:William Street Bird
{{Short description|Music venue in Northbridge, Western Australia}}
{{Use Australian English |date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates |date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = {{wikidata |property |P1448 }}
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| nickname = Bird
| logo_image = William St Bird.jpg
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| mapframe-zoom = 17
| mapframe-marker = bar
| mapframe-marker-colour = #BE1596
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| address = 181 William Street, Northbridge, WA, 6003
| city = Perth
| country = Australia
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| coordinates = {{coord |region:AU-WA_type:landmark_dim:{{wikidata |property |qualifier |raw |P625 |P2386 |format=%q}} |name={{wikidata |property |P1448 }} |display=inline,title |format=dms}}{{EditAtWikidata|pid=P625}}
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| type = Music venue
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| capacity = ~150
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| opened = {{Start date and age|2010|df=y}}
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| website = {{Official URL}}
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The William Street Bird, known colloquially as the Bird, is a live music bar located in the Northbridge suburb of Perth, Western Australia.{{cite web |last=Dolphin |first=Alice |date=22 August 2022 |title=12 Of The Best Bars In Northbridge To Hit Up This Weekend |url=https://www.theurbanlist.com/perth/a-list/best-bars-northbridge |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929074112/https://www.theurbanlist.com/perth/a-list/best-bars-northbridge |archive-date=29 September 2022 |website=Urban List}}{{Cite web |last=Pepper |first=Daile |date=2010-02-23 |title=The Bird fights early closing time |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/the-bird-fights-early-closing-time-20100223-oz5h.html |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=WAtoday |language=en |quote=The owners of a new live music bar set to open in Northbridge have launched an online campaign to show the Liquor Commission that a 10pm closing time is unreasonable.}} It opened in 2010.
Description
File:William Street Bird 2021.webm
The Bird plays host to local musicians, with some known performers having gone on to successful international careers.{{cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Kirstie |date=26 September 2018 |title=The Bird |url=https://concreteplayground.com/perth/bars/the-bird |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514103005/https://concreteplayground.com/perth/bars/the-bird |archive-date=14 May 2021 |website=Concrete Playground}} Notable artists to have performed at the venue include Flume, Stella Donnelly,{{Cite web |date=2017-08-26 |title=Live Review: Stella Donnelly's Intimate Gig at The Bird |url=https://isolatednation.com/articles/2017/8/26/live-review-stella-donnelly |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=Isolated Nation |language=en-US}} Spacey Jane, Tame Impala,{{efn|In 2013, the members of Tame Impala performed a 'secret gig' at the venue spread through word of mouth. The purpose of the gig was to fundraise for a friend that had a car stolen. The name of the band for the night was advertised publicly as 'Kevin Spacey'.{{cite web |url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/tame-impala-members-form-new-band-for-fundraising-gig/ |title=Tame Impala Members Form New Band For Fundraising Gig |first=Al |last=Newstead |website=Tone Deaf |publisher=Brag Media |date=24 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128220345/https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/tame-impala-members-form-new-band-for-fundraising-gig/ |archive-date=28 November 2022}}}} Gum, and Methyl Ethel.{{cite web |title=William Street Bird |url=https://www.williamstreetbird.com/ |publisher=William Street Bird |access-date=21 May 2023}}
The inside of the venue resembles a large jam room for a resident band. The interior design is simple, with large amounts of exposed brick. The back of the venue is an open-air courtyard.
History and operations
The live music bar was opened by mechanical engineer and entrepreneur{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Emily |date=2015-04-13 |title=Pitch for Mayor’s role |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/community-news/eastern-reporter/pitch-for-mayors-role-c-925361 |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=PerthNow |language=en}} Mike O'Hanlon in 2010.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.williamstreetbird.com/about |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203130151/https://www.williamstreetbird.com/about |archive-date=3 February 2023 |access-date=21 May 2023 |publisher=William Street Bird}}{{Cite web |date=2010-07-23 |title=The Bird |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/the-bird-ng-79c6b562089e93b2e72539b1485ffd66 |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=PerthNow |language=en}} During the same year, the venue was involved in a campaign against a decision by the Liquor Commission to put its late-night trading application up for review. This decision was publicly opposed at the time by Perth's lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi, and the West Australian Music Association. The restriction would have imposed a 10{{nbsp}}pm closing time upon the bar, which O'Hanlon criticised as unworkable. The decision to put the license up for review was made despite approval by the Perth city council for a midnight license earlier that month.{{efn|Political reasons for imposing an earlier closing time related to a crack-down announced in 2009 in response to Northbridge-related violence.{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Chris |date=2009-11-19 |title=Police alcohol blitz launched in Perth |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/police-alcohol-blitz-launched-in-perth-20091119-inrn.html |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=WAtoday |language=en}}}}
In 2016 the venue was purchased by O'Hanlon's friend Kabir Ramasary, a former financial planner who also owns multiple nearby venues.{{Cite web |date=2020-03-18 |title=Northbirdge lands in Northbridge |url=https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Northbirdge-lands-in-Northbridge |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=Business News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-02-21 |title=Northbridge and Subiaco welcome new wine bars |url=https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/food/northbridge-and-subiaco-welcomes-two-different-but-equally-impressive-bars-ng-b881465788z |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=The West Australian |language=en}}
The venue has periodically hosted fundraising events for RTRFM, a community radio station based in the city.{{cite news |last=Fisher |first=Miriam |title=Radiothon 2019 a lifeline to keep community radio station RTRFM on airwaves |newspaper=The West Australian |url=https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/community-radio-station-rtrfm-921s-radiothon-2019-is-set-to-kick-off-tomorrow-ng-b881292654z |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815124831/https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/community-radio-station-rtrfm-921s-radiothon-2019-is-set-to-kick-off-tomorrow-ng-b881292654z |archive-date=15 August 2019}}{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Sally |date=2022-08-03 |title=Set The Alarm: RTRFM’s Radiothon Kicks Off Friday Morning With Mimosas At The Bird! |url=https://perthisok.com/news/rtrfm921-radiothon-party/ |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=Perth is OK! |language=en}}
Reception
In her 2016 live music review for the Perth outlet Isolated Nation, contributor and local musician Tanaya Harper praised the "Wednesday nights at the Bird" weekly local music event, saying:{{Cite web |date=2016-07-30 |title=BIRD WEDNESDAYS: Emlyn Johnson, Doctopus, Rag n' Bone, Last Quokka shine |url=https://isolatednation.com/articles/birdwednesdays1 |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=Isolated Nation |language=en-US}}
{{blockquote |text=this has to be one of the best live music congregations in Perth. Weekly line-ups consistently showcase the best of what Perth has to offer [...].}}
According to the University of Western Australia's student magazine Pelican, the venue is known locally for its "artsy, chilled out atmosphere".{{Cite web |date=2020-06-11 |title=Thursday Night at The Bird |url=https://pelicanmagazine.com.au/2020/06/11/thursday-night-at-the-bird/ |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=Pelican (magazine) |language=en-AU}}
The venue has been compared by PerthNow to the Ellington Jazz Club "for people who are too young to know who Quincy Jones is".{{Cite web |date=2010-07-23 |title=The Bird |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/the-bird-ng-79c6b562089e93b2e72539b1485ffd66 |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=PerthNow |language=en}}
See also
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist |30em}}
External links
- {{official website}}
{{Subject bar |auto=y |portal1=Western Australia |portal2=Business }}
Category:Music venues in Perth, Western Australia