NEWCASTLE music fans have overwhelming thrown their support behind the return of live music at the Cambridge Hotel after tickets for eight shows were snapped up.
Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson's two acoustic shows on Saturday sold out inside a day after being announced last Friday.
Rising Sydney indie-pop band Lime Cordiale sold out two shows for Wednesday, July 22 in 40 minutes, which led to the announcement on Monday afternoon of an additional four gigs on July 29 and 30. Tickets for those shows were exhausted within two hours.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions all Cambridge shows are seated and capped at 100 people.
"It was either gonna be that people were going to be hesitant or people were not gonna be able to wait to get back into it," Cambridge licensee Dru Russell said.
"We were hoping and thought it might be people not being able to wait to get back into it and that's been the way of the land. It's great for the industry, to be honest.
"It gives all the artists a bit more confidence that people are still there for them, especially in the arts industry. With the shows selling so quickly, it gives them confidence that when we do come back properly it'll be good for them."
The Cambridge have also reduced their split of the tickets to further assist artists.
The music industry has been decimated by the coronavirus, which shut down live performances in late March when the first social distancing restrictions were introduced. However, with restrictions easing two weeks ago some acts have taken tentative steps into performing smaller intimate shows.
"It'll be the Cambridge in a different way," Russell said. "A Cambridge, when people come in, that they will have never seen before.
"But I think they'll walk in and say, 'wow, this is a different and more intimate way to see some acts they love to see."
The Cambridge will officially re-open on Tuesday with new hours of 11am to late five days a week and offering food from Lost Boys Kebab. The return of live music will begin on Wednesday with a free performance from Central Coast artist Molly Millington.
Russell said the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Cambridge and all other venues to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Extending their trade of drink and food outside shows was their obvious opportunity to diversify the business.
"Yeah, we do amazing live shows, but we can also do drink and dine but in a Cambridge way," he said.
"It's brought us full circle. COVID has definitely made us think about how we do it at the Cambridge."
