Adelaide City of Music Laneways
“We should all celebrate live music and band culture in Adelaide.” – Jimmy Dodd, artist, Cold Chisel Lane.
The City of Adelaide is proudly Australia's first and only UNESCO City of Music.
Our City of Music Laneways are an invitation to find out more about our musical trailblazers, our world-class artists, and our live music venues.
Explore vibrant artworks that celebrate Sia Furler, Cold Chisel, Paul Kelly, No Fixed Address, and the Exploding White Mice, and experience the pubs, clubs and halls across the CBD and the West End that support our vibrant creative community.
Take a virtual tour with the local artists behind the works, who share how their memories and experiences with our live music scene inspire them in their work and life.
Discover a city with music as its heartbeat.
City of Music Laneways
The City of Adelaide is Australia's first and only UNESCO City of Music. We have a proud live music heritage in our pubs, clubs and other venues, and are renowned as a magnet city for world-class music festivals and cultural events.
Adelaide’s City of Music Laneways celebrate our City of Music designation and musical trailblazers, those individuals and bands who have not only built a loyal, local fanbase, but have captured the hearts and minds of audiences across the nation and the world.
These artists have their musical roots in our City, have been part of our vibrant creative community, and have helped shape Adelaide’s unique cultural identity. Sia Furler, Cold Chisel, Paul Kelly, No Fixed Address and The Angels have all embraced the opportunity to have an Adelaide laneway named in their honour.
Through this laneways naming initiative, locals and visitors alike can learn more about these iconic musicians and their relationship with key sites across our live music capital, and at the same time, discover and support Adelaide’s many excellent live music venues.
Each City of Music Laneway is a destination in its own right. In addition to the street signage named for the artist or band, commemorative plaques honour the achievements of the musicians. Council has also commissioned artworks by South Australian visual artists that respond to the identity and musical legacy of the city and its musicians, and reflect their impact on audiences and fans, locally and globally.
This initiative has benefitted from the advocacy, expertise and archives of the Adelaide Music Collective, who operate the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.
Explore the City of Music Laneways Trail.
City of Music musicians
Sia Furler Lane is located next to the Rockford Hotel and JamFactory, on the corner of Hindley and Morphett Streets. Sia performed regularly in the mid-1990s with her acid jazz band Crisp at the nearby Cargo Club on Hindley Street (now demolished).
Nine-time Grammy nominee Sia has cemented her role as one of today’s biggest stars, sought after songwriters, and captivating live performers. She released the Grammy-nominated This Is Acting (Monkey Puzzle/RCA Records) in 2016 to critical acclaim, followed by her sold out Nostalgic For The Present World Tour. In 2017 she released the evergreen holiday collection Everyday Is Christmas and in 2021 her ninth album Music – Songs from and inspired by the Motion Picture was released to coincide with her film, Music. Sia has 15 songs on the APRA billion streams list.
Sia has also written global smashes for today’s biggest acts including Beyonce, BTS, David Guetta, Kanye West, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Ozuna, and many more.
Tonya Brewer
The mural entitled She Imagined Buttons by artist Jasmine Crisp is a celebration of Sia through the embodiment of a fan.
Sia was the first act I saw perform at the Adelaide Big Day Out in 2011. It was one of my first concerts, I had freshly turned 16 and felt nervous among the large, unfamiliar crowd. She arrived on stage in a personally crafted theatrical dress and paper crown. She stood among instruments all decorated with her bright crochet wrappings. Sia spoke with the audience as much as she sang, she shared sign language symbols with hands in the crowd and communicated with every onlooker with inclusivity and passion. – artist Jasmine Crisp
She Imagined Buttons, 2021 by artist Jasmine Crisp
Cold Chisel Lane was launched in April 2021 in a ceremony attended by Jimmy Barnes. The lane was previously unnamed and runs off Burnett Street between Hindley and Currie Streets in Adelaide’s West End, next to Cry Baby Bar, Sunny’s Pizza and opposite the Sofitel Hotel. The lane is close to Hindley Street’s music venues, including 181 (now Jive) and The Mediterranean (now Red Square) where Chisel had residencies.
Cold Chisel was formed in Adelaide in 1973 by Les Kaczmarek, Ian Moss, Don Walker, Steve Prestwich and Jimmy Barnes. In 1975 Les left and Phil Small joined to create the classic lineup. Relentless touring and timeless songs like Khe Sanh, Flame Trees, Bow River, My Baby, Cheap Wine, Saturday Night, You Got Nothin’ I Want and When the War is Over established their reputation as one of Australia’s fiercest rock’n’roll bands. Cold Chisel’s nine studio albums released between 1978 and 2019 sold nearly 7 million copies and capture the hopes, fears, anger and alienation of multiple generations.
