Perth’s Fly By Night has to move in August

Four years after being ousted from its longtime home in Perth and being offered a home in Fremantle, the Fly By Night musician’s club has to make plans to find a new home once more.

The City of Fremantle council has reconsidered its lease at Victoria Hall.

“The Fly has not been able to make Victoria Hall work as a profitable venue,” mayor Brad Pettitt said, adding it was a hard decision given the Fly’s longtime reputation as a great music venue over 30 years supporting emerging talent.

In 2014 when the National Trust opted not to renew the venue’s lease at the historic Old Drill Hall (it started there in 1986) and gave it to promoter Sunset Events, the City of Fremantle stepped in to help.

According to Pettitt, the council offered a lease at half the usual terms, spent $20,000 on improving its acoustics, and gave the club’s promoters a $20,000 cash grant.

After the decision was made in February not to renew the lease, the City allowed the club to stay on rent-free until August.

It also waved a $70,000 debt owed, and had looked at other places where the club could hold shows.

These included the Navy Club, Fremantle Town Hall and South Fremantle Football Club event space.

Steve Wells, chair of the Fly by Night board, said it would meet in late June to work out its departure and come up with strategies for the future.

These include leaving Fremantle, devising a new business model, and a partnership with the state government and peak music association WAM to deliver a program to develop young independent acts and musicians.

Upcoming shows at the Fly By Night include the Down South showcase (June 9), Katy Steele (June 13), A Night of Sacred Music (June 15), Ireland’s Altan (June 16), and Regurgitator (June 30 and July 1).