Hospitality group C-INC has announced that Selina’s will be reopening its doors on Monday, 24 April, after months of renovations.
The venue will be found adjacent to the Coogee Bay Hotel, which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary.
Now refurbished, the new Selina’s features a scalable capacity, with the venue able to hold as many as 1,750 guests, or as few as 400. The AV system has also been given a reboot, now described as ‘concert-level’, and boasting a large mobile LED screen behind the stage.
Selina’s also features newly-installed flooring, improved access, and branded design installations. The design was handled by Frame Creative and Grand North.
David Gregory, general manager of the Coogee Bay Hotel, commented on the relaunch of the venue.
“We are thrilled to reactivate live entertainment at Selina’s and to contribute towards building a strong entertainment and events precinct within the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney,” Gregory said.
“We’re proud to offer a premium venue addition to Australia’s entertainment and events industry.”
Dating back to the 1970s, Selina’s has had a significant influence on Australian music and culture over the decades, hosting everyone from the Sex Pistols and INXS, to contemporary acts including The Rubens and Hockey Dad.
Widening scope at Selina’s
Selina’s operators are hoping to deliver not only live concerts, but a wide range of events, including comedy shows, private functions, brand activations, fashion shows, sports screenings and on-location film shoots. Accommodation is also offered on site.
Sydney brewing company, Balter Beer are also on board, forming an ‘entertainment-focused’ partnership with C-INC. Gregory told Australian Hotelier the shape that this partnership was going to take.
“We have a longstanding partnership with Asahi and Balter and we are very aligned in our core values,” Gregory said.
“What better way to elevate live entertainment than partnering with brands that consider this unique industry as importantly as we do. They are equally committed to doing their part in delivering the quality and outcomes we aim for our guests and community.
“We are hoping to tap into our respective customer bases as they are intrinsically aligned. All brands are aiming to get punters out and about, celebrating the diverse live entertainment this city has to offer,” he continued.
And Gregory believes that Balter shares the same ambition for Selina’s entertainment offering.
“In a nutshell, we are all synchronised in wanting to build the profile of live entertainment through an iconic venue which is Selina’s and put Coogee and Sydney on the world map.”
For Gregory, the return of Selina’s is another highlight in Sydney’s resurgent nightlife – but also a personal highlight in his career.
“Selina’s activation is a win for the wider events and entertainment industry, artists, creators and fans across the city and beyond,” Gregory said.
“We hope that Selina’s contributes to strengthening the live economy and nurtures talent by providing a flexible space with carefully planned facilities and a highly skilled team, dedicated to making performers, producers and patrons time at the venue the best that it can be.
“On a personal level, I’m most excited about seeing live entertainment – namely music and comedy come back to Selina’s where it belongs. On a professional level, the rich history of Selina’s has always been embedded in live entertainment so it will be a proud moment to see those doors open again to an eagerly awaiting fan base.
“The team and I are really proud to be honouring such a huge legacy this year,” he concluded.
Rockin’ the Puburbs winner to tour East Coast
Selina’s has already played host to major musical events this year, not least the final of AHA NSW’s pub band competition Rockin’ the Puburbs in January.
The winners of the competition, Wicked Things, will now embark on a tour of the Australia’s eastern seaboard, beginning at Finnian’s Tavern in Port Macquarie on Friday, 21 April.
Pub rock legend, Angry Anderson, was a judge on the night of the final, and hailed the band as a cut above.
“Wicked Things won hands down as the best act of the night. I witnessed all the vital ingredients for an outstanding performance; passion, great musical craft, enthusiasm for the task and best of all, showmanship,” Anderson said.
Wicked Things are quite literally a band of brothers, with vocalist Kaleb Hills and drummer Cooper Hills joining twins Blade Hills (guitar) and Gericho Hills (bass).
AHA NSW CEO, John Whelan, reiterated the importance of music for Australian pubs.
“Live music is woven into the fabric of local pubs and the two have always gone hand-in-hand,” Whelan said
“By supporting up-and-coming bands like Wicked Things and providing stages across NSW for them to perform upon, as an organisation we can help secure live music as a fixture in local pubs for decades to come.”
Blade Hills illustrated that the relationship is two-way, with pubs playing an vital role in the careers of Australian bands.
“Playing pubs is one of the most important parts of being in a band, particularly in Australia,” guitarist Blade Hills said.
After winning the competition, the band took home prize money of $5,000.
“We know for sure this opportunity will allow us to build a bigger fan base, road-test brand new songs, get the locals to enjoy themselves and gain some more stories of our experiences that hopefully one day we can talk about in an interview with Rolling Stone or something wild like that,” Blade Hills added.
Before any interviews with Rolling Stone, Wicked Things have a five stop tour to tackle, culminating in an EP launch at Sydney’s famous live music venue, the Lansdowne Hotel. Full dates below.
Friday, 21 April – Finnian’s Tavern, Port Macquarie
Saturday, 22 April – The Coffs Hotel, Coffs Harbour
Tuesday, 25 April – Toronto Hotel supporting The Screaming Jets
Saturday, 29 April – The Sunken Monkey Hotel, Erina
Friday, 12 May – The Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney – EP Launch.