In 1993 Cold Chisel was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and received the prestigious 'Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music' in 2016.
Cold Chisel broke up in 1983, however they have successfully reformed several times since for national tours.
The mural by James Dodd celebrates the legacy of the band through the memories and handwriting of fans.
It has been a great joy to develop an outcome in response to a band whose music and broader cultural context have been present and relevant to me, throughout my life. I have been able to bring together stories from a broad cross-section of people who all talk about how Cold Chisel has left indelible marks on their lives. The research process has deepened my appreciation of the band, their achievements and just how significant their cultural contribution has been. I hope that this artwork can inspire more people to share their experiences of Cold Chisel and continue to perpetuate discussion and appreciation of the band and their legacy. – artist James Dodd
James Dodd, Cold Chisel Lane, 2021. Photo: Cath Leo.
Paul Kelly Lane was launched in August 2022 with a moving speech and impromptu song performed by Paul Kelly AO in tribute to the late Archie Roach AC.
Paul Kelly Lane runs from Flinders Street through to the City of Adelaide Meeting Hall. It can be accessed from the walkway that starts at 25 Pirie Street or from Flinders Street. Places of interest on Paul Kelly Lane include Pilgrim Church, which has existed at the site since 1851. A café, Part Time Lover, also has its entrance along the laneway, at the rear of the Adelaide Town Hall.
Paul Kelly was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2017 for distinguished service to the performing arts and to the promotion of the national identity through contributions as a singer, songwriter and musician.
Born and raised in Adelaide, Paul Kelly wrote his first song in a flat in Buxton Street in North Adelaide, has played at various Adelaide venues including The Tivoli Hotel on Pirie Street in earlier years, and the iconic Adelaide Town Hall on numerous occasions. Paul Kelly was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1997, has been the recipient of 17 ARIA Awards, and in November 2023 was inducted into the AMC SA Music Hall of Fame.
Paul Kelly has penned and performed countless hits that have become part of our national songbook, including To Her Door, Dumb Things, Darling it Hurts, and How to Make Gravy. He has also co-written important anthems with First Nations musicians, including From Big Things Little Things Grow with Kev Carmody, and Treaty with Yothu Yindi and Peter Garrett.
The light-based artworks by Heidi Kenyon, Street of Love, feature song lyrics from Paul Kelly’s extensive back-catalogue and each are attached to the light posts along the laneway.
I am delighted to have had the opportunity to respond to the legacy of Paul Kelly, and I hope that fans will enjoy piecing together some familiar lyrics within my artwork. I also hope that my work will inspire reflection, and the deep human connection we all crave, for passers-by from all walks of life. – artist Heidi Kenyon.
Heidi Kenyon, Street of Love, 2022. Photo: Cath Leo.
On 25 March 2021, the former Lindes Lane was officially renamed in honour of the band No Fixed Address and their contribution to music, politics and culture. No Fixed Address Lane, located off Rundle Mall, is a central, easily accessible place to celebrate Aboriginal living culture.
No Fixed Address formed in Adelaide in 1979 at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) by Bart Willoughby, Ricky Harrison, Les Graham, and John Miller; alongside former members Nicky Moffatt, Rick Lovegrove and Veronica Rankine. CASM, part of the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide, is Australia’s only devoted university-based centre for studies in Australian Aboriginal music.
Considered Australia’s first reggae rock band, No Fixed Address were also the first Aboriginal band to tour overseas. No Fixed Address’s album From My Eyes was launched by then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and their song We Have Survived has been added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry. No Fixed Address made a feature film Wrong Side of the Road which won the Jury Prize for best picture at the 1981 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards. The accompanying soundtrack was the first recording of a contemporary Aboriginal band from South Australia.
In 2011 No Fixed Address were inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame, with Bart Willoughby and Ricky Harrison both also Inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame. A biography of No Fixed Address by Donald Robertson was published in 2023 and the band continues to perform for audiences today.
