On Sunday June 29, The Joynt in South Brisbane will trade for one final time.
The live venue that has become an institution for local musicians and lovers of music alike will see out the weekend with the Brothers Grim playing a special acoustic duo set on Friday and Saturday night. James Grim heads our collection of musicians who reflect, pay tribute and share memories from their experiences playing and partying at owner Jodi Craig’s personal music wonderland.
“Jodi was first described to me by both Mojo Juju and Kira Puru as a woman I need to meet. I heard rumours of a woman that eats joints and UDLs for breakfast and has the hottest little juke joynt in town. That was all I needed to search her out. My first trip to Brisbane, Brothers Grim played The Zoo and this woman come up straight after we played and just before she was kicked out for telling a bouncer to “fuck off” said “what the fuck are you guys playing here? You'd be much better suited for The Joynt”, and I said “you must be Jodi?” She said “how do you know?” and I said “because you are the woman I came all this way to meet!” Since then we have become like family. She has done so much for touring bands and promoting the Brisbane scene that we are coming over to play a show for nothing just to give a little back ... The Joynt was not the first audience that has told me to take my clothes off, but it was the first place I said I would take my clothes off if they did! And well — they did. From there ever show we have performed at The Joynt has be even crazier than the last and would end with everyone in the room in their underwear. I love that place. The video clip for 'Been A While' (embedded below) has a lot of photos in it from The Joynt and Jodi's house (in after party mode). The live sequences are all Joynt audience and the third verse is all about the crazy nights we've had at The Joynt:
There's a few more hours till we head to The Joynt
It's killing me slowly and I'm sure there's a point
But I'm going down hill and I'm picking up speed
So I never know what to believe....
“That place is embedded in our musical history. Its legacy will be great.”
- James Grim (Brothers Grim, Melbourne)
“So damned bummed to see this go. Such a dope little musical oasis from the more hectic nightlife spots in Briz. The first time I heard Ofa (Chocolate Strings, Captain Dreamboat) sing was there on a chilled Sunday night and it was so damn soulful and such a perfect little intimate spot to soak it up. A highlight performing there was doing a full blown horn cover of 'Crazy In Love' with Bullhorn, MKO as Beyonce and Calski and myself on one of those ridiculously packed out nights. Vale The Joynt!”
- Rainman (Brisbane)
Brothers Grim live at The Joynt © Brothers Grim “My favourite memory was foolishly standing in the front row at a Well Allrights gig and getting pashed by Laneous.”
- Morgyn Quinn (promoter, Island Vibe Festival)
“It’s diversity of entertainment and clientele to my mind are unparalleled in Brisbane and I'll be sorry to see such a welcoming venue pass into history, as redoubtably memorable if not fond in memory as that history may well turn out to be. Recently The Hipshooters played at The Joynt to their legions of blues devotees and I was cajoled into getting up onstage for a Janis number by their drummer, Grunter. Little did he know that I hadn't spat on a mic for over three years and had all but lost the desire to do so until that night, sober as a low-flying bird. I nudged my way into ‘Ball & Chain’, Billy and Anton pushing me just that little bit more each time we hit the head, the crowd working up into it, red wine spilling over the lips of glasses as we hit the high notes and grew up and into and spiked the very heart of that tune, on that stage, with the streetlights warming up the sides of the Parmalat factory wall, and the smokers on the pavement and the Bachanallian cries for more of justabout everything from justabout everyone. So yeah. That night at The Joynt had a fair bit to do with me getting back into the game I'd say. Aren't those places great? Thanks Joynt. I'll remember you well.”
- Jackie Marshall aka The Peppercorn Queen (Brisbane)
Graveyard Train play The Joynt © Graveyard Train"Every experience I had at The Joynt was positive. A venue that relied far more on substance than it did on style. It will be sorely missed."
- Graham Ashton (Director, Footstomp Music)
"His Merry Men at The Joynt was one of the best gigs I've been to, Michael Jackson covers! It was one of those nights where there were so many people they had a video feed projected onto the building across the road. What a night."
- Lauren Porter (Footstomp Music)
“Re: the Joynt. Run by an amazing woman (Jodi) with an incredible attitude to all things in life, not just her business. It will be a shame to see it close, and her to cease to be part of our music scene. I sincerely hope she starts up somewhere else, as she has been somewhat of a beacon in the murky depths of the local scene. My favourite nights there have to be Ben Osborne’s dub / reggae nights, (I don't remember what they were called) and the random occasions I found myself there and got to spend time with Jodi at the institution she created, and listening to her philosophies of life, running a business and everything and anything else.”
- Kieron C (Brisbane DJ, friend and enjoyer of the venue)
“Favourite and first memory is shoulder to shoulder in the bandroom AND second bar for Clairy Browne and the Bangin Rackettes. The projections on the Pauls Factory never looked so good!”
