Another beloved live music venue is closing. Is Australia’s precarious rental market killing the vibe?

With Lazy Thinking in Sydney the latest venue to shut its doors, the once-vibrant grassroots music scene is becoming increasingly vulnerable Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Jim Flanagan has four days to hand his keys back to his landlord. Panels engulfed in grungy band posters, handmade plates that have served countless customers, a shelving unit housing a library of iconic vinyls: all of it will be sold for next to nothing in the rush to vacate. But not before Lazy Thinking hosts one final, family affair: a farewell gig on Saturday night. The not-for-profit music venue has been forced to close its doors in Dulwich Hill, in Sydney’s inner west, after it was asked to vacate by the landlord, according to Flanagan. It is the latest in a spate of live music venue closures that is fuelling calls to re-examine the influence landlords exert over Australia’s culture and nightlife. Flanagan says Lazy Thinking had been on a month-by-month lease for years, but after starting a conversation with the landlords about the building’s infrastructure and a long-term lease, it became clear they “weren’t interested in arriving at a productive solution”. Sign up