This is an absolutely thrilling development. No Fixed Address has made an extraordinary contribution to Australian music and culture since forming at CASM in 1979, and it’s wonderful to see those iconic musicians acknowledged by the City of Adelaide in this way… The band’s appearance in the 1981 South Australian film Wrong Side of the Road remains a definitive moment in Australian culture. I hope that everyone who visits No Fixed Address Lane in Adelaide will reflect on the band’s significant achievements, and the timeless message that their music holds for the world. - Professor Aaron Corn, Former Director of CASM, University of Adelaide
Wander the length of No Fixed Address Lane to take in the mural honouring the band painted by artists Elizabeth Yanyi Close (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara), Shane Mankitya Cook (Guwa and Wulli Wulli) and Thomas Readett (Ngarrindjeri and Arrernte). The mural depicts the band in their youth and features contemporary representations of the band's heritage, history and impact on the community and music scene.
Public art transcends power dynamics and privilege; it takes art off the walls of the elite and out of the galleries and into the public realm. It is perfectly placed to tell the story of the community; to challenge ideas and perceptions and to create a sense of ownership and belonging…This artwork is an enduring visual expression of the legacy of No Fixed Address, whilst also being future driven and informed by the work that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists are continuing to do today in the fight for parity and equity. – artists Elizabeth Yanyi Close, Shane Mankitya Cook and Thomas Readett.
Elizabeth Yanyi Close, Shane Mankitya Cook and Thomas Readett, No Fixed Address Lane, 2022. Photo: Cath Leo.
The Angels Lane is currently in the planning and development stages. The City of Adelaide looks forward to announcing the laneway location and celebrating one of SA’s most beloved bands.
Founded by John and Rick Brewster in 1970 as the Moonshine Jug and String Band, they changed to an electric band and became The Angels after meeting Doc Neeson at Flinders University. The Angels were inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame in 1998 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008.
The Angels second album, Face to Face, reached No. 16 on the Album Charts staying on the charts for 79 weeks, breaking Australian chart longevity records and achieving 4 x platinum status. The Angels were initially part of the legendary ‘Alberts’ record label alongside AC/DC, Ted Mulry and The Easybeats, later signing to a US record label and touring internationally to wide acclaim and success as ‘Angel City’. The Angels’ top 10 hits include No Secrets, Am I Ever Gonna See your Face Again (live), and We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place.
The Angels are the only popular music band other than The Beatles to have been granted a Lord Mayoral Town Hall reception (2010). They have been cited as an influence by the likes of Guns N' Roses, and Seattle grunge bands Pearl Jam and Nirvana. The Brewster Brothers still perform as the Angels today, continuing their family’s musical legacy, which started with their grandfather Hooper Brewster-Jones, who is commemorated with a plaque on the Jubilee 150 Walk on North Terrace.
Exploding White Mice were an iconic Adelaide based 80's punk band who released music on the influential Greasy Pop Records label. They played extensively across Adelaide and beyond and even kickstarted live music at the Exeter Hotel, being the first band to gig there.
Continuing Adelaide’s commitment to honouring our significant musicians across the physical fabric of the city, the artwork Fear has been installed in Paxtons Walk, close to the Exeter Hotel. Fear celebrates Adelaide's vibrant East End and its live music culture.
The work, by Gregg Mitchell, is a graphic interpretation from a digital sample of an Exploding White Mice song, Fear (Late at Night). The design includes glitches and irregularities in the mark making reflecting the energy and rawness of live punk music.
Image: Exploding White Mice. Photo: Helen Karakulak.
Image: Gregg Mitchell, Fear, 2022. Photo: Sam Roberts.
City of Music murals
Dave Court’s City of Music Mural (2019) highlights the excellence, diversity and cultural history of Adelaide as a City of Music and gives the city a sense of pride about our UNESCO designation. The City of Music mural is the biggest in the city and the project was created in partnership with Music SA, City of Adelaide, Music Development Office, and Adelaide UNESCO City of Music.
Dave Court, City of Music Mural, 2019
The Violinist, a new mural created by local artist Simeon Jones, is the latest addition to the Rosina Street car park in the vibrant West End of the City. This beautiful and vivid artwork pays homage to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s home, located nearby on Hindley Street, and celebrates our designation as a UNESCO City of Music. These walls now embody the musical spirit that helps define this urban environment. The Violinist celebrates classical music and the skilled musicians who bring it to life and is a showcase of our local talent. The City of Adelaide proudly supported this project via our Arts and Cultural Grants program.
Simeon Jones, The Violinist, 2024
City of Music playlist
Listen to the sounds of these Adelaide music legends through our Spotify playlist.