Part 2 of 2
‘It alters your DNA somehow, seeing music like that…’
(Brad Shepherd, interviewed by Noel Mengel in the Courier-Mail 9 August 2003, on seeing Slade at Festival Hall in 1974)
Festival Hall: The ‘community’
Although the physical building of Festival Hall could not create a ‘sense of community’ in itself, one was temporarily created each time an event was held there. The rituals, experiences, groups and identities formed were unique to the community of individuals who were sharing a musical experience. This has been described by Lawrence Grossberg in his analysis of the cultural formation that results from rock music: ‘A configuration of practices that form a particular structure of unity which transcends any single group’s relation to the practices. The configuration allows certain practices to exist and to have power within its boundaries’ (Grossberg, 1992, p.398). In other words, people who came from different backgrounds, locations and social circumstances became united temporarily through their mutual appreciation for the music. This is further enhanced by the people coming together to experience a rock performance event (such as those held at Festival Hall) in a physical location.
All of the participants interviewed for research purposes in July–August 2005 agreed with Grossberg’s analysis to some extent. When asked whether Festival Hall had a sense of community about it, the Courier-Mail music writer Noel Mengel replied, ‘Not really, since every show is different and every crowd is different’, thereby saying that any sense of community or ritual came along with the people, and not the physical location itself. Later, he went on to say that , ‘The reputation is down to the acts and people’s pleasant memories’. Overall, Noel felt that, despite Festival Hall being considered a triumph in the 1950s, it wasn’t a building worth saving for its aesthetic qualities: ‘The building and architecture were dreadful. Hot, hard seats, except for the lucky few in the balcony, which was a superb place to see and hear music’.
A second interviewee who wished to remain anonymous, felt the same way. ‘I think it drew together various communities depending on what was on there at the time, but I wouldn’t say the place itself had a “sense of community” about it.’ He felt that there were other, perhaps less recognised, venues in Brisbane that had contributed equally (if not more so) to live music in the area. Just like Noel, he said, ‘It was really up to whoever was playing/performing there to try and generate a sense of atmosphere. I don’t think “festering hole” itself contributed much apart from a sense of history and an overall grunginess which suited certain bands’.
Another anonymous interviewee agreed with the other interviewees' sentiments that Festival Hall’s sense of community stemmed from the people that gathered there: ‘I believe communities often form temporarily when people come together to share an experience’. However, they did say that the building’s rich history and quirks contributed to the overall concert-going experience. When asked whether its reputation could be attributed to the people and music or the actual building, they replied, ‘A bit of both, but probably more so the building, which was more of an accidental rock venue than created by design…a sense of community can exist in other places — because of the people who gather there and the bands they go to see’.
Of course, the building’s various communities were never more prominent than when there was a ‘Last-gasp attempt to save Festival Hall’ (Dullroy, Courier-Mail, 2001, p.11). After unsuccessful attempts at heritage listing the building (and a final concert, Michael Franti, taking place on 9 August), on 14 December 2003 Festival Hall was sold to Devine Limited. According to Noel Mengel, ‘The rites of passage for young rock ‘n’ rollers in Brisbane these days takes place somewhere in the Valley or at the Livid Festival, but for generations of fans they happened at one place, on Charlotte Street at Festival Hall — usually bathed in sweat’ (Mengel, Courier-Mail, 2002, p.5). Supporters of saving Festival Hall attempted to remind the public of the days of the Bjelke-Petersen government, when many heritage listed buildings and live music venues were demolished (Sommerfeld and Dullroy, Courier-Mail, 2002, p.18). The local music community became closer than ever before, united by their fight to save a place they thought retained Brisbane’s place on Australia’s concert map.
Local band Powderfinger was one of the many groups that joined the fight. In addition to playing one of the very last shows at Festival Hall before its closure, they recorded their music video for the song ‘Like a dog’ there as a kind of homage to the venue. The black-and-white video featured the band playing in the Hall inside a boxing ring while a boxing match was taking place, combining the two things that Festival Hall was originally built to house in the 1950s — live music and boxing. To Powderfinger fans (and even those that weren’t), the essence of the venue was encapsulated through the blood, sweat and raw energy of the band and crowd.
Festival Hall: The (non-existent) future
Construction is now well underway for Festival Towers, a new high-rise building comprising around 350 residential apartments, as well as retails outlets. In a rather half-hearted attempt to give the public a tangible reminder of the ‘good old days’, a Walkway of Fame will adorn the footpath on the corner of Charlotte and Elizabeth Streets, where Festival Hall once stood. The next generation will need to find their live music elsewhere — whether it be at the smaller club venues like the Zoo, the Arena and the Tivoli; the large, sterile, arena-style venues such as the Brisbane Entertainment Centre or the Convention and Exhibition Centre; or on the travelling outdoor festival circuit (made even more unlikely since the disappearance of the Livid Festival after 2003).
The new apartment building signifies a shift to postmodernism in several aspects. The most obvious is the loss of the rich cultural history that was represented by Festival Hall. One could also argue that ‘declassed’ consumers are re-inhabiting the city area by living in the apartments — although these people may appear upper-class to the majority, to themselves (and each other) they are not living in the building merely as a status symbol. Instead, these people believe that by living in an inner-city environment, they will be able to ‘consume and commodify’ freely.
The public culture site that was once Festival Hall is no more. It has been replaced by something that opposes the very essence of what the majority of bands that played there stood for — corporate culture, virtually inaccessible to the general public, except for the handful of the upper-class who choose to live there. But, as conveyed in the sentiments of the interviewees, the music, communities and spirit that came along with Festival Hall will go on. The people will find another venue and, when they do, a whole new generation of music fans will create their own live music community.
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