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The Age
15-07-2025
- The Age
He used to be a street kid. Now he has an apartment with a harbour view
John Howard has been known as many things since he first arrived in Kings Cross as a street kid in 1968: a nuisance, petty criminal, prisoner at large, skid-row drunk, and later the 'Car Park King' and 'Poo-Bag John'. Despite such a varied reputation, the softly spoken, well-dressed gentleman of 71 is baffled why anyone would want to interview him, let alone pay for his lunch. 'Surely, there are more interesting people?' As we settle into the window seat of the Macleay Street Bistro, he makes a few jokes about whether we have the right 'John Howard', implying the Herald must have intended to sit down with the former prime minister who shares his name. But this is no mistaken identity. As we both opt for sparkling water, I tell Howard that I first heard of him 20 years ago, when I was writing for the Herald's Domain, from a local real estate agent who talked about the guy who makes money buying car spaces and renting them out. Howard's initial discomfort about having his photo taken is parlayed into ordering. We both want the garlic prawns, Howard has them for an entree with the pan-fried salmon for a main, and I order the French onion soup followed by the prawns as a main. Food out of the way, Howard's demeanour lights up as he describes running away from his dysfunctional childhood in Baulkham Hills in Sydney's north-west to the bright lights and chaos of Kings Cross. The Yellow House artists cooperative was at its zenith, and the streets were full of hippies, prostitutes and soldiers on leave from the Vietnam War. 'It was fun, and mad, and I didn't want to be anywhere else.' Among his first jobs was being a kitchen hand at Whisky A Go Go, and a bus boy at Chequers and the Bourbon and Beefsteak – all local landmarks. 'I was living the high life, in a low-life sort of way,' he said. 'To my mind I was racing around, having fun, trying to survive, and dreaming of buying the latest sports car and meeting the perfect girl.' But in reality he was failing at everything, he said. 'I wasn't a gangster. I was a nuisance.' Either way, the authorities began to take a keen interest. In the early 1970s, Howard fell foul of a local pimp-cum-psychopath, so he decided to skip town by stealing a car and heading for Queensland's Morton Island. The plan being to single-handedly set up a hippie commune. He made it as far as Wingham, west of Taree, before he was pulled over for throwing an empty carton of chocolate milk out the car window. A registration check upgraded the littering offence to car theft, and Howard was thrown in the local police cells. He wasn't in the cells long. Howard's slight frame meant he was able to squeeze through the food opening gap to the police courtyard where he jacked the steel wire mesh out of the brickwork and escaped. It was a successful getaway, for all of a week, before he was picked up by police, this time in Woolloomooloo stealing petrol from a car. 'Over the years I have made some poor choices,' Howard deadpans. 'I was living the high life, in a low-life sort of way.' John Howard Mental health and addiction issues didn't help, and they only worsened as he got older, even if he was oblivious to it. By 39 Howard was homeless, living in a laneway behind Central Railway Station. 'At the time I thought my problem was that I didn't have a job, but in hindsight I was drinking too much.' One pivotal day, fate intervened in the form of a taxi driver who had taken a shortcut down Howard's laneway, and saw him lying in the gutter. Presciently, he knew just what Howard needed. 'He later told me he thought I was dead, but when he realised I wasn't, he took me to a bottle shop to get a flask, and dropped me at hospital,' he said. 'That kindness of a stranger saved my life.' A series of hospital admissions followed before Howard was sent to the brain-damage unit at the now defunct Callan Park Hospital, where he remained for a year. 'It was a safe place where I didn't have to worry about feeding myself or that kind of stuff, and it took the pressure off the need to survive. I felt at home.' More crucially, Howard met like-minded people who visited patients, and who he felt understood him and what felt like to be hopeless and self-destructive. That support network remains a mainstay of Howard's life. When he left Callan Park, he was handed second-hand clothes, given a 10-year disability pension and sent to live in a half-way house in Five Dock. Things were looking up. 