ADAMSTOWN Bowling Club has cancelled the majority of live music on its greens after a staff member was allegedly abused by an irate neighbour.
It's the latest incident in the long-running noise-complaint saga that's plagued the popular venue since it first introduced live music in early 2022 and subsequently turned around its struggling finances.
On Saturday evening the Adamstown Bowling Club was hosting a Christmas in July themed event to coincide with the Knights NRL and NRLW games.
The evening also featured an acoustic soloist set on the greens from 7pm to 9pm.
Less than an hour into the set a female staff member was conducting a decibel check on the boundary of the bowling club when she was allegedly verbally abused by the neighbour.
The club's manager and booking agent, Matt Field, said the club subsequently reported the alleged abuse to police and made the decision to suspend live music on the greens on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Music will continue inside the club on Friday and Saturday nights and on the greens on Sunday afternoons.
Mr Field said it was particularly disappointing as the club had recently set up a feedback line for neighbours to contact him directly regarding noise issues.
The club had also re-positioned a flood light away from houses following a complaint.
"We had to do something to get people talking and to basically show council that we are willing to stop the music if our staff are threatened or our staff are unsafe, and they are, so we had to do that," Field told the Newcastle Herald.
"I'm hoping by stopping the music outside temporarily that it'll get enough conversations and attention to this issue that we won't have to stop music in the venue full time.
"I didn't want the council to do a blanket rule of no live music at the bowling club, so I thought let's get on the front foot and let's just cancel one part of live music to get people talking and show people that this is unreasonable and ridiculous."
Mr Field said the club has spent more than $100,000 sound-proofing the venue and purchasing light and sound equipment and they employ 20 musicians most weekends.
The Adamstown Bowling Club recently conducted a letterbox drop inviting all neighbours to a community engagement meeting this Sunday.
A spokesperson from the City of Newcastle said they had received noise complaints from multiple people in regards to the Adamstown Bowling Club.
"Adamstown Bowling Club has lodged a development application proposing a recreational facility (outdoor dining and live and amplified entertainment), which is currently under assessment," the spokesperson said.
"We have requested additional information from the club to assist us with the assessment of the DA."
The NSW government hosted a town hall-style meeting at Fort Scratchley on Monday evening to discuss the creation of the state's first Arts, Culture & Creative Industries Policy.
Minister for the Arts and Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, attended.
Mr Field said before the meeting that he hoped to discuss the Adamstown Bowling Club issue and noise complaints generally.
