Loose But Civilised

When you think crazy, hilarious and stupid antics, catch-ups with good mates, bean bags, pints of New, graffed toilets and the gravel pit, you’re imagining the nightly scene at West End’s Rumpus Room.

Opening December 23 2005, on the corner of Russell and Boundary Sts, Rumpus Room has become a haven for creative types and suits alike. A week away from their fourth birthday, owner/ operator Nathan Heng says the bar’s reputation is built on the simple modus operandi of throwing a house party.

“What our real motto is, is that Rumpus is a house party every night and that we’re throwing a house party and if I’d let you do it in my house, then you can do it in the bar. And the behaviour we’d expect in my house, we’d expect in the bar. And apart from that, then it’s just have fun like a house party.”

Great values on which to build a top-notch bar. Another element of Rumpus that has proven a winner, is their ability to market not only Brisbane’s local DJing stocks (think Sampology, Cutloose, Slynk, Butterz, Noodles etc), but also attract the likes of Katalyst, Mr Choc, DJ Revolution and DJ Perplex to their decks. Over four years, the bar has had many a memorable night, too many to list here.

“Our best night was Good Vibrations our first year (2006) when James Brown played. We had a bus come back from the festival [Ed note: I was on that bus; what a zoo of humanity! Peeps doing cartwheels down the aisle, new lovers making out in the back seat] and Noel Boogie played the Rumpus. The other nights we remember are the Dojos, just ridiculous Dojo parties. We’ll be doing one of them a year from now on; they’re too outlandish to do too often, we’ll get shut down!”

With a venue that feels like home and plays the kind of music you don’t find in many other bars around town, the trifecta for Rumpus is their bar service.

“That’s what it’s all about, that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to throw a party, and the best way to throw a party is to have everyone not lined up waiting for drinks. And because we know an awful lot of the people who do come in as well, so you already know what they drink and that’s part of our success.”

Help Rumpus Room celebrate their fourth birthday in style on Wednesday December 23. There’ll be an array of local West Ender’s spinning the tunes and one Matchstick, marshalling the troops for the madness that will ensure.