'When I was offered a flat in a high-rise block in Redfern, I knew if I lived there I would fall back into my old ways, so I said no and approached a private housing co-op instead.' The co-op found him a pad back in Kings Cross. It wasn't just Howard's circumstances that started to improve in the 1990s. Kings Cross's seedy strip joints, and budget hotels were fast coming to the attention of high-end developers. The Harry Seidler-designed Horizon tower in Darlinghurst was the most notable of the early landmark developments, launched in 1998 and followed by Altair from now defunct architectural firm Engelen Moore in 2001, and Mirvac's IKON in 2005. And Howard went to work, channelling what was once a fervour for partying into a work ethic that bordered on the compulsive. There was the gift stall at Rozelle Markets, telemarketing for the Guide Dogs, and a long-time gig as the night manager at the budget hotel Springfield Lodge. In 2000, a friend offered him one of the puppies from her poodle's litter. 'Now this was responsibility.' In the months before Howard was due to pick up his puppy, Sunny, he took to learning everything about owning a dog: how to feed them, what they eat, how to train them, where they sleep. 'In the brain damage unit, I was given a pen and paper and told to write everything down because I couldn't remember stuff,' he said. 'So if I had to catch a bus, I wrote down the number, and from that I learnt to pre-plan everything.' But amid all the dog research he missed the bit about cleaning up after it, as he discovered when Sunny did a poo in front of a big crowd at the El Alamein Fountain. 'In those days, all that was available were shopping bags or plastic pooper-scooper things.' So Howard started researching alternatives: smaller plastic bags of a certain thickness and colour. 'I tried sourcing it from Australian producers, but they weren't financially viable, so I approached three suppliers in China.' A lucrative business was born, and peaked a few years later at $15,000 worth of sales a month. According to Pet Barn, the 36-pack Poohy Bags product distributed by Howard was one of their most popular sellers from 2010 to 2014, before the market became crowded with more suppliers. Sunny also brought bad news. The co-op flat didn't allow dogs so, served with an eviction notice, he decided to buy his first home. Aided by what was then the $7000 first home buyer's grant and a mortgage, Howard purchased a studio in the Ganray building in 2001 for $110,000. 'I threw everything at that mortgage.' The following year he purchased a car space in the Picadilly Gardens for $35,000, and another space a year later for $40,000. By the time Howard purchased another studio in 2007 he no longer needed a mortgage, and hasn't required financial assistance since. Over the years he has bought and sold eight car spaces, a couple of storage cages and two studios, sometimes for modest capital gains and sometimes for more. The first car space he bought in 2002 sold in 2021 for $105,000. His first home, the studio, almost doubled in value, to sell for $192,000 in 2009. Today he retains five of those car spaces, one storage cage and his north-facing apartment atop the Clairmont building in Potts Point with harbour views. 'This isn't about becoming rich. It's just about being fully self-supporting.' It also seems to bring a certain joy from doing business. Not that the dreams of a young Howard have been neglected. When he leaves his neighbourhood he usually does so either his red 1948 MG TC or his blue E-type Jaguar. Loading As we scoff dessert – chocolate truffles for me and vanilla ice-cream for him – Howard returns to his question about why I want to interview him. After all, for all his car spaces he is yet to make the pages of Title Deeds. An articulate answer escaped me, but in retrospect it's because Howard's story is less about the good luck and bulging bank balances that are the calling cards of many of Sydney's property moguls, and more about the grace and redemption that has played out over his colourful life.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
He used to be a street kid. Now he has an apartment with a harbour view
John Howard has been known as many things since he first arrived in Kings Cross as a street kid in 1968: a nuisance, petty criminal, prisoner at large, skid-row drunk, and later the 'Car Park King' and 'Poo-Bag John'. Despite such a varied reputation, the softly spoken, well-dressed gentleman of 71 is baffled why anyone would want to interview him, let alone pay for his lunch. 'Surely, there are more interesting people?' As we settle into the window seat of the Macleay Street Bistro, he makes a few jokes about whether we have the right 'John Howard', implying the Herald must have intended to sit down with the former prime minister who shares his name. But this is no mistaken identity. As we both opt for sparkling water, I tell Howard that I first heard of him 20 years ago, when I was writing for the Herald's Domain, from a local real estate agent who talked about the guy who makes money buying car spaces and renting them out. Howard's initial discomfort about having his photo taken is parlayed into ordering. We both want the garlic prawns, Howard has them for an entree with the pan-fried salmon for a main, and I order the French onion soup followed by the prawns as a main. Food out of the way, Howard's demeanour lights up as he describes running away from his dysfunctional childhood in Baulkham Hills in Sydney's north-west to the bright lights and chaos of Kings Cross. The Yellow House artists cooperative was at its zenith, and the streets were full of hippies, prostitutes and soldiers on leave from the Vietnam War. 