In the first of a new series of 'scene reports' of varying foci from all around the world, our chief antipodean correspondent Gilbert Potts gives an introduction to the Melbourne live music scene and the many great new bands to be found within it...
Despite some venue closures over recent years there's a good range of spots to see bands in the CBD and inner city suburbs of Melbourne. Like a lot of cities there are strong music communities and bands that tend to play together a lot. Sunday to Wednesday are pretty quiet, although there's normally someone playing, but Thursday to Saturday is when most of the action happens. Most gigs finish between around midnight and 1:00 am, although the pubs tend to kick on, some as night clubs.
Two venues that you'd class as icons are The Tote and The Espy and I invite you to come on a short walking tour that travels between the two.
Built in 1876, The Tote has been the home of punk, hardcore, heavy rock and the like since 1980, and in 2010 became the flashpoint for licencing laws and rallies of 2,000 and then 10,000 live music fans saw changes to laws and the saving of the venue. It's got a band room that hold 300 with adjoining beer garden on one side and front bar on another. It's daggy, worn out and displays flyers from past performers including The Birthday Party, The Meanies, Cosmic Psychos, Mudhoney, The White Stripes and Fugazi.
Bands you'll see there now include the likes of local punks Cuntz, grindcore outfit Agents of Abhorrence and the much loved psych band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard who have earned a spot at this year's Austin Psych Fest and whose “Float Along – Fill Your Lungs” has been named album of the year by Beat magazine and in Buzzfeed's album of the year list. They head a healthy list of local psych, dreamy pop and shoegaze bands that includes The Ancients, Flyying Colours, The Citradels and one of my favourites, Lunaire. There's a few small pubs-cum-bandrooms where you can regularly catch bands like these – such as The Public Bar, The Old Bar, The Bendigo Hotel, Ding Dong Lounge and Yah Yah's!.
Venture down to St Kilda and you have The Esplanade Hotel, or The Espy as it's known. With a good sized bandroom, a front bar, a basement and a mezzanine, there can be four bands playing at once and it makes a great place for inner city festivals that attract crowds of a couple of thousand. It's home to the annual Progfest where you'll see the likes of A Lonely Crowd, Caligula's Horse, Toehider and Glass Empire. It's a festival that draws from both metal and rock progressive acts over a broad spectrum so the variety is huge.
The Espy also attracts plenty of indie, hard rock and metal bands. Sonic Forge is run annually with around 30 bands and last year included locals like Ne Obliviscaris, King Parrot and Okera. If you ever need proof how much Aussie metalheads love their music, this is the place to come. Speaking of metal there's also a strong black metal representation with the likes of Encircling Sea and Thrall who we both love here at (((o))).
Well I've just scratched the surface but I hope this gives you an idea of some of the variety of quality live music we have here in Melbourne. If you're ever in the area now you know where to go...
