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The Annandale Hotel

Pubs

Is Sydney going to lose its finest rock'n'roll venue?

First published on 5 Mar 2008. Updated on 3 Feb 2012.

This long-toothed legend has fought, lost, won and compromised with pokies. It's hosted thousands of live acts from and cemented itself as one of the vibrant bastions of Sydney’s rock scene. The main room is large enough to draw a sizeable crowd, yet still fairly intimate. A long bar runs down one side, and the standard fare is on offer to quench your rock at a price that won’t hurt your chances for a band T-shirt. If you want quicker service while the main act is on, nick around to the parlour bar and stop to check out their collection of live gig photography, or spend some pennies on the arcade machines if they’re not blocked by a merch desk. During the day the main hotel is somewhat seedy (and closed). However, those in need of afternoon relief should stop by their beer garden/Asian restaurant. The open-air section makes it a perfect spot if the day is nice, particularly on weekends when you can remedy last night’s madness with some delicious Pub Cha that will stuff you and a friend silly for around $40.

They're also trying to save the hotel one brick at a time – and you can get involved by buying one. Check out the Buy a Brick campaign here to see how you can have your name forever emblazoned on the front of the hotel, and save one of Sydney's most important live venues.

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Words by Andrew P Street