'It was fun, and mad, and I didn't want to be anywhere else.' Among his first jobs was being a kitchen hand at Whisky A Go Go, and a bus boy at Chequers and the Bourbon and Beefsteak – all local landmarks. 'I was living the high life, in a low-life sort of way,' he said. 'To my mind I was racing around, having fun, trying to survive, and dreaming of buying the latest sports car and meeting the perfect girl.' But in reality he was failing at everything, he said. 'I wasn't a gangster. I was a nuisance.' Either way, the authorities began to take a keen interest. In the early 1970s, Howard fell foul of a local pimp-cum-psychopath, so he decided to skip town by stealing a car and heading for Queensland's Morton Island. The plan being to single-handedly set up a hippie commune. He made it as far as Wingham, west of Taree, before he was pulled over for throwing an empty carton of chocolate milk out the car window. A registration check upgraded the littering offence to car theft, and Howard was thrown in the local police cells. He wasn't in the cells long. Howard's slight frame meant he was able to squeeze through the food opening gap to the police courtyard where he jacked the steel wire mesh out of the brickwork and escaped. It was a successful getaway, for all of a week, before he was picked up by police, this time in Woolloomooloo stealing petrol from a car. 'Over the years I have made some poor choices,' Howard deadpans. 'I was living the high life, in a low-life sort of way.' John Howard Mental health and addiction issues didn't help, and they only worsened as he got older, even if he was oblivious to it. By 39 Howard was homeless, living in a laneway behind Central Railway Station. 'At the time I thought my problem was that I didn't have a job, but in hindsight I was drinking too much.' One pivotal day, fate intervened in the form of a taxi driver who had taken a shortcut down Howard's laneway, and saw him lying in the gutter. Presciently, he knew just what Howard needed. 'He later told me he thought I was dead, but when he realised I wasn't, he took me to a bottle shop to get a flask, and dropped me at hospital,' he said. 'That kindness of a stranger saved my life.' A series of hospital admissions followed before Howard was sent to the brain-damage unit at the now defunct Callan Park Hospital, where he remained for a year. 'It was a safe place where I didn't have to worry about feeding myself or that kind of stuff, and it took the pressure off the need to survive. I felt at home.' More crucially, Howard met like-minded people who visited patients, and who he felt understood him and what felt like to be hopeless and self-destructive. That support network remains a mainstay of Howard's life. When he left Callan Park, he was handed second-hand clothes, given a 10-year disability pension and sent to live in a half-way house in Five Dock. Things were looking up. 'When I was offered a flat in a high-rise block in Redfern, I knew if I lived there I would fall back into my old ways, so I said no and approached a private housing co-op instead.' The co-op found him a pad back in Kings Cross. It wasn't just Howard's circumstances that started to improve in the 1990s. Kings Cross's seedy strip joints, and budget hotels were fast coming to the attention of high-end developers. The Harry Seidler-designed Horizon tower in Darlinghurst was the most notable of the early landmark developments, launched in 1998 and followed by Altair from now defunct architectural firm Engelen Moore in 2001, and Mirvac's IKON in 2005. And Howard went to work, channelling what was once a fervour for partying into a work ethic that bordered on the compulsive. There was the gift stall at Rozelle Markets, telemarketing for the Guide Dogs, and a long-time gig as the night manager at the budget hotel Springfield Lodge. In 2000, a friend offered him one of the puppies from her poodle's litter. 'Now this was responsibility.' In the months before Howard was due to pick up his puppy, Sunny, he took to learning everything about owning a dog: how to feed them, what they eat, how to train them, where they sleep. 'In the brain damage unit, I was given a pen and paper and told to write everything down because I couldn't remember stuff,' he said. 