Tensions are rising over Queensland's new ID scanning laws, with another big-name Brisbane venue criticising the rollout.
Popular Paddington bar Lefty's Old Time Music Hall's owner savaged the state government for "killing" business and nightlife.
It was a relatively busy Friday night on Caxton Street as Queensland Reds fans spilled out of Suncorp Stadium looking for a drink after a close win.
According to owner Jamie Webb's post to the venue's Facebook page on Saturday morning, the game, combined with a sold-out gig, made for what should have been a bumper night.
Instead, he said it was more like a Thursday evening as almost 150 people were turned away at the door for not having acceptable ID and others couldn't stand the long wait to get in.
"I'm not gonna sugar coat this tonight was hard and for no other reason that the ID scanners," Mr Webb's post said.
"I have never been abused more tonight out of pure frustration since I ran a door with a dress code, the hospitality has been taken from our front door due to these laws and it is now our job to bring it back and figure out how to make these laws, which we wont (sic) be able to change, fit with our ethos.
"As it stands what we are doing is not working."
The backlash came days after the general manager of one of Australia's best bars complained he was forced to turn away a dozen respected French winemakers because some did not have passports.
"If they were to fly out today their last impression that they got of Australia is that 'we weren't allowed into the venue because we didn't have a passport', even though they're sober, of age, polite," The Gresham's Ryan Lane told Fairfax Media on Thursday.
News Corp reported boxer Danny Green, a face of the One Punch Can Kill campaign, was denied re-entry to The Caxton Hotel after Jeff Horn's momentous WBO welterweight title bout on Sunday because he did not have an ID.
Both Labor and the LNP supported the introduction of ID scanners to combat late-night violence.
During the week, a spokeswoman for acting Attorney-General Anthony Lynham said the government's response to alcohol-fuelled violence was evidence-based.
"ID scanners are designed to keep patrons safe and ensure they can have a fun night out," she said, in a statement.
"ID scanners are designed to ensure a person with a banning order - which includes people with a history of alcohol-fuelled violence - can't enter a licensed venue.
"The Palaszczuk government remains committed to working with the industry and encouraging a diverse nightlife in Queensland as well as making our towns and cities safe places to go out at night."
On Saturday, a spokeswoman for Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said 278,000 IDs had been scanned and eight people with banning orders had been flagged trying to enter venues.
"There will always be teething problems when reform on this scale comes into play," she said, in a statement.
It is now mandatory for licensed venues operating after midnight in Safe Night Precincts, such as Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, to have ID scanners.
Six venues chose to shut at midnight rather than install the scanners amid push-back from industry about the security guard qualifications needed to operate the venues.
Mr Webb said patrons' frustrations made "minimal" incidents inside worse, with guards copping the brunt.
"We learned a lot of lessons about how to adapt to this shit tonight which we will implement tomorrow and continue to do until we get this right," he said, on Facebook.
"Tonight cannot happen again, we are not in business of pissing people off before they come in, let alone the close to 150 people who didnt (sic) even make (it) past the scanners."
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