Saturday, April 5, 2025

Jellyheads (VENUE)

Jellyheads today, c. 2024.

LOCATION: Chippendale, Sydney, NSW
ACTIVE: 1992-1993

Sometimes referred to as 'Jellyhedz', this venue/community space was located in Chippendale on 33 Wellington Street and was borne out of a collective need for Sydney anarchist punk bands to have a DIY venue that wasn't connected to the pubs and beer barons. Members from some of these bands met at Newtown Cemetery in early 1990 to discuss the viability of running their own venue, Jellyheads, and this was funded by a series of shows at the Newtown Community Centre. 

The Jellyheads Warehouse was running regularly by June, 1992, and was the host of shows, anarchist community events, all-night raves, and various meetings for activism-based groups. Pressure and attention from the police would lead to it being shut down in the early '90s.

Jellyheads Newsletter #8, June 1992

SHOWS AT JELLYHEADS WAREHOUSE:

  • 20th February, 1992 (Tutti Parze, White Lie Ward)
  • 11th June, 1992 (Mesmo, Half, Kaktus Mantras)
  • 12th June, 1992 (Half, Monroe's Fur)
  • 18th June, 1992 (Carnival Headgash, Ambiviolence, Cyborg)
  • 19th June, 1992 (Repeat Offenders, Didge Recital)
  • 10th July, 1992 (Persecution, Cruciform, Aftermath)
  • 14th August, 1992 (Transparent Neumans)
  • 15th August, 1992 (Tutti Parze, Toe to Toe, Persecution, Bloodclot, Aftermath)
  • 20th August, 1992 (Tutti Parze)
  • 22nd August, 1992 (S.U.X., Subversive Intent, Transparent Neumans, White Lie Ward)
  • 28th August, 1992 (Aftermath, Persecution)
  • 6th November, 1992 (Melancholy, Fall Into Us, Savage Cabbage)
  • 21st November, 1992 (Persecution)
  • 22nd November, 1992 (Vermin, Half, Sista Freak)
  • 2nd December, 1992 - Screening of Video filmed at Lewisham Hotel '91 (Fred Nihilist, Mahatma Propagandhi, Mutiny, Repeat Offenders, Sounds Anti System)
  • 5th December, 1992 (Trevor the Fish, Sista Freak, Mutiny)
  • 17th December, 1992 (Trash, Thugs and Terrorists)
  • 18th December, 1992 (Sista Freak, Disney Fist, Drummers, G'mora, Liberatus Yaweh)
  • 26th December, 1992 (Half, Nerve)
  • 8th January, 1993 (Subversive Intent) 
  • 30th January, 1993 (Mayhem, Malice Esicarum, Savage Cabbage)
  • 6th February, 1993 (Casualty, Subversive Intent)

SHOWS ORGANISED BY JELLYHEADS AS BENEFITS [AT OTHER VENUES]:

ORAL HISTORY:
JOURNAL ARTICLE: Forming in late 1989, the Jellyheads turned out to one of Australia's most progressive punk developments. Motivated by "the idea of taking back control of our music, our lifestyle and our lives" (Jellyheads Blub #6, April 1992), the Jellyheads "alternative venue project" drew inspiration from international initiatives like North Berkeley's 924 Gilman Street Project, Belfast's Warzone Collective, and others with whom they shared a commitment to decision making through consensus and "a desire to create a cultural space free from sexism, racism and homophobia".
Graham St John, 'Making a Noise - Making a Difference: Techno-Punk and Terra-ism', Dance Cult, Vol 1, No.2, 2010

SPACEY: Jellyheads (came about) because we were getting taken over by all the gambling coming in - poker machines and stuff. That's why we had the Punx Picnic as well, just so we could have somewhere bands could play at and wouldn't get harassed. There was nowhere to play. Places were getting closed down all over Sydney so quickly. With Jellyheads, we wanted to fund our own place where they (the pubs) wouldn't control it and the cops wouldn't continuously come in.
Spacey (Tutti Parze, Tofu Terror), Noise Levels Podcast Episode 6, 2025
 
