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the nature strip

  • the nature strrip mix tapeThe Nature Strip. 

    The Nature Strip
    + The Smoking Ruins
    Mixtape Brewery, Marrickville
    Friday, 18 September 2026
    Words and Pictures: JOHN VENTOURA

    It was a beautiful spring night when Marrickville’s Mix Tape Brewery played host to a very capable double bill in local legends The Nature Strip expertly supported by The Smoking Ruins.

    Joined by a long-time muso friend for his initiation to the venue, I was keen to get an insider's take on the evening. For the uninitiated, Mixtape is a relatively new Inner West space building a fierce reputation for free live music.

    It’s a vast, clean room offering good value craft beers, spirits, wines (even chilled reds), and quality snack food—a safe haven for like-minded company, all for zero dollars entry. Acoustically, the room is beautifully dialled in with wall dampeners and high-positioned speakers providing a rich, full sound anywhere in the room. Kudos to Jeff, whose tablet-controlled mix was of a pleasingly high standard all night.