In was 1985 when Laskey and his twin brother Richard took a leap of faith and bought the Dog House Hotel in Hobart's west."It never occurred to me, but he said 'you run the bands and I will run the bar' … and I said, 'OK why not'."We spent a few nights there just listening to the music, at that time it was a six-night-a-week venue, and we got a really fantastic feel for the vibe of the place," Laskey said.
The live music scene in Hobart in the 80s and 90s was arguably as vibrant as anything the mainland had to offer, with pubs and clubs pumping on any given night of the week.
In Hobart's north at Berriedale there was, and still is, the Granada Tavern. Acts like the Boys Next Door — featuring a young Nick Cave — the Dynamic Hepnotics, Cold Chisel and Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons all played there in the 70s and 80s. South of Hobart, the Kingborough Sports Centre played host to high-charting bands Midnight Oil and Split Enz in the 80s.