Sydney Pub Is Rebranding As A Church To Get Around NSW's No Dancing Rule

A Sydney pub is fed up with the different rules for venues and churches in New South Wales and they're taking matters into their own hands.

The Lord Gladstone, who rebranded themselves to The Lord Jabstone last year to encourage people to get vaccinated, have come up with a new way to get around the state government's rules.

NSW has banned singing and dancing in hospitality venues however churches are still allowed to shake their thang and belt out a note.

So, to adhere to the new regulations, The Lord Gladstone will be turning themselves into a church for one day only.

They'll be hosting a Sunday service next weekend (January 23), where they can worship their lord and saviour: the sesh.

Writing on Facebook, the pub wrote: "Singing and dancing banned at indoor venues, except for church gatherings? Introducing the Gladsong Hotel - Sydney's newest and most poppin' religious institution!"

The message is a dig at the Hillsong Church, who were able to host a music festival amid the new no singing or dancing rules.

The Gladdy continued: "Ready for you to come confess your sins and be bathed in its holiest of water (Gladdy Lager on tap)."

They have offered to have a covers band play, however they have no idea whether that is allowed.

The pub added a disclaimer at the bottom of the event's description, saying: "This event is to highlight the inequality being shown to live music venues across the country while religious organisations get to carry on under a different set of rules.

"All COVID restrictions will be followed currently in place on our venue.

"It will still be heaps of fun though and we can all drink schooners and laugh and be merry in the face of hypocrisy. The Gladsong loves a p***take."

The state government announced the regulations will be in place until January 27 as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to see tens of thousands of new cases every day.

The new rules on singing and dancing have already lead to a music festival in the Hunter Valley be cancelled just four days before it was meant to go ahead.

But there has been outrage in the community at seeing Hillsong Youth carry out their Wildlife Summer Camp festival, where attendees were seen jumping around together to live music.

Gladstone owner Mitchell Crum told Purple Sneakers that it's annoying to have two sets of rules for hospitality venues and churches.

"It's been an absolutely frustrating period of time for all venue owners," he said.

"Right now and over the past couple of years. Once again it feels like our leaders are leaving our poor struggling musicians and artists back in the darkness.

"Live music venues, musicians, pubs and clubs all across the state have been the hardest hit without any support or closure. I can't say I'm terribly religious though I worship live music. Does that make us exempt?"

Featured Image Credit: Lord Gladstone/Facebook

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie