Photo: Facebook
Camera IconPhoto: Facebook Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Northbridge: Fringe Festival’s Surrealist Salon cancelled after facing ‘impossible’ restrictions

Jessica WarrinerEastern Reporter

NORTHBRIDGE Fringe Festival event The Surrealist Salon has cancelled its planned season after facing “impossible” noise restrictions, with a number of complaints received from the public.

A City of Perth spokesman said they could not be satisfied that public safety had been duly considered due to the excessive noise complaints and the stage being built without approval.

Located atop Metro City on Roe Street, the Salon offered nightly entertainment at the rooftop bar from 10pm until late from January 18, and was scheduled to run until February 17.

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Operators Mysteria Maxima Media wrote on Facebook that the cancellation was “due to circumstances far beyond our control”.

“Our program focused heavily around live original music, and despite doing our best to meet volume regulations and limits, we have been faced with restrictions that are absolutely impossible to comply with,” they wrote.

“We couldn’t be more heartbroken about the cancellation of the remaining program.”

Tickets to The Surrealist Salon’s upcoming evenings are set to be refunded in full, and ongoing Dali Land, Dali After Dark and Club Briefs shows will continue.

Soul and funk performers Randa and the Soul Kingdom were due to perform at the venue tomorrow night.

“We are so sorry to have to let friends and everyone else know about this,” they wrote on social media.

“We are of course feeling so bad and hope you understand it’s out of our hands.”

A City of Perth spokesman said in addition to the noise complaints from the rooftop terrace, there had been numerous attempts to request compliance by Metro City in submitting the required public building documentation to check the safety of stages, exits and stairways.

“During a routine public building inspection in December 2018, renovations were found to be underway at the premises,” he said.

“As a result of these changes, the attending officer requested the business to submit a health application for approval to alter or amend a public building, as required by the regulations.”

The application was received and approved, but the approval letter advised the building was not to be used until a final inspection could be completed.

The spokesman said submitted plans contained no details of the rooftop terrace being amended to include a stage area.

A Fringe World spokeswoman said the festival directly managed several pop-up venues and environments across the city, which were all managed within sound regulations.

“The Fringe World venues that are managed independent of the Festival are all responsible for their own sound regulation management and compliance with the City of Perth,” she said.

“Fringe World has a positive relationship with the City of Perth and it is the Festival’s experience that the City is effectively managing a balance of stimulating vibrant entertainment and business precincts alongside the needs of its residents.”