Jellyheads Newsletter #8, 1992

NOTES: Personally I'm feeling real positive about the Sydney scene and the main reason for this is cause more than ever it's starting to feel like a community, a network of friends. Lots of people are starting to put in energy to create our own thing... One of these projects is the Jellyheads alternative venue/cafe project. It is run by a collective of locals whose ultimate goal is to set up an independent/alternative centre in the inner city. For the past 9 months or so they've been putting on benefits to raise money. As well as numerous gigs they have also held video nights (of the political and musical type), a dance party, and have attempted a cafe. Most of these events have been held at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, who have been real cool about it. All events are put on as cheap as possible and usually include vegan food.
Brett, Blind Ambition Issue 5, December 1990
 
From Blind Ambition Issue 5, December 1990

NOTES: Jellyhedz encourages the individual to participate and take responsibility for the space, it's facilities, and themselves. People create a positive atmosphere. 
Brett, Blind Ambition Issue 7, April 1991
 
JOURNAL ARTICLE: Members were closely associated with local collectives and co-ops like Redfern's Black Rose Anarchist Bookshop, Alfalfa House Food Cooperative, and Radio Ski Row. Punk bands like Frenzal Rhomb and Nitocris would play there, but it was bands such as Fred Nihilist, Tutti Parze, Subliminal Pressure, Repeat Offenders, and Deviant Kickback who were instrumental in raising funds to seed and maintain the Jellyheads initiative... In some cases reluctantly, the Jellyheads were also receptive to developments within electronic dance music and came to host regular dance parties. 
Graham St John, 'Making a Noise - Making a Difference: Techno-Punk and Terra-ism', Dance Cult, Vol 1, No.2, 2010

WILLIE: I still am fucking amazed that we pulled it off. Fuck man, we actually did it - we had a cafe, brewed our own beer and cider, had a printing press, we had everything there, everything. 
Willie (The Tribe, Tutti Parze), Noise Levels Podcast Episode 6, 2025
 
NOTES: Last week a group of organised from the Voices of Dissent Festival, which was held in Melbourne in April, came to Jellyheads to hold some workshops. We had an informative discussion about the background of the fest, the good/bad things that happened, and the possibility of organising one in Sydney. The festival aims to explore and celebrate the role that art plays in radical/grassroots social change. It is about subversion as entertainment and the use of political art and cultural activism to change things and build networks between creative people interested in positive action.
Brett, Blind Ambition Issue 7, April 1991
  
STU: Jellyheads sort of happened at a time when elements of the scene had changed into techno and stuff like that. And because of that and things like ecstasy, which was new to the scene, that was attracting the attention of the cops as well. I remember one particular show there some undercover cops had come - it was a punk show - and they stood out like a sore thumb. And because it was our venue and everyone felt safe and a bit cocky, you could pick those guys out from a mile away, and people would start giving them grief. Next minute there were literally 100 cops who just came raiding into the venue. They just started trying to arrest people and it all went crazy. I think after that the venue was just destined to have too much pressure on it.
Stu Magoo (Tutti Parze, Noisam), Noise Levels Podcast Episode 6, 2025

Jellyheads Newsletter

WILLIE: The council used lawfare in the end. Our gigs would always finish at midnight or something, yeah? I guess so people could get trains home and shit... but dance music, those cunts are taking drugs that would keep them awake all night, and they had sound systems 3, 4, or 5 times the size of what us punk bands would use. It led to noise complaints. Everything the council had tried before that - we could fend off. But once the noise complaints started? It was fought in the courts... it was lost.
Willie (The Tribe, Tutti Parze), Noise Levels Podcast Episode 6, 2025

NATHAN: Jellyheads was more than just a place for All Ages shows, it was a venue for lots of things. It was also a networking place for, say, groups of activists, as well as bands and meetings and lots of things.
Nathan Summers (No Justification, Savage Cabbage), Loaded to the Gills Issue 1, October 1993
 
JELLYHEADS NEWSLETTERS

Part zine, part newsletter - there were at least issues of this publication. 

Issue #8, June, 1992

Issue #9, July, 1992

Issue #10, August, 1992

 November 1992 Issue


December 1992 / January 1993 Issue

February 1993 Issue

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