Bye bye Khuja

Long-running Auckland venue Khuja Lounge has announced it is closing down at the end of this month. Khuja opened in 1997, and developed a scene that spawned the Sugarlicks Records label. Sugarlicks held their latest release party at Khuja just last month, for the Seva Hifi album. The venue went up for sale last month. Am guessing it didn't sell.(deleted: I was looking at a sale listing on trademe from Oct 2011, when the business was for sale, for $55,000).

Khuja staff member Karin said on their Facebook page, "It is with sincere regret and sadness that we announce that Khuja will be closing down on the 30th of September. We would like to thank our loyal patrons for your continued support throughout the years and all the musicians who have given the place a soul.

Also thank you to the people who have helped us along the way, with sponsorships, charity gigs, poetry readings, art exhibitions, burlesque shows, Latin nights, Jamaican nights with food and all ☺  live street art, and also our invaluable repainting help.

Its great to have hosted the making of unitec student films, the making of music videos, photo shoots and of course all the wonderful people who have had their special functions with us.

As you know this is the end of an era and I hope you can all take away with you some very good memories of some special nights out.

And of course we would like to thank our staff, for doing a great job, especially the iconic Ash who has been there for what seem like forever!

Please come up before the 30th and have a farewell drink with us."

Khuja's lease is up at the end of September, and apparently the current owners decided to move on, rather than renew the lease and then try and sell the business.

ADDED The Dog's Bollix venue is closed (via NZ Musician)  " Newton based venueThe Dogs Bollix up for lease and currently closed under liquidation. The venue has been a stomping ground for musicians since its launch in 1996 and was recently spruced up with an interior refurbishment and layout change... The equipment and chattels owned by Cahersiveen Ltd (trading as The Dog’s Bollix) were put up for auction on September 14 under instruction from Rodgers Reidy Chartered Accountants."

The Dog's Bollix started out in the early 1990s as The Dog Club, set up and run by Stuart Broughton, then managing an up and coming young band called Supergroove. My band Hallelujah Picassos played there a bunch of times, had some great shows in there too.