Sydney Lockout Laws Creep To The Inner West, Hit Erskineville’s The Imperial

Because none of us are responsible human beings worthy of having fun within our own means, Sydney’s hefty suite of alcohol service laws seem to be here to stay and are now beginning to creep further outside its initial CBD-only zone, with inner-west pub The Imperial announcing it is now operating within similar service restrictions.

Following on from last week’s shambles where the much-loved pub and gig-house was forcibly closed for 72 hours by NSW police after it was allegedly discovered that bar staff were using drugs during their shift, The Imperial has notified its newsletter subscribers that they will now be following new rules which restrict “pass outs” after 1am and entry to new patrons entirely after 3am, as inthemix reports.

It is currently unknown whether the rules were handed down by NSW Police and/or the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR) or whether the fairly-new owners The Spice Group International, run by Murat Kilic, have self-imposed them as a means to help rein in the noted issues such as “excessive noise, vandalism, public urination and defecation and instances of patrons falling asleep in the venue”. Sounds like a good time to me, but I’m no Rex Banner.

A long-time home to numerous LGBTQ events, gigs and a feature in the iconic Aussie flick The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Impy seems to be suffering the same knock-on effects from the CBD lockout laws as the rest of the inner-west, with many noticing increased neg vibes around town, reportedly due to people who would usually patronise the likes of Kings Cross, choosing to spend their booze money instead at the (currently) unrestricted Newtown and surrounds.

Whether self-imposed or not the new rules spell further trouble for the comparative oasis of adult frivolity that is Sydney’s inner-west. What’s next, THE MAN? You gonna tell me not to dance??? BRING IT ON.

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