Happy Yess has left the Building!

Happy Yess has left the Building!

And has found its way into Brownsmart. To every single person who enjoys listening to quality music by Darwin artists, this is big news.

The Happy Yess has been one of the few not for profit venues dedicated to the music scene.  Karaoke, choreographed gigs and everything in between have been hosted at the old venue – a grungy, dilapadated structure. The way everything was held together by a combination of ingenuity, improvisation and bits of old twine and duct tape will be sorely missed by many.

But that is in the past! The future for Happy Yess is its new home, Brownsmart. Brownsmart theatre, one of the oldest buildings in Darwin, has survived cyclones, bombing, looting and even temporary use as a brothel! It has been the site for many an event, from renowned plays to Darwin City Council’s very own BIG GIG. And now, Happy Yess has been given permission to move in.

The crew, led by the venerable Kris Keogh, consists of a variety of musicians, local tradespeople and locals willing to lend a hand, as well as the somewhat useless author of this article. Over the course of a few weeks, the new space has been painted and fitted by the crew, and the old Yess has been pulled apart. Now, as the move heads towards completion, there is plenty to like about what has been accomplished thus far.

The whole area has been painted in Yess colours. A whole new, carperted, stage has been constructed, almost entirely out of milk crates! The entrance booth has been crafted from former workstations out of an office. The bar itself has been sculpted anew from pine and ply, with the workmanship of Darwin’s best. And the seating, with a nod towards the ancient couches, has been renewed with bus seats, milk crate couches and a whole new arrangement for the booths.

So with much ado, next time you hear about a gig or similar local music event to be held at Happy Yess, head on over and see for yourself the wonderful new venue while enjoying the beats of local Darwin music.