Queenslanders know West End for its arts culture, restaurants, and scruffy bohemian residents. Now, thanks to The Bearded Lady, you can add ‘rock & roll’ to that list.
Since opening its doors last September, The Bearded Lady has already made a name for itself as a premier venue for live shows and entertainment – as was the intention when the venue was first conceived. “We noticed that West End is a very cultural place, but it was lacking good live music venues, so we just wanted to add something more to that scene,” says The Bearded Lady's Jaim Black. “It's quite unique. There's no other venue like it in Brisbane. The bands that we have on are some of the sickest bands in Brisbane at the moment.”
The venue recently snagged up-and-coming psych-rock/ jazz outfit Boss Moxi as their band in residency, allowing the rising stars to showcase their talent on a regular basis. In turn, the band's presence gives the venue a sense of familiarity, with the partnership ultimately working to carve a unique niche in Brisbane's live music landscape. The band even christened the venue with its very first stage dive. “That was pretty significant for all of us,” Jaim enthuses, “because to have someone do a stage dive in your venue, that's rock & roll.”
However, The Bearded Lady has a lot more to offer than just rock & roll; the venue's strong catalogue of great local bands includes everything from rock to country to “full-on punk bands”, thereby bringing people from all sorts of age groups and backgrounds through the doors. “Because of the style of the place too, it's just a comfortable place to hang out, so we get everyone from 18 to 60-year-olds coming here for a drink,” Jaim says. “Although we've always said we're a rock & roll venue at heart, we're looking at opening our doors to other types of music.”
The Bearded Lady has also hosted cabaret and performing arts shows, with plans to give these sorts of events even more time on stage while also participating in the upcoming Fringe Festival. There is even interest in introducing more avant-garde acts, such as installation art pieces. “I love it all, that's the problem – my venue's not big enough,” Jaim laughs.
“If I had a venue with multiple stages and rooms, that'd be ideal so I could run everything at the same time. That's my dream. Like, I love cabaret, I love live music, I love bars, I love it all. And I love good beer and good booze.”
Speaking of good beer and booze, The Bearded Lady does not disappoint; the bar stocks a wide range of beers on tap, wine by the bottle, and even an impressive cocktail menu that includes their signature concoction. “It's Kraken Spiced Rum, Whiskey Barrel Bitters, blackcurrant and apple juice, and cinnamon, and it's called the Black Treacle,” Jaim explains.
The effort that has been put into the creation and running of The Bearded Lady has definitely paid off, with patrons praising everything from the quality of the shows to the day-to-day operation of the venue, with popular consensus calling the staff “kick-ass” and the venue's décor “beautiful”. “People just walk in and go, 'My god, it's amazing,'” beams Jaim. “We've taken [the building] back to its bare necessities, and people say it's really warm, really beautiful. Like you're walking into home.”
With its strong reputation and loyal regulars, it's clear that The Bearded Lady has cemented itself as a permanent fixture in the legacy of Brisbane's entertainment scene, and with no signs of it relinquishing that status, it looks like the venue will be responsible for fostering a whole new culture in the heart of West End. So make way, trendy hipsters, because West End is about to get a lot more wilder.
The Bearded Lady is located at 138 Boundary Street, West End. It’s open Wednesday to Sundays 5pm till late.
