Cherry Bar is a Melbourne institution, Mr James Young, the man behind Cherry Bar is a Melbourne institution. Known for playing host to the most legendary rock shows around, there’s no question as to why Cherry is everyone’s favourite rock n roll hangout.
From Cherry Bar has grown Cherry Rock, hosted on AC/DC lane, Cherry Rock is a rock n’ roll street festival like no other. 2 stages, 13 of the best local and international acts, and no clashes.
2014 also welcomes Cherry Rock’s inaugural festival in Sydney, hosted at The Factory Theatre on May 31st, Young and his crew are bringing a little AC/DC lane to NSW. In celebration of Cherry Rock and the bar that gave birth to this great festival, we asked James Young to put together a list of the dozen most ‘memorable moments’ from Cherry Bar’s history.
Intro
“The thing about Cherry is that we don’t host parties you’ll never forget; we host parties you’ll never remember.
Every week there’s some kind of moment….Tom Morello DJing and coming in every night when Springsteen tours, The Bellrays getting up on stage and spontaneously playing Highway to Hell, porn star Ron Jeremy walking in to an empty Cherry at midnight on a Monday and instantly falling asleep on the couch and all the staff take a group shot with him asleep, The Exorcist’s Linda Blair midnight Halloween DJ set followed by her asking James Young to tuck her in to bed that night, Noel Gallagher has a huge night and offers to buy Cherry…
A definitive list is a tough assignment, but here goes….”
New York Dolls Play Cherry
“$20 for the hottest ticket in town, thanks for coming. And the band stayed till 4am talking to anyone about anything. Gold.”
Graveyard Play Cherry
“We snaffle the only sidewave show in Australia for the best band in the world right now, Graveyard, the Swedish psych-stoner rock gods delivered. ‘Got no friends, only people that I know…'”
Jack Black
“Jack Black comes in and dances all night long on the Cherry stage. He’s done this twice.”
Axl Rose, Guns ‘N Roses
“Axl comes in to Cherry and stays for over 5 hours. I later hear he hasn’t done that in any venue in the world in over ten years. Getting a serf to pull the plug on our Jukebox cos ‘Axl doesn’t do Creedence’ was unusual…”
Steel Panther Cherry Jam
“Steel Panther host a huge Sunday night after-party at Cherry after their sold-out Festival hall show. They postpone their flights to Adelaide to stay in Melbourne and at Cherry for another night. They come in to our Cherry Jam night where we supply backline and anyone can get up and play. They get up and play five songs, including ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ with our Soundie Red on lead vocals.”
Cherry says “Nah” to Gaga
“Incredibly credible or just plain stupid? Cherry is invited to host Lady Gaga’s July the 4th party, but won’t move its existing Wednesday night booking with Mildura 2-piece blues outfit Jackson Firebird. Gaga goes to the Northcote Social Club instead. At Cherry we respect our existing bookings.”
Milking CherryRock 2008
“Brisbane’s toughest rockers SixFt Hick are playing when an excitable female fan in the front row squirts her breast milk at them from up to 5 metres away.”
The Arctic Monkeys
“Just last week, the band who are trying to save rock n roll came into Cherry and stayed all night, two nights running.”
The Black Keys
“Yes, they played on the Cherry Stage!”
Chuck Leavell, The Rolling Stones’ Music Director & Keyboard Player For 30+ Years
“…Is to host an exclusive showcase appearance at Cherry this year on the Stones’ ‘day-off.’ Those who have tickets to this sold-out show on Friday 7 November may well witness the greatest musical coup in the history of Cherry…”
Matt Sonic & The High Times Mirror Blues
“Matt Sonic & the High Times play a blistering psych-rock set that shakes the massive mirror behind the Cherry Bar off the wall, crashing down into a million pieces and… no-one is hurt.”
1st Of Rocktober 2004, Christening Of AC/DC Lane Day
“James Young books a totally unknown band from Warrnambool to play two sets for $100. Cherry Bar introduces Melbourne to….Airbourne.”
Cherry Rock Festival 2014
Meat Puppets (USA)
Brant Bjork (USA)
Gay Paris
Hell City Glamours
King of the North
Drunk Mums
Redcoats
Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk
Beastwars (NZ)
Don Fernando
The Lockhearts
Child
Bitter Sweet Kicks
The Harlots
Melbourne | AC/DC Lane
Sunday May 26th
Doors: 12 noon
Tickets: www.cherrybar.com.au
Sydney | Factory Theatre
Saturday May 31st
Doors 2pm
Tickets: www.factorytheatre.com.au
