Oh Hello

Oh Hello boasts some pretty powerful Australian and international acts most weekends. Even though its extremely small (but let’s talk about how the ladies bathroom is huge. HUGE!) I really like the atmosphere. I’ve seen The Aston Shuttle, Last Dinosaurs and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs just to name a few. I like the fact you can see the act from pretty much anywhere due to the raised stage. The bar runs along pretty much the whole left wall so it doesn’t take very long to squeeze in and get a drink.
I can’t pretend I ever went to Monastery, but I think Oh Hello is a great addition to the Brisbane music scene despite it’s size. I’m not sure how many good years it has left as it seems to be more on the backbench now in relation to new clubs such as Alhambra Lounge and Bowler, but I’m sure The Arcade Creative, the team behind the venue, has something else up their sleeve.

Oh Hello sits in the same venue as the now closed Monastery. Which was possibly the most polarising place in Brisbane. It was hated by many but also had a cult like following of devoted fans that showed up every weekend to dance to the heaviest dance music highest number of lasers and strobe lights in Brisbane.
Oh Hello has taken on the responsibility of filling that hole. With a few cosmetic changes to the space, like hundreds of glowing orbs attached to the ceiling and giant murals painted on the walls. The general scene has been taken down quite a few notches. It has moved from a venue that comfortably hosted the Bloody Beetroots and the Crookers too a much more tame and mainstream good-​times kind of venue.
Throw in some quirkiness like cocktails in jam jars and planks of wood held up by milk cartons as seating, you have your standard Oh Hello experience. It’s got a great dance floor that’s always packed and lots of whiling patrons filing in but nothing else all that special. Definitely give it a go, your almost guaranteed to have a good time, but be prepared for a predictable night.

When I first heard about the opening of Oh Hello, I was pretty excited. Mostly because I hated Monastery, and I was really interested to see how they were going to utilise the space it left. Really, it’s essentially still the same place without the far-​too-​heavy, mind-​numbing beats and laser lights. Oh Hello is still a little pretentious too, but in a slightly classier way I think? Considering the few times I’ve gone, I’ve seen people in bowties and ball gowns, obviously swinging by after an event. But then I suppose within a glance you can see these types of people and then see others with ratstails so, maybe Oh Hello is a place for everyone?
In saying that, I probably would go there willingly for a night of dancing, plus their Thursday Cobra Kai club night showcases some pretty excellent international and Australian bands like the Jungle Giants, Oscar N Martin, The Aston Shuffle, Jinja Safari, some pretty excellent themed nights, and fashion showcases. So on any given night/​Thursday/​Saturday, Oh Hello has something to offer everyone.
The outside sitting area is simple with milk crates as chairs, but I’m liking this simple trend and I think it works for Oh Hello. Only go if you intend to stick around for more than ten minutes because on the weekend entry costs at least $ 15.

Now I am warning you that I have only been to Oh Hello quite late into the night and definitely after a few too many cocktails… so this is what I remember:
1: The security guard was very nice.
2: It has a cover charge to get in.
3: There was a nice long bar and staff that whipped up a cocktail in a jar for us.
4: The dancefloor was filled with young guys and as a small group of girls we got sleazed onto a lot.
5: We met the very lovely Freya (who was the photographer for the night) and got happy snaps taken :-) in the bathroom.
6: My feet hurt so I went to sit in the funky outside area for a while.
7: I left after yet another sleazy guy came up to me.
Overall I would say is it a funky bar and probably best with a big group of friends.