Joseph Earp chats to Matt Lennon of the Golden Age Cinema, a multi-disciplinary venue that proves Sydney has a great deal of cultural strength in her yet.
Maybe on paper, a venture like Surry Hills’ Golden Age Cinema comes across like a bit of a risk. After all, there’s that old adage about staying in one’s lane, something that the cinema most stridently doesn’t do – it’s not only known for its carefully curated film program, but also its bar, and its chops when it comes to live music.
The intimate, mood-lit venue hosts a stage that has been trod upon by everyone from Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupius to Sydney’s own Jack Ladder, who took to the venue to play an emotional tribute dedicated to David Bowie shortly after the musician’s death, and the venue’s patrons are as likely to soak up the vibes as they are to check out a film.
And yet this meeting of the worlds of cinema, spirits and sounds has more than paid off. Golden Age Cinema is one of those spaces that definitively prove that, despite our city’s stringent lockout laws and the ensuing reputation we have gained as little more than a glorified, commerce-obsessed rat trap, we still have some guts and culture in us yet. Sydney’s nightlife isn’t down for the count – it is on its way up, and the success of a brave venue like the Golden Age only proves that.
Case in point? Even on a breezy Wednesday afternoon just past four PM, the cosy venue is already coming to life. Punters are ordering cocktails, the bar staff are setting up the tables, and Matt Lennon, the venue’s newly appointed brand manager, is looking around at it all with a smile.
“It’s really exciting,” Lennon says of the venue’s success. “Live music is something that Bob [Barton, owner] has always been really focused on since he opened the cinema and the bar, and it provides a real difference we think; it really ads something to the venue. It’s intimate, and you never really know who you’re going to see.
“We have had really brilliant, internationally-renowned bands play the stage, but every Wednesday we also do a local acts night. So you could see a new band testing out a new album or a new EP, or you could see someone who has been overseas playing their first hometown show in a while. And that’s really exciting for us.”
The success of the venue’s live music program is surely attributable to the drive and vision of Ben James, who Lennon describes as “amazing.” James has been with the venue from the beginning, and his keen eye when it comes to spotting new talent, as well as his ability to net some pretty big names, has helped the space to no end. “Ben’s vision has always been about mixing up-and-coming bands with really established names,” Lennon says. “We’re just really excited to be able to do new things on the stage and in the cinema as well.”
Excitingly, the ambitious plans James, Barton and Lennon have for the venue seem ever more likely to become a reality, particularly given the space has just been awarded a coveted City of Sydney live music and performance grant.
The money, Lennon happily reveals, will help the cinema expand and alter, becoming a hub of culture and an integral part of Sydney’s perseverant music and arts scene. “The grant will allow us to experiment with live sounds in the cinema setting,” Lennon says, revealing the plan to bring performers into the cinema space to accompany a specially curated series of films with live music.
“I know Bob is really excited to bring live music into the cinema experience. We obviously show a lot of really great older films and more contemporary films that have really powerful scores, and to be able to create that in real life will be really amazing. It’s something we’re really excited to explore a lot more.”
As far as Lennon is concerned, that merging of different art forms will only make the Cinema stronger, developing its already admirable reputation as a multi-disciplined site where film lovers and music lovers alike can come together to relax, have a drink, and soak up some very special events. “We’re lucky that we’ll be able to work the grant across both the cinema and what we do in the stage in here,” says Lennon. “Our film program is so strong, and we think it could be a nice way of us leveraging the audience we have for the cinema here into live music, and to educate our customers that, yes, although we are a boutique cinema, we’re also a great bar and live music venue as well.”
As Lennon speaks, the bar slowly begins to fill up, proving his point for him. It’s not yet five PM, and already Golden Age is beginning to feel like a thronging hub of life and activity – one can only imagine what the bar will become now that it has the financial support of the City of Sydney itself. “It’s a great place to come and have a drink, and see live music without necessarily even having to go into the cinema space,” Lennon says, grinning the smile of someone who knows exactly what a special place he has helped create. “I’ve been coming here for years, but I only started working with Bob and the team at the beginning of this year. It’s been really nice to rediscover the space and see how much it has changed.”
The next round of live music and performance grants are open until March 12. If you’re a small business or venue, or would just like more information, click here.
