rad Bar
Rad Bar
AddressLang's Corner
95A Crown St
Wollongong, NSW 2500
Australia
Coordinates 34°25′33″S150°53′50″E / 34.4258°S 150.8972°E / -34.4258; 150.8972
OwnerDaniel Radburn
Capacity 80 people
Field size80 square meters
Construction
Opened15 September 2013
Closed16 August 2019
Demolished2019

Rad Bar was a music venue in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It opened in 2013 and played a crucial role in the development of young musicians and bands from the region. At the time, it was Wollongong's only dedicated live music venue of its size, and was considered iconic in the local scene. The bar was closed in August 2019, when its block was demolished to make way for office towers.

History

Ben Tillman, Adam Smith and Balunn Jones, who were graduates of the University of Wollongong, were the previous owners of the site, a coffee shop called Yours and Owls, which hosted live music five or six nights a week. [1] Opening in 2010, it quickly became an important hub for local artists wanting to refine their live show for bigger audiences. [2] The cafe was sold and closed in 2013, and the three owners pivoted their brand more towards music booking and festivals. [3] Taking over the site was drummer Daniel Radburn, who was committed to keep hosting live music. [4] The newly renamed Rad Bar opened on 15 September 2013. [5]

It’s impossible to find another room with that atmosphere again. It’s just iconic. The stairs are iconic – they’re so ugly, so impractical!

Zac Stephenson, Hockey Dad [6]

Rad Bar's floor size was less than 80 square meters [7] and had a maximum capacity of about 80 people, making for an intimate and raucous live music setting. [6] It was the only dedicated music space of its size in Wollongong. [6] The venue was credited for nurturing many young bands across the Illawarra, [7] [8] and being a unique setting where they could "learn how to play". [9] Prominent local bands to have come through Rad Bar in their early years included Pacific Avenue, [9] Totally Unicorn, the Pinheads, Totty, Los Pintar, [6] and most notably Hockey Dad, who played at the venue on its first trading night. [6]

Not long after Radburn took over the venue in 2013, the Lang's Corner block, which was built in 1933, was sold to developers for $4.5 million. [1] The property then changed hands multiple times until May 2017, when a proposal was issued to turn the building into a high-rise office tower. The plans for demolition attracted intense criticism from the Wollongong music community. [10] In April 2019, Radburn announced that all tenants of the block were being told to vacate. [8]

Rad Bar's final trading night was 16 August 2019, with Sydney band Dear Seattle headlining. [1] There were concerns that after its closure, the youth music scene in the Illawarra would lose momentum. [9] In October 2019, Yours and Owls opened the 150-cap La La La's dive bar and music venue a short distance away in Globe Lane. [11]

The Lang's Corner block was turned into an 11-storey office tower, which opened in 2022. [12]

One of the stages at the 2019 Yours and Owls Festival was named after Rad Bar in honour of the venue's legacy. [7] This occurred again for the 2023 festival. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Humphries, Glen (2021). Lull City: The Wollongong Music Scene 1955–2020. Wollongong: Last Day of School. pp. 225–227. ISBN   9780648991137.
  2. ↑ McIlwain, Kate (26 January 2012). "Great gigs are in the Gong". Illawarra Mercury – via Proquest.
  3. ↑ Haworth, Glen (1 July 2013). "Yours and Owls farewell show marks end of era" . Illawarra Mercury . Archived from the original on 22 October 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  4. ↑ Butler, Joshua (6 September 2013). "Yours and Owls is now Rad" . Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 14 October 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  5. ↑ Haworth, Glenn (15 September 2013). "New Rad Bar keeps live music scene alive". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 13 October 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Newstead, Al (17 April 2019). "Hockey Dad remember Rad Bar, the Wollongong institution that's coming to an end". Triple J . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Webber, Harry (4 September 2019). "We Asked Musicians, Punters And Owners What They Think About The Closure Of Rad Bar". Life Without Andy. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  8. 1 2 Savage, Desiree (17 April 2019). "Wollongong's Rad Bar announces official closing date". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Savage, Desiree (2 May 2019). "Wollongong to welcome teenage musicians after Rad Bar closes in June". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  10. ↑ McIlwain, Kate (30 May 2017). "High-rise office block plans spark campaign to save Wollongong live music venue Rad Bar". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  11. ↑ Saunders, Luke (22 October 2019). "Yours and Owls set to open new Wollongong venue La La La's". Happy Mag. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  12. ↑ Pearce, Connor (21 October 2022). "Mercer takes up residence at Lang's Corner office tower". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  13. ↑ "Set Times Announced for Yours & Owls 2023". Music Feeds . 19 September 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
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