The Sandringham Hotel, 387-391
King Street, locally known as The Sando, was a
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
in the
Inner West
The Inner West of Sydney is an area directly west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. The suburbs that make up the Inner West are predominantly located along the southern shore of Port Jackson (Parramatta River ...
suburb of
Newtown in
Sydney, Australia. The pub first opened in 1870 and has had a long history and is the spiritual homeland to several of Sydney's bands, including
Frenzal Rhomb
Frenzal Rhomb are an Australian punk rock band that formed in 1992 in Sydney. Three of the group's albums have entered the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart: '' A Man's Not a Camel'' (1999), '' Hi-Vis High Tea'' (2017) and ''Smoko at the P ...
,
Bughouse and
The Whitlams
The Whitlams are an Australian indie rock band formed in late 1992. The original line-up was Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass and Stevie Plunder on guitar and lead vocals. Other than mainstay Freedman, the ...
.
Before renovations in the late 1990s, the pub had a unique layout. The bar had an art-deco theme and was essentially a large square in the middle of the pub. It was possible to sit at the bar and watch the band who were at the other side of the bar in the corner. The front-middle stage used to jut into one corner of the square bar allowing performers to rest their beer on the bar at the front of the stage. Between 1980 and 1998 the pub was a thriving live music venue, at one point (1985-1998) hosting live music seven nights a week and "operating as a gateway to the wider inner Sydney pub rock scene".
Following further renovations, the pub was bought in 2005 by music promoter Tony Townsend intending to revitalize the Sando as a live music venue. In June 2012, the Sandringham Hotel was placed in
receivership
In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...
with management owing a reported $3.6 million to creditors. The impending closure of the popular venue caused fans to mobilise a
rally
Rally or rallye may refer to:
Gatherings
* Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade
* Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event
Sport ...
to "Save The Sando" on 26 August. The event was publicly supported by musicians
Angry Anderson
Gary Stephen "Angry" Anderson (born 5 August 1947) is an Australian rock singer, songwriter, television personality and actor. He has been the lead vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976. As a solo artist, he is best known f ...
and
Tim Freedman
Timothy James Freedman (25 November 1964) is an Australian musician, best known as the mainstay lead singer and keyboardist of the Australian band The Whitlams formed in 1993. Note: n-lineversion was expanded from the 2002 edition. The song ...
and saw an estimated 3000 supporters gather on
King Street outside the pub while the former frontman of
The Angels,
Doc Neeson
Bernard Patrick "Doc" Neeson OAM (4 January 1947 – 4 June 2014) was an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was the front man for the hard rock band The Angels from its formation in February 1976 through to 1999. The band then split ...
played to the crowd.
In October of the same year, The Sando was purchased by the owners of popular
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
rock venue
The Corner Hotel and renamed The Newtown Social Club. The band room upstairs reopened in May 2014 with an audience capacity of 300, hosting live acts several nights per week.
In July 2017, the Sandringham reopened as Holey Moley, a cocktail bar and 18-hole
miniature-golf course. A spokesman for developers Funlab said the new venue would give punters much "good content for
Instagram".
Popular culture
* In 1997, Australian band The Whitlams wrote a song about the pub, "God Drinks At The Sando". It appeared on their 1999 album ''
Love This City
''Love This City'' is the fourth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner in 1999. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Track listing
#"Make the World Safe" – 3:43
#" Thank You (for ...
''.
* In 2002, Australian singer/songwriter
Jodi Martin recorded her live album, Twenty One Stairs - Live at the Sando.
See also
*
List of public houses in Australia
This is a list of notable pubs in Australia. A pub (in Australia) is an establishment performing many functions. These include serving alcoholic beverages, meals, functioning as a venue for various kinds of entertainment, and, sometimes, provi ...
References
Whitlams Website Accessed July 2006.
External links
Sandringham Hotel in the Sydney Pub GuidePub reviewon whereisthepub.org
Pubs in Sydney
Hotel buildings completed in 1870
Hotels established in 1870
1870 establishments in Australia
Newtown, New South Wales
Former pubs in Australia
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