Remember you can find a large archive of club photos, including a lot of Brisbane goth clubs in my photos section here.
Weekly Clubs
Faith
Faith is a multi genre club and plays a variety of industrial, goth, indie, britpop, techno and alternative tunes. Faith frequently does door giveaways so keep your eye out and put your email down. This is the weekly club stable of Brisbane and where you end up even if you say you won't. You know it's true. $9 every Friday Upstairs at the Arena on Brunswick St Fortitude Valley http://www.faith.elffinarts.com/
The Basement
The Basement is a live music venue and Wednesday night is home to the goths, metal heads, industrials and rat bags in black. Cheap drinks, dark corners, loud music and a lot of people very drunk. Definately the home of the student and unemployed with nowhere to be on a thursday morning, and the irresponsible office worker that goes for "one drink" after work and crawls home circa 1am. Generally contains the young and sometimes dubious end of the goth scene "Basement Goths". Some of the bands can be very cool, check thestreet press for information on local and interstate acts playing each week. Free entry The Basement bar (under the Hilton, next to O'Malleys) Queen St Mall, Brisbane City
Event Clubs
Morticia's
Blending a good balance of new goth, ebm, indie rock and trad goth this is an older style goth club with a higher average age than many others. The feel is definately more of talking than dancing, and you should expect more Sisters than Synaptek. If you want a club where you can chill and actually hear people talking this is the place for you. A "no scene politics" rule has also made this one of the few neutral territories for club runners and their attached which makes for far less bitching and glaring and we all love that. Currently on hold but check Hellbane and their website for details Jubilee, St Paul's Tce Fortitude Valley http://www.comcen.com.au/~journals/morticias/mortis2003.htm
Love Cats
Old style goth club run by the Faith Crew, It's really faith with more goth and less other alternative and people dress up a bit more. Love Cats is also trying to extend more into an event style club with live bands and varied entertainment. Upstairs at the Shamrock Hotel cnr Brunswick St and St Paul's Terrace Fortitude Valley the night before every public holiday, look for advertising at the door of Faith http://www.lovecats.elffinarts.com/
Hellfire Brisbane
Like your whips and chains? Think you're a bit of a fetish goth? This is the place to get trussed down, waxed up, hit hard and worshipped. Wear your best vinyl and rubber, heels and corsetry. Each month has a theme which the regulars tend to dress for so keep your eyes open as to the theme for the month. Monthly last Saturday of the month $20 ($10 for Members) at the Alliance Hotel http://www.hellfireclub.com.au/
Nocturnity
The new showing in event clubs for Brisbane, mostly put together by a group of people a bit sick of the usual fare. The emphasis here is on "giving everyone a go" and catering to the crowd so is more of a community event than we've seen in the past. Leaves some technical hitches but also gives people a chance to have their first foray into DJing or club staffing. As advertised, upstairs at the Shamrock Hotel, $5 http://www.livejournal.com/community/club_nocturnity/
Alternative (but not Goth/Industrial) Clubs
Okay you're wondering why this is here? They're alternative, and they're open... they provide a nice change and somewhere to go when everything else shuts down. These are just the ones that myself or people I know like going to, but if you feel there's a mainstream/non goth club that would be appropriate to list please tell me.
The Depot
If you remember popscene from the early 90s then you're likely to want to go here, in fact a few of the regulars of Popscene and Bleach are often found here. The flavour is essentially Triple J emo kid, some britpop, emo tunes, a bit of punk and a little dance. Good when you're drunk, or if emo is your thing. Every Friday and Saturday night $7 on the Valley Mall
Dance clubs and raves:
Have you run the gauntlet of industrial and power noise and found you actually like raves, and don't mind standing amidst light reflective yellow clad speed freaks so long as no one expects you to take off the black and UV clothing? Yeah me too :P Lots of cyber goths and industrials end up raving at some point, so here's the quick guide.
Rockafellas
Hardstyle, NRG, techno... if it's bleepy they'll have it. Plays a large amount of truly cheesy dance tunes so if you cringe whenever you hear Cocaine then avoid it, but if you can spin poi with glow sticks and own more Psylo than Hot Topic then you probably want to head in. Frequently there are two for one drinks before 11pm, and you can often get yourself some promotional free entry cards. Be nice to the bouncers and door bitches or I beat you with LED toys. Avoid the R&B floor upstairs. Thursday to Sunday night, Rockafellas (previously The Virginian) $7
The Beat Megaclub
The Beat was renovated and is now the Beat Megaclub incorporating several rooms with dancefloors meaning the crowd has been spread across the other rooms, leaving a smallish crowd in each rather than one big thumping crowd in the main room. There is a lot more choice though for the trance, mainstream, drum and bass fans etc..Wreckers is my room of choice these days with regular hardcore gigs, the main room is still at the mainstream end of a lot of hardstyle. Aaron (DJ Evilzon) who previously used to run Blackout and a few other goth events is now a resident so go have a bop. Ann St Fortitude Valley free before 10:30 $10 after http://www.thebeatmegaclub.com.au
Family
Family is the yuppy dance club of doom, and while the crowd tend to make you want to kill, and you frequently have to change twice to get past the door bitch's evil dress policy the DJs, acts, sound system and decoration can make it worth it. Prices vary depending on whose playing, and on a night without a big DJ you can usually get in free before 10 http://www.thefamily.com.au/2005/main.htm
Reanimator/Mayhem/Time Tunnel/Adventjah/Fuze/Resonate/Critical Mass
Local raves worth checking out. Reanimator, Critical Mass and Mayhem are more Hardcore/Hard House/NRG focussed and probably best for the techno minded cyber kids and industrials. The others are worth it for a night of donning glow gear and bopping up and down... keep an eye out for advertising.
Keep an eye on In the Mix for local raver news
Cocktail lounges and bars:
This is for when you want a post work drink or tasty cocktail, not nightclubs so mostly pointed out for their drinks, decor and ambience.
The Press Club
Smooth tunes and amazing decor, definate a lounge rather than a bar this club is beautifully decorated with a series of lovely seated areas and has a great range of infused vodkas. The Press Club also do live Jazz on Wednesdays and have one of the finest cocktail menus in the city. Brunswick St The Valley next to The Empire. $15 for most complicated cocktails.
The Jorge
This is one of the prime Friday night drinking venues in the city, many government teams and local media companies do functions here so there's usually someone you can find with a two for one drink stamp. If you're part of the 20 something professional set you'll run into any number of people you know here trying to navigate the stairs and attract the attention of the too-cute-to-be-straight bar staff. Basics start with Jose Cuervo, Bombay Sapphire and Absolut, Cosmopolitans are a standard and their cocktail menu while not extraordinary is very respectable. George St, The City opposite the Casino $6 basics (though two for $6 if you're with a function)
The Chill bar
A vodka specialty bar and a great night to go for pay day celebrations. Has some 80 different kinds of vodkas including many hard to find anywhere else. For novelty they have a celebration special which is $250 for a bottle of their finest vodka and a chance to sit in a refrigerated room in fur. Very much worth trying most of their cocktails, or even making up a few of your own. Upstairs in the Macarthur Central building, Queen St The City. Cocktails circa $15 with shots of imported vodkas ranging from $4 to $50 with mixer included (though not necessarily required)
Also you can usually find goths at the City Mall Pig and Whistle, O'Malleys (under the Hilton) and Ric's/Fat Boy's in the Valley mall at various points after work and on weekends.