Expect late-night debauchery and a soundtrack that veers from LA weirdness to the blues, burlesque and beyond at the Odd Culture Group’s second live music venue in Sydney’s Inner West.

The Pleasure Club is set up in a subterranean space on King St with the same exacting standards that have seen the group shaking up the hospitality scene in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Creative director Nick Zavadszky said the concept for the club is based on “a fever-dream amalgamation of good f**king tunes, the baptismal effect of Southern hospitality and kindness to the soul, and the yearning for social sanctuaries and places to unburden ourselves of worldly pains”.

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Zavadszky described Pleasure Club as, “the sonic laudanum we crave in Sydney.” The 120-person basement bar also makes seeing live music in Sydney more accessible with a roster of free live bands and entertainment curated by the group’s operations and entertainment manager, Sabrina Medcalf (ex-Frankie’s, The Duke).

“I’m going to blow up the status quo of what your average live music bar is offering,” says Medcalf of the bar, which operates Wednesday through Sunday with a 4am license – the first of its kind issued in 100 years in Newtown. 

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While the drinking den differs from the OG hybrid bar and bottle shop in Newtown, it remains a sanctuary for lovers of good hospitality, innovative drinks and live music. 

The concept came about post-lockdown when the team travelled to the United States for inspiration. “It’s there that the concept for Pleasure Club was born. It’s a cool pastiche of Hollywood rock n’ roll, LA weirdness, soulful sounds of Preservation Hall in New Orleans, blues, burlesque and beyond, served up with genuine hospitality.”

While the biggest draw is the live music, the OCG’s Pleasure Club also offers a list of natural wines, a neat selection of spirits and vintage bottlings, a huge agave range and roster of rotating brews. Oh, and a few hot dogs thrown in the mix to keep you going until the small hours.

CEO James Thorpe said the group’s entertainment platform was informed by thoughtfulness, awareness and inclusivity. “We curate experiences that resonate with a lot of the fabric of life. We’re saying, ‘We see you. We are you’, and that’s a real boon of having diverse and passionate representation across the stack. People are drawn to that. It’s about good people wanting to have a good time,” he says.

Related story: Odd Culture is bringing its fermented foods and funky wines to Melbourne 

Pleasure Club is open Wed-Sun, 4pm-4am at 6 Wilson Street, Newtown.
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