Aussie Clubs For Sale

Two of Australia’s highest-profile live music venues – The Basement in Sydney and The Tivoli in Brisbane – are up for sale.

After 13 years of operating The Basement, Tim Read and Jane Burridge want “a change in our personal priorities,” they said. “It’s time to hand the baton on to the next generation to take care of the legacy and be part of the future history of this wonderful club.”

The 550-capacity venue, founded in 1973 by Bruce Viles, became Sydney’s only permanent jazz club. In 1999, Read and Burridge joined Chris Richards as new owners, widening the music to include blues, R&B, world, soul and folk. Read cites one of The Basement’s highs as when former U.S. President Bill Clinton came down to catch the Maynard Ferguson Band.

The 1,500-capacity Tivoli goes to auction July 12 as its owners, the O’Rourkes, are in the process of downsizing the family’s Dromahair business. It includes property, golf courses, cable distribution and Stutters nightclub in Rockhampton, Queensland.