Northside venue rockin' the suburbs

Want to catch the latest big name music artist touring Brisbane?

Well you can forget Boondall, Fortitude Valley, West End and the City, the north-west suburb of Eatons Hill is leading the way in claiming international touring stars.

This week the $30 million Eatons Hill Hotel, which owners say is Australia's largest pub, announced it would host Marilyn Manson's Soundwave sideshow on February 24, adding to a growing roster of big names to hit the venue next year, including My Chemical Romance in late January.

Along with Good Charlotte, who played the Eatons Hill Hotel last month, all three artists performed at The Brisbane Entertainment Centre during their last Brisbane appearance.

The fact the pub, 16 kilometres from the city, is drawing big overseas acts has taken some punters by surprise.

"When Good Charlotte was on people didn't believe it was Good Charlotte," Hotel director Rob Comiskey said.

"One because the ticket price was so low, being only $40, and second that they were playing at Eatons Hill, not the Entertainment Centre."

Mr Comiskey said the 2500 capacity venue was popular because it provided a more intimate experience with big name artists than than the 13,500 capacity Entertainment Centre did.

"I went to the Entertainment Centre the other day and you sit right on the back and it could be anyone on stage," he said.

"Where with us, the way the ballroom is designed, from anywhere in there you can see the person's face clearly."

The BEC was criticised as a civic embarrassment yesterday. Scott Hutchinson, the chairman of Hutchinsons Builders and a member of QMusic's management committee, cited traffic and public transport problems as major failings at the venue.

The Eatons Hill Hotel, meanwhile, had no transport problems after the two major concerts it hosted this year, Mr Comiskey said.

"There's the train station, which is about five minutes drive away, and we have got an excellent arrangement with the cab companies," he said.

"We can have up to 750 cabs there a night, and sometimes even more. And we've also got something like 600 car parks."

After early success nabbing Marilyn Manson and Good Charlotte, the hotel is focused booking more artists in the middle market.

Mr Comiskey said the hotel had another four or five artists of similar quality lined up for the start of 2012.

"There some acts just as exciting... to come in the next couple months, I just can't reveal who yet," he said.

"Some of them are international and some of them are Australian."