William Street Bird
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Bird | |
 | |
 Interactive map of The William Street Bird | |
| Address | 181 William Street, Northbridge, WA, 6003 Perth Australia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°56′59″S 115°51′32″E / 31.949647°S 115.858787°E |
| Type | Music venue |
| Capacity | ~150 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 2010 |
| Website | |
www | |
The William Street Bird, known colloquially as the Bird, is a live music bar[1] located in the Northbridge suburb of Perth, Western Australia.[2][1] It opened in 2010.[3]
The Bird plays host to local musicians, with some known performers having gone on to successful international careers.[5] Notable artists to have performed at the venue include Flume, Stella Donnelly,[6] Spacey Jane, Tame Impala,[a] Gum, and Methyl Ethel.[8]
The inside of the venue resembles a large jam room for a resident band. The interior design is simple, with large amounts of exposed brick. The back of the venue is an open-air courtyard.[3]
History and operations
The live music bar was opened by mechanical engineer and entrepreneur[9] Mike O'Hanlon in 2010.[10][11] During the same year, the venue was involved in a campaign against a decision by the Liquor Commission to put its late-night trading application up for review. This decision was publicly opposed at the time by Perth's lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi, and the West Australian Music Association.[1] The restriction would have imposed a 10 pm closing time upon the bar, which O'Hanlon criticised as unworkable.[1] The decision to put the license up for review was made despite approval by the Perth city council for a midnight license earlier that month.[1][b]
In 2016 the venue was purchased by O'Hanlon's friend Kabir Ramasary, a former financial planner who also owns multiple nearby venues.[13][14]
The venue has periodically hosted fundraising events for RTRFM, a community radio station based in the city.[15][16]
Reception
In her 2016 live music review for the Perth outlet Isolated Nation, contributor and local musician Tanaya Harper praised the "Wednesday nights at the Bird" weekly local music event, saying:[17]
this has to be one of the best live music congregations in Perth. Weekly line-ups consistently showcase the best of what Perth has to offer [...].
According to the University of Western Australia's student magazine Pelican, the venue is known locally for its "artsy, chilled out atmosphere".[18]
The venue has been compared by PerthNow to the Ellington Jazz Club "for people who are too young to know who Quincy Jones is".[3]
