Candlelit gigs, records, signature cocktails, and hot dogs
The western end of Hunter Street has built a reputation for its food and drink offering with a strong lineup including a Japanese-inspired karaoke bar, with a listening cafe next door, Newcastle’s go-to LGBTQ+ drinking spot, a hidden whisky bar, wine bar, and now, a refreshed mad poet experience equal to a New York-style hot dog dive bar.
“The vibe is more consistent with the representation of the block. The block is more of an entertainment and nightlife precinct with a lot of high energy party style venues, and that’s the direction we’re moving in,” Dylan said.
The brainchild of musicians and bandmates Dylan James Oakes and Gary Seeger alongside his wife, Sophie Seeger, mad poet originally opened in January 2024 and today, 12 months later it’s been reborn with a fresh twist.
Dylan James Oakes
“We’ve moved away from the high-end wine and classic cocktails, instead taking more of a fun approach to the cocktail menu and a more affordable range of beers, wine, and spirits.”
The result is an intimate and inviting space where you can still expect 100% vinyl but now offering signature cocktails, affordable drops, and loaded hot dogs.
The hot dog menu includes classic, German, and southern toppings as well as a selection of specials (see the board for updated options), as well as totts, loaded totts (with pulled pork and coleslaw), and meatballs.
“We’ll be playing a little bit of sport and some retro concerts on the TV. Overall, it’s just a fun and easy venue.”
The idea for mad poet came about when Dylan and Gary first started jamming and formed their band, Les Poétes Pop – hence the name of the bar.
“While we were hanging out and doing that, we’d have one another over and I’d bring over bottles of wine, then Sophie would do a charcuterie board, then Gary and I would play and argue about music.”
With such a whopping vinyl collection, there’ll always be a variation in the tunes that are played, depending on the mood. You might be drinking to the crooning sounds of Frank Sinatra one night, nodding your head to The Kinks the next, or dancing to flamenco music, and grooving to Kylie Minogue to cap things off.
Come Wednesday nights, mad poet kicks it up a notch with their live & intimate gigs starting at 8pm. Expect 45-minute sets over candlelight showcasing original songs from some of Newcastle's finest musicians. Starting in February, you can also expect DJs spinning records once a month.
Keep your eyes peeled for events at mad poet too, like poetry nights and listening parties. With so much potential for entertaining conversation and interesting music, drop in for a drink at mad poet and see where the evening takes you.
