Spirits of the Hoey is a love letter to iconic Sydney live music venue, The Hopetoun Hotel.
In pre-gentrified Surry Hills on Gadigal Land, the pub served as a launching pad and favourite haunt for some of Australia’s best known musicians, bookers, journos, managers and fans. Paul Kelly, Sarah Blasko, Archie Roach, Cathy Green, Tex Perkins, You Am I, The Clouds, Mental As Anything, Decoder Ring and literally thousands more played and watched along. Sadly the venue closed in 2009.
Spirits is not just nostalgia but a love letter to small venues and their legacy – read, watch, listen and be inspired. What would the 2020s equivalent be?
This site showcases the outcomes of the creative research project about The Hoey undertaken by Dr Gregory Ferris and Dr Liz Giuffre, supported by the University of Technology Sydney, City of Sydney, State Library of NSW, Powerhouse Museum and Australian Centre for Public History.
Since 2023 we have conducted over 70 original interviews with artists, musicians, bookers and fans; undertaken substantial archival archeology and drawn on the vast records of the venue’s beloved photographer Bryan Cook.
Image: Bryan Cook
Spirits Of The Hoey 