THE Brass Monkey at Cronulla has been a life source for homegrown musical acts, giving a boost to local musicians, international touring singer songwriters and Australian bands.
The venue turns 15 this week and the occasion will be marked by special performances from tonight with The Black Sorrows, Diesel on Friday and Saturday night, and Golden Guitar winner Luke O'Shea, and The Medicine Wheel on Sunday night.
O'Shea, who has been playing there for 15 years, said the Brass Monkey was essential to the development of original musicians and singer- songwriters in Sutherland Shire who benefited from having such a great venue in their backyard.
"The Brass Monkey started in the golden era of music in the shire and has survived the transition and, hopefully, it holds strong until the wheel turns again and we can see the growth of live venues with a tsunami of young up-and-coming acts once more," he said.
"Even if I am not playing, to come up and be able to see such top shelf entertainment on a weekly basis certainly confirms cultural significance of the Cronulla venue and the region."
Co-owners Geoff Trio and Jad Nakhle said the venue's success came from supporting live original music and bringing local acts and Australian legends to the stage.
"We are consistently chasing new acts and seeing what's new in the market and moving with the times while supporting local acts and international renowned artists on tour as well," Nakhle said.
"We want to keep live music alive and give young people a chance to support people like Ian Moss or Diesel and play in front of a live audience."
Nakhle said the role of the Brass Monkey in the development of local acts had been a big motivation over the years.
Matt Corby, Sarah Blasko and Dylan Wright are among a long list of musical acts who began at the Brass Monkey over the past 15 years.
"There are have been many bands supporting us for the past 15 years like Diesel who could play bigger venues but love the smaller ones and love supporting live original music in a setting where people really listen," Nakhle said.
Details: brassmonkey.com.au
