The rural Australian pub that featured in David Bowie’s “Let's Dance” video in 1983 is on the market, and news of its sale is bound to provoke a wave of nostalgia among fans of the late singer.
George's Carinda Hotel in the small town of Carinda in New South Wales has been listed for sale for AUD $220,000 (€127,200). Located in the outback just 260kms northwest of Dubbo, the hotel welcomes a 'Let’s Dance' festival annually. Fans love it because, in the video, Bowie stands against a wall that remains unchanged to this day.
Speaking to the BBC in 2014, the shoot's location manager, Peter Lawless, remembers Carinda as "the closest thing we could find to a desert-like environment, with its nearby mountain range offering stunning, panoramic views, while the town itself felt untouched by the modern world."
The video follows a young Aboriginal couple from Carinda to Sydney and back again. It was shot in the bar and in the Warrumbungle National Park near Coonabarabran for the title track of the album "Let's Dance," which went on to become Bowie's biggest-selling album, achieving mainstream success around the globe.
The single was the late star's only number one on both sides of the Atlantic, but when he arrived in Carinda, some of the locals didn't know who he was or didn't recognise him. People from the town can be seen dancing in the video or propping up the bar while Bowie sings and plays his guitar. According to the ad, the hotel has a large bar area with beer on tap, glass and bottle fridges as well as two cool rooms, living quarters and three cabins on the property.
"You will meet characters that you will only find in the outback and friends that you will hold for life," the ad says of Carinda. "It is a small town that has a large heart." If you fancy getting your dancing shoes on at George's Carinda Hotel, check out the ad on Gumtree here.
