Soundhaus

Soundhaus, end of an era

Well I really don’t know how to start...It twas the year 1996 when I first clapped eyes on the Soundhaus, a bit rough at the edges but we would soon change that by gradually building up clientele with many events bringing people in like Chakra, Monox, Pussypower, Basement, Breakdown bands and later Fresh Lick, Up For It and many many more all working hard to make something a bit different, relaxed and cool musically.

We had a laid back approach and cool staff. There really was nowhere like it...and we stayed open til 6am. But unfortunately around 2005 the council changed the rules for private members clubs, including golf clubs and police clubs etc and that kinda kicked off a decline in attendence. Most punters and staff didn’t even know how hard it was trying to keep our head above water, it was only Bruno Celini and myself (Lynn Macdonald, club secretary) who knew how devastating that was to our takings.

Eventhough we did not sell booze after 3am, people just wanted to come as it was open late, that change in rules cut down those in attendence. We had to start taking on other nights who’s crowds were more difficult to handle, a bit harder type of people, but strangely enough those people also loved the place. Those nights were more gabber and tough kinda music.
Events such as Impact and Infectious run by Al Innes with special guests such as the Horrorist. They were also very well done nights if you liked that kind of hardcore music, and they were packed. Financially they saved us for another few years but earned us the name of being a hardcore venue which we were not, they only did 1 or 2 nights a month. So it was quite annoying for us that the other people that used to come a lot started to think it was all hardcore. We still had plenty of straight up dance nights, but the crowds were declining, getting older and going off to have babies I suppose. While the hardcaore nights attendees looked like mere babies themselves (seen through the eyes of an older wummin, me) always over 18yrs but some of them just that, and even if they were older they looked about 12 to me, haha just jealous.

Even now we still have contact with promoters and staff from that time and people still lament its passing in 2012. Boy what a sendoff the last night we had at the New Year 2011 to 2012 was. We did not close at 3am that night, I think it went on til about 8am, til the bar was dry and my partner and myself were still in there at 11am the next morning , all the young ones were away and just those of a stronger vintage were still playing music and gettin steaming... on the stash...awe the memories...awe the bad liver !!! To be continued...