Grand Hotel, Broadway

The Grand Hotel was located in Broadway, Railway Square (Railway Square was originally known as Central Square), Sydney, Australia from the 1800’s till approximately 1995 when it was demolished and turned into retail shops. Some of the original structure remains at the back but from the front it is totally unrecognisable from its original look.

Primarily its history was the same as many hotels of the time but in 1976 publican Fred (last name unknown) opened its doors to the new music craze of the time, Punk Rock. At first the bands were booked by the manager and lead singer of Johnny Dole & The Scabs, Ray Walsh and Johnny Dole and the first bands to play there were Johnny Dole & The Scabs supported by Tommy & The Dipsticks.

Opening the Grand Hotel to Punk Rock was the direct result of the Oxford Funhouse in Taylor Square closing its doors to the bands that played there which included Punk Rock bands such as Radio Birdman, Psycho Surgeons and also Johnny Dole & The Scabs. Because of this the Grand Hotel would gain the reputation of “the” place to play for a Punk Rock band and for starting the career of some of Australia’s most well known bands including Mental As Anything.

The Grand Hotel as a venue for Punk Rock was short lived and stopped the bands around 1979 but during this time most of the bands that played there have gone on to be the origins of what would soon be called New Wave which spawned many well known bands that still play into the present including Rocks, and the Thought Criminals.