Hell On Earth

Devilles Pad:

3 Aberdeen St, Perth WA
(08) 9225 6669 or www.devillespad.com

Photo: Johnny Trask

Devilles Pad was originally conceived for The Parmelia Hilton in Perth. But when that project got shelved, Josh Collins and his team decided to press on alone. It took them eight months to convert a rundown shell into a bizarre hellish bazaar. Inspired by a love of old fashioned nightclubs in movies — cosy seating, good food, fine drinks and a great theme — Collins, trained in the art of theatre design, and having worked in Las Vegas for a couple of years, formulated a blend of ‘60s movies, Las Vegas and Walt Disney theme park décor. A lot of effort went into creating the multi-levelled subterranean appearance; with a raised stage and booth areas, as well as a sunken volcanic dancefloor erupting from what was a derelict wino area into a monstrous structure covered in 20,000 gem stones and 100kg of glitter! The foyer and boutique area is finished with garish German wallpaper and salvaged federation wood to give a Victorian psychedelic gothic, haunted house look, while the disused black marble dancefloor was used to evince a mausoleum effect in the entrances. If it wasn’t already totally obvious, the theme has been pursued to the nth degree. Witness the devilish array of props, such as the Devil Girls and three-metre marlin, and then there’s the food and booze with names like Meffizzto and Dark Lord’s Punch. Iron Living crafted the metalwork (the Loony Toons-style smoke and flame designs were by menu illustrator and Nickelodeon artist Derek Yanniger), while all the soft furnishings were made by Hotrod upholsterers. “I trained as a theatre designer and have worked in movies and videos, but prefer the more permanent world of bar imagineering,” sums up Collins of the impetus behind this theatrical treasure.