It feels like there’s almost always fresh news about an Aussie live music venue, and often when Australia closes a venue, we… just open another one.
2015 in particular has been a particularly strong year with new venues such as Blue Basement, The Rockstar Bar, Lido Jazz Room, and 24 Moons in Melbourne; The Sly Fox in Sydney, and Brisbane exploding with the addition of The Foundry, Sonny’s House Of Blues, and The Brooklyn Standard, and Perth getting its very own Pulp-Fiction theme bar in the form of Jack Rabbit Slims.
But sadly The Cellar Bar, located in the basement of the Newmarket Hotel in Melbourne suburb St Kilda, has announced it will be ceasing its live music programme after only setting it up in March earlier this year.
Jeremy Jankie, formerly of renowned Bennetts Lane, broke the news by email to colleagues revealing that the new owners of the Newmarket had decided to take it in a new direction after purchasing it off the Melbourne Pub Group, who operate the Prince Of Wales also in St Kilda.
“Just thought I’d let you know that after this weekend Cellar Bar will no longer be hosting live music,” he wrote. “The new owners feel that running the room as a restaurant and function space works better for them.”
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and to put the coal in the stocking at this normally joyous time of year,” Jankie continue. “Thanks for all the support you have shown to both me and the venue and I look forward to working with you wherever I happen to land in the future.”
The Newmarket Hotel was offloaded by Melbourne Pub Group in September this year to the ever expansive Dixon Hospitality Group, owned by former Spotless chief executive Bruce Dixon who will step down this year from his top job at the cleaning and catering firm to help his son Mike grow his hospitality business.
The fast-expanding pub group now has half a dozen leasehold hotels, including the Trading Wayside Inn, Station Hotel and the Hawksburn Hotel.
