Lismore Supper Club grows into Thursday night tradition

CREATED in the wake of the 2022 floods, the Supper Club has become a weekly gathering point for music and community at the Lismore Bowling Club.

Held every Thursday night, the event brings together a house band of accomplished local musicians and has grown into a social fixture for locals looking to reconnect.

Host and performer Laura Nobel said the idea emerged from a desire to lift the spirits of Lismore’s flood-ravaged community.

“After the floods, it seemed imperative that there was something for the community to engage with,” Nobel said.

The concept took shape in 2024 with a large “Goodwill Party” held at the bowling club to foster a sense of communal wellbeing through music.

The event’s success soon evolved into the weekly Supper Club format.

The house band features a lineup of respected musicians including Greg Lyon on bass, Nobel on vocals, Geoff Wright on guitar, Pete Wilkins on drums, Dan Brown on keys, Cristian Silva on percussion and Amie Stuart on backing vocals.

Nobel is a well-known figure in the local music scene, having fronted one of Lismore’s beloved bands, The Funkwits, and more recently the 10-piece showband Soul’d.

Co-host Greg Lyon is a highly regarded bassist best known for his work with jazz-fusion band Crossfire.

“It is remarkable, and it could only happen in Lismore,” Nobel said with a nod to the band’s lineup.

“It’s this beautiful, eclectic group of people that all share this love for the town.”

Lyon said the original concept was about bringing people together during a difficult period for the community.

“There’s not a whole lot going on in Lismore now,” Lyon said.

“It’s a testament to the power of music that it can unite the community.”

Over time, he said the Thursday night event has grown into something larger than a performance.

“It’s an interesting social phenomenon,” Lyon said.

“After all my time in the music business, that’s what makes the gig a little bit unique. It’s become its own community.”

The name “Supper Club” draws inspiration from the classic New York dining concept, though the Lismore version is far more relaxed, with guests encouraged to bring their own meals to enjoy during the performance.

 

“It’s gone beyond its name. It’s not the New York City supper club, which is a bit ‘toffy’,” Lyon said.

“Whatever you’ve got in the fridge, you can bring it along to eat while you enjoy the experience.”

The format also emerged from necessity after the floods left the bowling club’s kitchen unusable.

“As it turned out, we couldn’t get any supper at the venue because the kitchen had been washed out after the floods,” Lyon said.

People have since brought a wide variety of suppers to the event, with Lyon remarking that he’d seen everything from “yesterday’s pizza” to “huge cheese platters” and “ridiculous feasts.”

Lyon said the venue doesn’t feel like a bowls club when the Supper Club is playing, largely due to the work involved in transforming the space into an intimate jazz club setting with palm trees, candles, black tablecloths and low lighting.

“We transport the venue out of its everyday role,” he said.

Reviving the flood-damaged bowling club was also part of the motivation behind the project.

One of Lismore’s oldest institutions, the venue has long been a hub for local musicians.

“It has been through many floods,” Nobel said.

“We all have a musical history with the club.”

“We’re employing quite a few musicians on a minimal wage, so we’re all committed to the same idea of providing good quality entertainment at this community venue,” Lyon added.

The weekly performances now draw crowds of up to 80 people as the bowls club continues its recovery.

Alongside jazz fusion, funk and blues numbers, the Supper Club also hosts themed tribute nights celebrating artists such as Roberta Flack, Jimmy Cliff and The Beatles.