Building the Scene

There are few things as synonymous with Lefty’s then a great night and a Whisky Apple. In episode 6 of Building The Scene we get to dive into the history of the iconic Brisbane venue Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall. From the bustle of the bar to the roaring of the crowd, hear first-hand accounts on these shared experiences . Explore how Baroona Hall was transformed into The Velvet Cigar and took on it...

Take your place in the clash between the punk music scene and the local authorities as they found their very culture threatened by an unwavering foe. We see how Baroona Hall stood as a parapet in defiance of police aggression, antagonising their opposition by holding protest and charity gigs just 50 metres from the Petrie Terrace Police Barracks. We also see how instrumental and revolutionary the...

Episode 1 of the Baroona Hall series takes a look into the expansive history of a building constructed two centuries ago. Exploring how the changes in the wider area of Brisbane can be tracked by key moments reflected in the building’s history. Bringing us right into the 1970’s and 80’s, we begin to take a dive into the vital and iconic punk scene of the era and interview acts who performed at Bar...

With the future of FOCO brought into disrepute with a negative political campaign, negative media campaign and the team fracturing from within, the end is near. With police raids in the air, the FOCO Club is no more but the influence of the short 18 months of operation will go on to influence the trajectory of Brisbane creatives for years to come. Woven into the fabric of Brisbane’s history is a v...

The winds of change at Queensland University have left an opening for more to get involved with the Trade Union movement, but an idea from heads of the Civil Liberties movement will take union involvement in a direction never seen before. Welcome to the FOCO Club, one of the most experimental arts experiences ever brought into existence. Woven into the fabric of Brisbane’s history is a very visibl...

In the late 1960s, residents of Brisbane with an artistic mind are feeling like they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Australia is moving into a booming technicolour future of overseas influence and dramatic social change, but Brisbane seems to be staying stuck in the past and going down a regressive conservative path that will stretch the creative community to its last thread. Venues su...

Woven into the fabric of Brisbane’s history is a very visible, yet crucially unrecognised part of our social culture. Where great names have been built on stages, city streets and town halls… the history of the walls which held these grand events are often left unspoken. Building The Scene is an episodic podcast that looks to shine a light on the history of some of Brisbane’s most iconic, unknown...