Ya Ya’s Review

Review By Hamish Hastie

Ya Ya’s is in somewhat of cursed spot in Northbridge. This corner bar has changed names more times than you’ve had hot dinners and it resides below the iconic but now, unfortunately, defunct Rise nightclub, which was a staple in Perth’s clubbing scene for over 10 years.

I don’t think Ya Ya’s is in danger of shutting down anytime soon judging by the crowd on the night I went. It may, however, be in danger of burning down due to a lack of air-conditioning. This is a pet hate of mine because my body loves to express water at the slightest inclination of heat, so naturally when I hang out in a bar that feels like someone’s holding a lighter to my face, boogying down is the last thing on my mind.

Despite the heat, I enjoyed myself at Ya Ya’s mainly because of the variation of drink-spot it provides Northbridge. It’s a slap in the face to the sleazy nightclubs that surround it with alternative charm and confidence to cater for musicians that couldn’t stray further from the Top 40 charts if they tried. I arrived on a night where there were plenty of hipsters and I cringed a little when some of them sat in front of the man strumming his guitar. In my opinion, sitting on the floor of a bar or club is a fate worse than death. Had these people not heard of the drinking-vomiting connection?

I got a bottle of cider for 6 bucks and the spirits were pushing the $8 mark. As there was an act on that night there was a cover charge but it was only 10 bucks and I’m sure on other nights you won’t have to pay. As you walk in you’re assaulted with purple and pictures of musical legends on the wall. I’m not really sure what they were trying to go for here but it works. It’s a nice dark atmosphere to chill out in – everything you could want from a bar.

I was apprehensive about enjoying myself here because it was overly toasty, but after I’d found a spot in front of the only fan I began to chill out and enjoy the serenading sounds of the skinny musician sending his sitting audience into some strange hipster trance. It’s great to see these places pop up in Northbridge, especially in the very centre of the district and an area that has gained great notoriety in past years.

If you’re walking past Ya Ya’s and fancy a drink, give it a go. They also have comedy nights and other such wonderful things Perth lacks during the week so you can never complain about having nothing to do in the middle of the week again!

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