Trials and Tribulations of being a live music venue owner...... Chapter 4

PLEASE READ IN ORDER to make the most sense - and get popcorn...and a bevie.. or 2... haha

Ok, regrouped! Whoah I know this topic has some intense emotions attached. But I'm ok with them coming back up so I can release them, as this story will be the last time it comes from me....

Chapter 4

All through the restrictions, we were constantly being reported to authorities with accusations of breaches. All but one back in Aug 21 were found to be untrue. {Aug we were most definitely over capacity, not from people being inside but all hanging out outside not even on our property, but as they were considered to be "intending" on attending, it was our responsibility to keep these wild music lovers in check. I was out with a fractured wrist waiting surgery but came in to see wtf was going on and address the issue. We received a formal written warning from licencing from that incident.}

I digress...., i think we're up to end March- April 2022...

I received a phone call from Volde yelling at me down the phone on a Sunday evening. I was tired, after still working 2 jobs and was my only day off {tho all business owners know you never really have a day off... is like having kids! Haha} I couldn't get a word in sideways and kept asking if I can speak and for him to speak to me properly.... I ended up saying I'm not coming in to address the stuff in the car port tonight as Dad was in incredible pain, crying himself to sleep at night cause he couldn't fall asleep naturally for the pain.... mum just found out she had a clot on her lung and leg and I was just drained. He yelled that he didn't give a s!%t about what ever else was going on and demanded I come down immediately. I was reduced to tears. I was like, wow, how horrible it must be to have no care or compassion for anyone else in this world.

I had let one of my crew know as she needed to collect something from the venue. She parked out the front so not to come up on his cameras. But he saaawwwww!! He marched right up to her window knocking intensly to harass her too. He was skittish and in a rage with flailing arms. I had called her again to say we were going to call in when she told me what was going on.

After she left, my partner and I pulled up down the side and I went to the bathroom. He must have been watching those cameras again, cause I heard his door open and close and the sound of his thongs scurring across the concrete. I was like faaaaaaaark!!!! And couldn't wipe fast enough!! Hahaha eyes wide with the thought of the potential confrontation with my partner. I could hear them talking as I approached....staying hidden and listening.... it seems that while Volde was verbally aggressive to both us women, to men came a different tone.... with words coming out like how we've got him all wrong and that he's here to help! My partner didn't let him through the kitchen door, staying firm to "she's arranged to meet you tomorrow at 1030, leave her alone now"

The next day met up, with him getting a truck from apparently a mate. Dad also came in, barely walking cause he wanted to meet this "Turkey"! Haha

Volde again showed his new/ true colours with slapping Dad hard on the back saying basically harden up, you'll be right mate.... to a 77 year old man who can hardly walk....

We got rid of a lot of the stuff, with his help..... and a few unwelcomed comments in the process, as well as one trying to sound enthusiastic about putting in an auto gate across the front driveway so we can clean this place up and be like Crystalbrook!

I've recently found out that his intention, with our body corps management was to hopefully send us the bill cause I was getting lippy {not having a bar of his "banter"} so "to teach her a lesson." Tho I did give him $50 for the run, for his actual help, I am grateful for.

This encounter was the start of the next round!! Ding ding ding!

Volde sent through an official document to body corps with a list a page long {as it all didn't fit in the little space provided}, a Form 1 I believe. It included complaints of: - Our patrons peeing in the side garden, which is fair enough, no one wants to be on holidays and watch someone peeing in their front garden! But not all of them are our patrons and it also can't be proved.

- Noise, even a recording of the gorgeous soulful sounds of a local legend doing his original stuff, cause our back door was open {which we always kept open thru winter to let air flow through, no one had ever had a problem before}

- Us congrating at back bar. Which is where crew would have ciggy breaks and others would yes, come down to talk to us. It was actually often the zone where people would come and spill their problems and hard times and where we'd talk through things, and give a different perspective and try to reinspire!

- Everyone parking down the side was a big one!! As the cars were said to be blocking his driveway...... tho on first chats he was fine with it all! Aaaaaaaand as they don't even have a car up here and if needed he could just come down and see us to get which ever car moved. Aahhhh how things changed so quickly!

Since March 2022, Cops, licencing, Council food compliance and body corps have been constantly called on us about every 2 - 3 weeks. We didn't realise who it was til we'd received that notice.

In March/ April also, licencing were back with the audit question for how food went. We advised it wasn't working. They told us we needed to apply for a Bar Licence, which was indeed fair enough. We'd been looking into it, and there are a few different rules around a bar licence, as each licence has a different set of regulations to follow!

So nope fraid we didn't LOSE our licence despite all the lovely rumours going round town as to what had happened.... was kinda fun to just let everyone keep going to see what new juicy story would come out! But,

The truth is, we decided to surrender our liquor licence and not go to the Bar licence but go BYO and alcohol free due to the following reasons:

- Kids. Although they don't even come close to making us our money, it was really important to us to be the community venue we are. We have the local high schools hold their quarterly assessments, vocal student showcases, workshops and also jumping up on stage for open mics! Often being their first time! That's so precious to us!

- Capacity. If we were to go for licencing upstairs again, it would be a huge set back. Under a bar licence you're only allowed to have 60 seats or 100 standing. Something not viable for running both floors in the future. Also when we've had bigger evenings our capacity is allowed to be more than that given our square meterage even downstairs and outdoor dining. And we NEED those nights!

- Insurance. Would more than double as a bar is considered more high risk than a restaurant.

- Our concern around how most live music and late night venues are soaked with alcohol and given the last couple years, people's mental state could afford to perhaps have a break of feeling the NEED to be in a live music venue with a ton of alcohol. Elixir has always been about the music and we know it's not necessary to be able to enjoy and immerse yourselves in the soul reaching, heart expansions that live music delivers. We allowed byo cause we also knew our local regulars did enjoy a few bevies and we would never want to p!$ them off, they're the ones who've supported us and helped keep us open over the years.

So, this was a new chapter for us and all our patrons! With this, I shall start a new chapter of this story too.....