We're closed during July so thought we'd do a blog.
Hi! It's been a while…welcome back….there's been a lot of talky talk talk about making Adelaide vibrant and just recently it has made us slightly…catankerous! That's right, CATankerous! REEOOOWWWW!
"We have more laneway assets than Melbourne, and we're not utilising them."
- Stephen Yarwood, AdelaideNow, June 8, 2012.
Tuxedo Cat is!
Ya see, we actually do stuff. Despite AGD Liquor License inspectors repeatedly shoving cameras in our faces or the Liquor Enforcement Branch shutting us down during the first week of this years Adelaide Fringe, or the ACC not willing to sign off on the safety of our site, we persist for the good of the arts and community. What a pack of fools we are! How dare we use our bare hands and low end trade skills to construct multiple performance spaces in a heritage building that hasn't been used for over 10 years - again. How dare we make it compliant and safe! What's that? Serve alcohol to the audiences who want to see grassroots and experimental theatre, comedy and music? Good God! Nurture a responsible drinking culture that has no interest in drinking at a pokie ridden, glass and brass beer barn? Blood-ee hell!
In just six months of trading at 199-200 North Terrace we have had Canadian comedian and movie star Tom Green perform for us, electro pop pioneers Def FX held their end of tour celebration with us, The Dresden Dolls did a matinee 'ninja' gig for us. We've had gargantuan vintage markets, we've had punk poetry. The Property Council of Australia had their Future Directions forum in one of our theatres. We were nominated - yet again - for Best Fringe Venue award (we won it last year…must've been our turn!). During this years Adelaide Fringe we had six performance spaces operating simultaneously. In that three and half weeks of the Fringe alone we had more than 40 artists and over 450 performances. We've just completed a successful Cabaret Fringe season. During May and June Tuxedo Cat was host to over 40 music acts. This included two ep launches, two festivals and a Friday night residency. We also provided rehearsal space for a local band. On top of all this Tuxedo Cat has given Pigeon Island Café a start up business opportunity under the Cat roof and they've proved to be HUGE! Sure are missing those coffees at the moment…
above: Kaurna Cronin pulled a crowd to Tuxedo Cat for the launch of his cd "Feathers", 02/06/12.
If this sounds like we're talking ourselves up then you would be correct. There appears to be a new wave of warblers on the scene and we want to remind everyone there is a monumental absence of currency (both credit and monetary) for independent practitioners. The people who make stuff happen. Make no mistake, we can (and have) theorized and discussed visions with the best of 'em, we then leave and go back to our labour.
Activate a laneway? We've done it. It's still there. It is often packed. A rooftop bar? We had one for three years in Synagogue Place - it had a 80 seat enclosed theatre and an outdoor stage - where were you? A gutted, century old, heritage listed building left to squatters and pigeons turned into a arts hub? Yeah that was us, last year, opposite the Town Hall on King William Street. Don't get us started on what we've been doing in Melbourne……
We'll be open again soon. We're not going to be at North Terrace forever so make sure you enjoy the Cat when we return.
Thanks to Renew Adelaide, Le Cordon Bleu, the Maras Group and Commercial and General for continuing to share our vision, Pigeon Island Cafe and our community of supporters, volunteers, workers, artists and producers. Back soon.
