The boys and The Hood
The rapid reinvention of NZ’s most notorious bar is seen as evidence that licensing laws are weak, writes Te Ahua Maitland.
The doors, reminiscent of jail security, opened on a Friday night.
Same hip hop and RnB music, same drinks prices, same $10 door charge, same name, and the same sign – but in a new location.
DJ Sir-vere was even on the decks with Mai FM.
By midnight, a long queue had formed outside the distinct jet-black Hamilton venue, located between a car dealership and a Japanese restaurant. By 2am, the place was chocka.
The Hood, dubbed New Zealand’s ‘‘most notorious bar’’, lost its liquor licence at its former premises on Victoria St. In January, the district licensing group said that from April it could not serve alcohol – the venue’s drain on policing resources was detrimental to Hamilton.
So the owners, The Lawrenson Group, packed up and moved the nightclub around the corner to Alexandra St and got another liquor licence.
Two weeks ago the doors opened at The Hood 2.0.
While Lawrenson says it was always the plan to move to Alexander St, he’s still appealing the District Licensing Committee decision on his Victoria St premises.
‘‘I was shocked and completely disagreed with the decision,’’ he says. ‘‘So, I will be appealing the decision due to the potential implications for future licensing decisions throughout the country.’’
On that note, he says it’s also time for a new name, and plans to call The Hood something else in the near future.
‘‘The name was definitely a part of what attracts the attention. I wanted people who love that music to know that the venue they love still exists but had moved to a new location.
‘‘But I’m sick and tired of the negative press around it and I didn’t have a better name at the time we moved.’’
Hamilton City Council city safe manager Kelvin Powell says an alcohol licence goes to the premises – not the name of a bar.
He says the new application at the new venue satisfied the committee and met the criteria. If a bar moves to a different location, it is simply required to apply for a new alcohol licence.
Lawrenson says the new site has been well received so far by the public. They’ve had massive numbers the last two Saturdays and no trouble.
He’s keen to keep the bar out of the spotlight.
‘‘What we need to do is keep our nose very clean, operate the site and have our staff on the street at the end of the night to make sure nothing happens in a 100 metre radius of the bar.
‘‘And I will continue to operate a hip hop bar, because there’s a demand for it.’’
Lawrenson says the Hamilton police are great, and they’ve got a good relationship.
‘‘I don’t feel targeted by the police who work in town,’’ he says. ‘‘I feel nothing but camaraderie and cooperation.’’
Sergeant Jim Kernohan says police have a regular presence at the Hood Bar’s new location, and will continue to monitor the site for breaches of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, and alcoholrelated harm or issues that may arise. It was too early to comment further.
The bar has been in the spotlight in recent years. The number of arrests outside the bar in 2016 was the highest of any in the country.
Alcohol Healthwatch executive director Dr Nicki Jackson groans when she hears about the licence being granted again.
‘‘Are you kidding me?’’ she asks.
‘‘I don’t know The Hood personally, but they promised when they brought in the new laws it would be harder to get a licence and easier to lose one.
‘‘Why that has not happened, I don’t really know.
‘‘The laws are weak.’’
District councils across the country were asked to submit a proposal for a local alcohol policy, or have one imposed. Hamilton City Council chose not to put forward a proposal.
Hamilton City did not have the resources to fight the hospitality industry, Jackson says.
Lawrenson says the old location was near other bars, food places, taxi stands and bus stops, and as a result the congestion at the end of the night was massive.
‘‘The increased risk of fights and other problems came through just the sheer mass of people. There were no problems inside – no underage, no intoxication, no illegal promotions.
‘‘Because it was outside of the Hood,
The Hood was getting blamed for it, but there’s still fights in that area of Victoria St even though the Hood has moved.’’
Kernohan couldn’t shut down the bar for any breaches of the act because there had never been any there, he says.
‘‘So, he had to find a loophole which was about the amenity. It was a well-run and well-managed bar. Ask a whole heap of cops.
‘‘If The Hood is such a dangerous and scary bar, why is it the most popular bar in Hamilton?
‘‘Sergeant Kernohan had to admit under cross-examination that he hadn’t even been into the central city [after midnight] in over a year and a half.’’
According to Last Drink Survey data, 96 punters who found themselves in police hands between January 2016 and October last year had their last drink at The Hood.
Based on that data, the Hamilton bar is among New Zealand’s most notorious venues, equalled only by Tauranga’s Bahama Hut. The survey tallies drinkers spoken to by police outside bars, whether or not the drinker is subsequently charged.
The Hood has approximately 1000 customers a week, and Lawrenson says that the data is equivalent to one person a week.
‘‘99.9 per cent of people that go to The Hood are well-behaved. So, I can’t control the behaviour of the one per cent outside of the premises. One out of 1000 people is going to be an idiot anyway.’’
Police and district licensing places should want people like him running nightclubs, Lawrenson says.
‘‘Legitimate bar owners running the bar who stick to the laws is what you want.
‘‘We want to work with police and want to hand them the troublemakers. It would be better off not cooperating at all.’’
He says The Hood has the most expensive drinks and highest door charge in Hamilton – yet it was the busiest bar.
‘‘I will continue to provide a service to a big crowd that enjoys hip hop and RnB. They should be able to come to town and have a good time.
‘‘I won’t stop playing hip hop music in Hamilton. You can’t keep a whole music genre out of a central city.’’
Lawrenson Group, of which Lawrenson is CEO, owns 14 bars and restaurants in Hamilton. Twelve are based in Hamilton central and two are in the suburbs: The Roaming Giant and Wayward Pigeon.
He also owns a nightclub in Auckland and is about to open a restaurant in Christchurch.
‘‘It is something I’m massively passionate about. I eat, sleep and breathe this industry, and I have for 20 years.
‘‘So we will continue to try to keep town safe, work with police and City Safe. This is the best way forward.’’
Alcohol Healthwatch has been lobbying for a reduction in opening hours for bars across New Zealand for years now.
It’s a priority for it to get bars to close earlier, she says.
Police and health officials are ramping up efforts to curtail off-licences’ opening hours in Wellington’s ‘‘highrisk areas’’.
It follows ‘‘lessons learnt’’ in being knocked back when trying to enforce a 9pm closure – instead of 11pm – on Cuba Liquor World.
In September last year, police opposed the renewal of the on-licence of Auckland’s Hype Bar.
The concerns outlined included an expired temporary licence, patrons stockpiling alcohol, a lack of advertised food or alternate transport and failure of staff to ensure patron welfare. Police opposed the application on the grounds of suitability and amenity and good order.
In Wellington, one police appeal cited the link between an outlet’s opening hours and alcohol-related incidents that led to predominantly young people being admitted to emergency departments at hospitals. The appeal was unsuccessful.
The increased risk of fights and other problems came through just the sheer mass of people. There were no problems inside – no underage, no intoxication, no illegal promotions.
John Lawrenson