Ah, Adelaide UniBar – a gathering spot for gulping jugs of gold, devouring impeccably crisp parmis, and home to a treasure trove of memories and secrets that live within the walls of the mighty site.
It’s undergone many a transformation over the past 50 years in service – from the sticky, vodka sunrise-laden carpets of 2013 in the grungy, upstairs campus locale, to the now sunlit courtyard that’s lined with glorious archways and columns, neighbouring the banks of the River Torrens. The legendary UniBar is also a place where live music, in all its forms, is no stranger and in turn the venue has been inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.
UniBar may have slipped under the radar for some due to its university premises, however its seen thousands of bands take to the stage, including Silverchair, Blink 182, Violent Soho, Powderfinger, Parkway Drive, Tash Sultana, Dune Rats, and You Am I, to name a few. Not to mention the inspiring local artists that have been given a platform week in and week out, and UniBar has finally been recognised for its immense contribution to live music in South Australia.
In celebration of the SA Music Hall of Fame induction, Adelaide UniBar is set to host In The Day – a mini-festival with a line-up of familiar punk and Aussie-rock faces on Saturday 5 November. Across two stages, the festival hints at nostalgia of the iconic O’Ball and IndyFest arrangements of the 90s and 00s.
The massive music line-up for the day will be headlined by the almighty, and recent Hall of Fame inductee, The Mark of Cain, Melbourne punks 28 Days, Andrew P. Street’s Career Girls, Dan & Joel Crannitch (Pharaohs/Leader Cheetah), Dave Johnstone from Ammonia, Lazaro’s Dog, Lessie Does, and a very special, very rare performance by Snap to Zero. Plus, the incomparable DJ Driller and panel compare David Penberthy.
While In The Day is foremost a celebration of live performances, there will also be panel discussions on stage with members of the bands and UniBar teams from yesteryear recounting the best ale-drenched tales from back ‘in the day’.
The festival is the lovechild of UniBar’s former head booker, Sacha Sewell of El Dorado Music and current booker, Gareth Lewis. “Having spent far too much time at UniBar during my own unsuccessful foray into tertiary education in the early 2000s it’s an honour to be accepting the UniBar into the Hall of Fame with such a bloody great gig,” Gareth shares.
While Adelaide Music Collective founder and SA Music Hall of Fame chair, Enrico Morena states, “UniBar is a most worthy inductee into the Hall of Fame for its decades long involvement in live music. The venue’s commitment to fostering emerging talent and giving a stage to South Australian artists is vital to maintaining Adelaide’s reputation and a UNESCO city of music.”
UniBar is now an independently operated venue after a change of ownership on 2019. It has since been recognised with a nomination for Best Live Music Venue at the 2021 South Australian Music Awards, having booked over 400 artists since the pandemic decimated the live music industry in March 2020 – more than any venue in South Australia.
Part of the proceeds of every ticket sold for In The Day will go directly to the SA Music Hall of Fame to support the God’s work it does in recognising the contribution of SA artists and venues to the Australian music industry. So nab your tickets below and we’ll see you there for a pint of Coopers and dang good time.