Amped to crank it up

SOUTHPORT will soon be home to the Coast’s first dedicated punk rock bar and true to its nature, they’ll be pumping the volume to 11.

Vinnies Dive, owned by Gold Coast lad Chris Norman, has council approval for a 110-decibel noise limit – a huge jump from the 75 decibels a typical liquor licence allows and the highest level in Queensland.

From next Thursday, those heavily reinforced, soundproof walls will hold some of the best international and local punk bands and Mr Norman said the underground punk scene was definitely coming out of the woodwork.

The club’s first act is Swedish punk rock band No Fun At All and it “sold out a couple of months ago”.

“We’ve been listening to them since the ’90s so we’re pretty psyched to have them play at our own bar,” Mr Norman said.

“I wasn’t sure if there was much of a scene on the Coast but I’ve been really surprised by how many people are really pumped about it.”

Vinnies will add another element to an eclectic mix of venues and businesses on the Nerang Street strip of Southport.

On the western end is long-time small bar Last Night on Earth owned by Arran Woollams, which has recently opened its rooftop. Next door to Vinnies is another bar called The Alley Cat and up the end of the strip is the historic Cecil Hotel.

Then there are Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese restaurants plus massage parlours and, on the other side of Vinnies, an alterations shop.

Mr Woollams, who also owns architectural company Space Cubed and is a member of Southport Place Collective, said the addition of Vinnies was major not only for Southport but the Gold Coast.

“This strip is really becoming a destination for locals,” he said. “It’s unpretentious and people are just around for a good time.

“Vinnies is really massive for us but I think they’re also leading the charge with these small music venues and I’ve had a lot of people approach me with similar ideas through Space Cubed.”

I WASN’T SURE IF THERE WAS MUCH OF A SCENE ON THE COAST BUT I’VE BEEN REALLY SURPRISED BY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REALLY PUMPED ABOUT IT

CHRIS NORMAN