- Kel On Earth (Bankrupt Billionaires, Brisbane)
“Well the whole thing’s a love story. From day one Jodi and I have worked well together. I've had four different residencies there. Flyin Solo's On Wednesdays moved to Sunday afternoons, I did a Chocolate Strings residency there for a month in the very early days. Did Captain Dreamboat residency there over a number of months last year. The place has a homely vibe to it — for me. Everyone knows your name, what you drink, what your band is up to and seriously just wanna see you do well. Jodi has been a mentor and friend to me and I've always appreciated her frankness. You always know where you stand with her. She ran a good business with a focus on giving the artists good pay. That's rare. The Joynt has been the platform for many bands over the years — and many of us have been able to experiment with our music and grow down there. I know I definitely have. The Joynt has also been one of the last places in Brisbane you can hold a gig without venue hire and have 300 people in the place. It's a sad day for Brisbane when The Joynt closes. I challenge anyone to make something like this happen again; I'm super keen for your success — Brisbane musicians will need it!”
- Ofa Fanaika (Chocolate Strings & Captain Dreamboat, Brisbane)
“Spinning wax on the James Brown Tribute night with Ben Osborne, Jason Bell Paprika, Michael, and local topshelf making up the tribute band. Some years ago now. Thanks all for that jam packed well wicked night."
- Blunted Stylus (Resin Dogs, Brisbane)
“I worked there for a while and have loads of awesome memories. First time I saw Graveyard Train and there was like 40 people there, the last time they played there was about 400; teaching the guys in the band how to play cards and Jodi caning all of us in the first round; the amazing Clairy Browne and the Banging Rackettes gig on a Sunday night where we got to capacity; every Schoolfight gig; the first Amy Winehouse Tribute gig where again we were so packed you could barely move; seeing Mojo Juju perform and every Brothers Grim gig ever!”
- Chloe Dixon (former worker at The Joynt)
“I would always look forward to playing The Joynt. So many rad memories and awesome gigs. It's been a big part of my development in the Brisbane scene and I'm so grateful. Shame to see it go.”
- Bobby Alu (Brisbane musician)
"The Joynt is the way a music venue is supposed to be. It feels like a home. Cosy and warm with a blanket of rock & roll. Definitely gonna miss it."
- Jules Abrahams – (Mustered Courage, Melbourne)
“Australia's best bands, crazies and creatives come from dive bars like The Joynt. I'll never forget those packed and sweaty nights crammed in on that stage. I still believe Brisbane has the demand and creativity to re-spawn somewhere similar.”
- Josh Crawley (Graveyard Train, Melbourne)
The Graveyard Train at The Joynt © Graveyard Train“I first played at The Joynt when it was known as Pi-Hi or something terrible like that and met a very outspoken and interesting lady who wanted to ditch her business partner and turn the cafe into a full blown music venue. Of course that lady was Jodi Craig and she was true to her word. Jodi was a generous venue manager who cared for the bands as much as she cared for her own pocket, which is a very rare thing in this industry. I have played and attended many memorable gigs at The Joynt and it will be sorely missed as an option for somewhere to go and have a drink and see live music.”
- Shannon Green (Kingfisha, Brisbane)
“An extension of its charismatic and hospitable publican, Jodi Craig, The Joynt has held within its walls a warmth and electric atmosphere that is unrivalled by any other music venue in Brisbane. It has hosted an astonishing array of handpicked musicians, both international and local to its banging, sweaty little stage and has helped to launch the career of many local artists, including my own. For those of us who were blessed to be a part of it, The Joynt will be forever remembered as a West End icon, a salt of the earth establishment that was in it for the love, the music and the tallies."
- Billie Weston (Dubmarine, Brisbane)
“I come from Melbourne. I have played in three bands over four or so years that have all played The Joynt in Brisbane. I have played for Cash Savage and The Last Drinks; The Brothers Grim and currently Eaten By Dogs (the greatest of these and all bands throughout time and space). All of these bands have at one point found it difficult to tour interstate. Costs add up and often there is no relief, just overheads, making it hard to re-visit interstate areas persistently.
“The Joynt was an interstate band's dream. Musical diversity and the right size room for an ambitious yet small hard working band. It would look good at 70 payers and would probably be packed at 200. I should probably say, more importantly than all of this was the hospitality of owner Jodi (never knew her last name, never needed to). She would provide a place to stay at her house for upwards of 15 people if need be. That's two or three decent sized touring bands with beds, blankets, showers and most of the time food to feed us and always a lending hand when it came to locating or borrowing musical equipment. Some bands, it should be said, weren't even paying her venue while they were staying there.
“It’s hard to state how much a band can save mentally and financially from such generosity. I know for a fact that Jodi would allow bands to stay even if she didn't like them, musically or personally. It didn't seem to be the point. She was a supporter of live music to (in my opinion) a much higher degree than equivalent venues in Melbourne.
“The last time I was there in January Jodi said it was possible that the Joynt's lease may not be renewed but she looked confident she could right the ship. Apparently not so. People will now probably all too late call the place an institution and its closing an outrage.
“I live in Melbourne. We've still got a few places like The Joynt left, some better than others and none as generous. It's Brisbane's loss so I hope somebody up there cares and knows what they're now missing. The Joynt embodied live music and thought it was worth supporting. I wonder how many interstate acts and more importantly local acts will fare in Brisbane now The Joynt is gone.”
- Chris Lichti (Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, ex-Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders and currently with Eaten By Dogs)
The Joynt is located at 48 Montague Road South Brisbane.