'So if I had to catch a bus, I wrote down the number, and from that I learnt to pre-plan everything.' But amid all the dog research he missed the bit about cleaning up after it, as he discovered when Sunny did a poo in front of a big crowd at the El Alamein Fountain. 'In those days, all that was available were shopping bags or plastic pooper-scooper things.' So Howard started researching alternatives: smaller plastic bags of a certain thickness and colour. 'I tried sourcing it from Australian producers, but they weren't financially viable, so I approached three suppliers in China.' A lucrative business was born, and peaked a few years later at $15,000 worth of sales a month. According to Pet Barn, the 36-pack Poohy Bags product distributed by Howard was one of their most popular sellers from 2010 to 2014, before the market became crowded with more suppliers. Sunny also brought bad news. The co-op flat didn't allow dogs so, served with an eviction notice, he decided to buy his first home. Aided by what was then the $7000 first home buyer's grant and a mortgage, Howard purchased a studio in the Ganray building in 2001 for $110,000. 'I threw everything at that mortgage.' The following year he purchased a car space in the Picadilly Gardens for $35,000, and another space a year later for $40,000. By the time Howard purchased another studio in 2007 he no longer needed a mortgage, and hasn't required financial assistance since. Over the years he has bought and sold eight car spaces, a couple of storage cages and two studios, sometimes for modest capital gains and sometimes for more. The first car space he bought in 2002 sold in 2021 for $105,000. His first home, the studio, almost doubled in value, to sell for $192,000 in 2009. Today he retains five of those car spaces, one storage cage and his north-facing apartment atop the Clairmont building in Potts Point with harbour views. 'This isn't about becoming rich. It's just about being fully self-supporting.' It also seems to bring a certain joy from doing business. Not that the dreams of a young Howard have been neglected. When he leaves his neighbourhood he usually does so either his red 1948 MG TC or his blue E-type Jaguar. Loading As we scoff dessert – chocolate truffles for me and vanilla ice-cream for him – Howard returns to his question about why I want to interview him. After all, for all his car spaces he is yet to make the pages of Title Deeds. An articulate answer escaped me, but in retrospect it's because Howard's story is less about the good luck and bulging bank balances that are the calling cards of many of Sydney's property moguls, and more about the grace and redemption that has played out over his colourful life.
Associated Press
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
June 21: TWOFEW Reloads for a High-Voltage Set at Whisky A Go Go
06/16/2025, Phoenix, Arizona // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // Rising, piano-fronted family rock group TWOFEW is making a fierce return to Los Angeles with their next high-powered live performance on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Whisky A Go Go. The band last graced the stage in September 2024. This show promises a larger set, deeper cuts, and even more of the gritty piano-driven rock fans have grown to love. Full details and tickets can be found on their official post, 'TWOFEW Returns to Whisky A Go Go - June 21, 2025,' and on their event page. Back on the Iconic Sunset Stage Whisky A Go Go has a storied history of launching music's most legendary names, and TWOFEW is set to channel that same legacy on June 21. This marks their first time back at the venue since 2024, and they've spent the past year evolving their sound with new tracks and a growing fanbase. Their upcoming appearance is part of a stacked lineup that also includes The Atomic Punks, a Van Halen tribute favorite, Incidental, and Spaz-Zeppelin. Building Serious Momentum After climbing to the No. 6 spot on Indie Talk's Top 10 Emerging Artists list in May, TWOFEW has captured serious attention across the indie rock space. Known for rich, emotional lyrics layered with bold instrumentation, they're not a band that rests. They've kept the energy moving with standout singles like " Lovestruck,' " Let It Go,' and " Empty Bottles ", drawing comparisons to a modern take on piano rock's golden age. What Fans Can Expect June's show will blend familiar crowd favorites with live previews from their anticipated summer release. Expect sweeping piano runs, tight drum lines, signature guitar licks, and vocals that hit hard in all the right ways. Fans can snag official merch and maybe even hear some unreleased material that's been teased on social media. Show Info at a Glance What: TWOFEW Live at Whisky A Go Go When: Saturday, June 21, 2025 – Doors at 5:30 PM / Show at 6:00 PM Where: Whisky A Go Go – 8901 W. Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA Tickets: Pricing starts at $25 – VIP options available. Reserve now at the Event Page About the Band Led by brothers Michael and David Lazar, Michael's wife, Danielle Lazar, and their charismatic drummer, John Sebring, TWOFEW stands out with a sound that pulls listeners into a story with every track. They've become a staple in the rock scene with a DIY work ethic and real heart behind their craft. Their growing catalog and loyal fan base continue to reflect the kind of staying power that's rare in today's music world. For Press & Media Are you interested in covering the show or interviewing the band? Press passes, high-res images, and media kits are available upon request. Contact: Joel Burton Manager, Let's Rock Out Records / TWOFEW (708) 580-2990 Visit: Follow the band for updates and behind-the-scenes content. Get tickets here: This content was first published by KISS PR Brand Story. Read here >> June 21: TWOFEW Reloads for a High-Voltage Set at Whisky A Go Go
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Dump Truck Crashes Into Whisky a Go Go, the Legendary Sunset Strip Music Club
A dump truck crash led to problems for Boy Hits Cars. On Friday afternoon, at approximately 1:45 p.m. local time, a dump truck smashed into the back of the famed Whisky a Go Go nightclub in West Hollywood. While no one was hurt, it did lead to some power outages, which forced the evening's entertainment to find a replacement venue. That L.A. rockers Boy Hits Car were headlining the night's lineup made for an interesting twist to the whole Angeles' NBC4 was on the scene on Friday, and reported that the accident was the result of a brake failure. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, a crew of workers was filling the truck with dirt when the vehicle's brakes failed, and sent it careening into the legendary music venue. The truck took down a 50-foot power pole in the process, and ultimately damaged a total of five vehicles, including a USPS truck. NBC4 spoke to Mike Sheer, an individual who was in the club at the time of the accident. 'I was on the phone and I heard a huge crash and then my phone line went out,' he shared. 'We were just thanking God that everybody was safe inside and that nobody was inside their cars or anything like that.' Unfortunately, the show could not go on for Boy Hits Car, though they did end up getting a bit of press for the canceled gig. And yes, they're fully aware of how 'ironic' the band name is given the situation, as they made clear in a TV interview they posted to Instagram. The band posted a message noting: 'We're grateful no one was hurt and we appreciate everyone who reached out in concern. It wasn't the night we planned, but it sure was memorable.' The Whisky a Go Go first opened its doors on Sunset Boulevard in 1964. The club has helped to launch the careers of dozens of A-list musical acts and played a part in the history of some of the world's most famous bands, from The Monkees to Metallica. In 1966, The Doors served as the club's house band for several months.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dump Truck Slams Into Iconic Rock and Roll Venue
A dump truck drove into the Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California, on the afternoon of Friday, May 10. Saadullah Sheikh, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said no injuries were reported following the accident, and it's unclear exactly what caused the driver of the vehicle to lose control, per the Los Angeles Times. The unfortunate incident took place just before 2 p.m. PT. The truck collided with five other cars before hitting the 102-year-old building. Jeff Monford, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison, said the vehicle took down a main electrical wire. The incident initially caused an outage for 1,420 customers. However, it was brought down to 225 after crews rerouted power. The Whisky a Go Go opened on January 16, 1964, and is often regarded as one of the first rock and roll clubs in the United States. Countless incredible acts have played there over the years, including The Doors, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Van Halen, Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Soundgarden, and Nirvana. Fun fact: The Whisky is actually where the term 'go-go dancer' became mainstream because women would dance in glass booths wearing mini-skirts and boots. A less fun fact about the Whisky is that infamous killer Charles Manson used to frequent the establishment. Manson, who died in jail on November 19, 2017, at 83 years old, was an aspiring musician before being convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people in 1971. The Whisky a Go Go has been featured in many films and television shows like The Graduate, Daisy Jones & The Six, Entourage, Lucifer, Get Him to the Greek, and more. Related:
