A beloved live music venue and bar in Perth has announced it will be closing its doors because it is “no longer financially viable” – and locals are devastated.
Badlands Bar, which is open on Friday and Saturday nights, will close in December after seven years, with the owners claiming rising insurance costs have left them no other choice.
The venue was previously known as Devilles Pad – a “Las Vegas style hell themed” nightclub – before a renovation and name change in 2016.
Justin Timberlake was even photographed by paparazzi there in 2014.
In a statment posted on Facebook Badlands’ owners said: “For the past 12 months Badlands has been on the receiving end of a whopping 10 fold increase in our Public Liability Insurance premiums despite never having made a claim before.
“This was the only insurance coverage we were able to obtain to ensure the venue could continue to operate.
“This is a known, but rarely spoken about issue that has been impacting live music venues across Australia to varying degrees for the last 18 months or so.”
They said due to the venue only being open two nights a week, they would have to make hundreds of dollars per hour just to pay the insurance premium.
“Being an independently owned small business, these massive increases coming straight after Covid have taken a huge toll on the business,” the post continued.
“This, in addition to other substantial increases in operating costs across the board in the past 12 months mean that Badlands is no longer financially viable.”
Music fans and artists have expressed their sadness about the closure, urging people to support local music and businesses.
The post has received more than 1000 comments and hundreds of shares.
“Total awful news. One of the best venues in the country, FINISHED! I’ve had so many great memories at this wicked venue over the last 20 years. Now, we must find a new home,” one man wrote.
“This is infuriating. What a brilliant venue,” added another.
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“This is the worst! We have such great memories playing Badlands Bar! This truly is a sad day for Perth music,” wrote local band Ashes of Autumn.
“Heartbreaking news … such a special venue to play over the years with some of the best people that go above and beyond at every event,” added singer Kiera Alice Owen from New Talk.
Badlands said it would not be endorsing any fundraising efforts to help it stay open and asked people to direct their donations to Support Act, a charity delivering crisis relief services to people in the Australian music industry “who are unable to work due to ill health, injury, a mental health problem or some other crisis”.
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