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The scummiest, most rundown, but welcoming and communal venue in Christchurch. Had 2 lives - first as Hex Central (under Squirm's stewardship) in the mid 1990's, then as the punk head quarters dubbed The Glory Hole, from 2009 till it's demise in 2011.
Venues
The old Canterbury University Students Association building (back when it was based at the Christchurch Arts Centre) which became a wonderful multi-use venue in 1978. Housing a terrific vegetarian restaurant that opens out to the Arts Center courtyard, a lively public bar that always bristled with live music, enjoyed by locals and travels alike, plus an additional private venue and offices up stairs. The Dux was an institution in Christchurch until the Earthquakes struck in 2010/2011.
Venues
Large old school hotel with upstairs lodging, a pokie room, kitchen and a large live music bar that's went through quite a few changes between the early 1980's and when it was closed, just prior to the Christchurch Earthquakes.
Venues
The Christchurch Media Club was a large building on Armagh Street, next to the notoriously seedy Centennial Pool. Broken up in to several parts – It had a mid-sized hall with hard-wood floors, a large performing stage and bar (used mostly for Media Club patrons, housing pool tables, darts etc), the smaller ‘Winter Garden’ ballroom where most live performances occurred – which was carpeted and decked out in ornate ceiling alcoves, plus a hallway, toilets and a small kitchen.
Venues
The Loons has been an integral, significant and well-known part of the Lyttelton community for over a century. Built in 1905, the building housed a range of commercial premises through to 1944 including a grocery shop and the Loons garage. In 1944, the building was purchased by three watersiders and around that time the premises was converted to become the Waterside Workers Social Club known locally as 'The Loons'. With post-earthquake renovations completed in December 2020, the Loons has been transformed into a state of the art performance venue with facilities to match. The Loons caters for Theatre, Arts and Music to the people of Lyttelton and the wider Canterbury area.
Venues
The Penthouse (sometimes just referred to as 'Level 5') was a venue name given to the 5th floor of Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti School in Central Christchurch, above the old Hallensteins building in Cashel Plaza.
Venues
Excellent multi-use space established by the Therapeutic Arts Trust in 2000 - Ciaran Fox was originally involved before Adam Hayward joined the board in 2001 and took over directorship in 2002.
Venues
Open-plan two-story Cafe on a (previously) busy corner in central Christchurch - Java was a quirky place with a colorful interior, good coffee and food. When Cafe's were starting to explode in the late 90's, Java was one of the places to be for young people in Christchurch.
Venues
The Palladium was a sprawling upstairs nightclub in Chancery Lane in Central Christchurch, with a massive 800 person capacity and 24 hour liquor license.
Venues
The Old Star Tavern (aka The Star Tavern, Lion Tavern) was a large old Pub on Lincoln Road, not far from Hagley Park that sprung to life with live entertainment during the mid 1980's. Circa 1983-4, local Punk and Dance impresario (and general taste-maker) Tony Peake was responsible for booking bands at the large, popular Gladstone venue, alongside Al Parke. Meanwhile up in Auckland Peter Urlich was establishing the original Zanzibar dance-club in Auckland - and was planning a similar spot in Christchurch with the help of local proprietor John McCarthy, who owned the Old Star Tavern. Peake was brought in to establish a new nightclub within the pub, taking the same name as the Auckland venue and putting on regular nights, DJing a mix of Post-Punk, Dance, Dub, Hip-Hop - whatever he saw fit.
Venues
Cecil House was an old retail and residential building on the corner of Manchester and Welles street that was eventually damaged, then demolished after the Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010 / 2011. Though original built as a Hotel around 1905, by the 1980's the building had become a mix of residential accommodation and retail shop-fronts. The building itself had fallen in to disrepair and became suitably cheap accommodation, with quite a few musicians occupying flats in the 2nd and 3rd floor during the 1980's and 1990's.
Venues
Short-lived pizza restaurant, bar and live music venue, on the corner site of the long running and beloved Gordon Smith and Son’s Fruiterers. The venue side of the bar was a little on the shallow side and with doors opening to an outside courtyard on the busy revitalized post-Earthquake Victoria street, it wasn’t long before the venue encountered noise complaints.
Venues
A decrepit old wooden villa on Kilmore Street occupied primarily by Michael Boulden (who used the space as a recording studio / video editing office) and professional musician Simon Nunn, whilst other musicians (including The Pickups / Terror of the Deeps William Daymond) came and went over the years - taking advantage of the 6 rooms and ridiculously cheap $200 rent.
Venues
The Harbour Light Theatre was thought to have been designed by J.S. and M. J. Guthrie and purpose-built as a picture house and theatre for the Lyttelton Picture Company. It could seat 550 people in both stalls and circle. The front of the building was two storeys high, with a mezzanine floor, and two decorative brick towers topped with spherical domes on either side. The entry was framed by large Tuscan columns, with quoin stones on the corners of the building. The material of the building was mostly brick with a stucco finish on the facade painted white in the “California style”. The entrance featured an art nouveau style etching of a pattern above the verandah roof.
Venues
The Gladstone has the doubtful distinction of being the last hotel in Christchurch to host a post mortem. The examination was carried out in July of 1901 by a Dr. William Diamond, who told the coroner that there was extreme difficulty working in such cramped and unsuitable quarters as those provided by a hotel and he sincerely hoped that something would be done about it soon. His wish was granted, for on that very day the eminent architect Mr. S Hurst-Seager, designer of the new morgue, had handed the keys to the completed building to the City Council.
