Melbourne rockers All The Colours are preparing to return to stages with a brand new single in ‘Why So Sorry?’ this October.
Deftly swerving from the sludgy, leather jacket-clad rock sounds of previous tracks ‘Tear It Down’ and ‘You Know, I Don’t’, the latest from All The Colours throws them into cool 90’s, Weezer-like territory.
A vibe.
All The Colours – ‘Why So Sorry?’
Ahead of their new round of tour dates, band members Jono Toogood, Josh Moriarty and Josh Mann think back on some of their favourite Melbourne music haunts. The venues that have provided memories, great vibes; the late night hotspots that have contributed to Melbourne’s strong live music culture.
John Curtin Hotel
This is a regular, homely visit for me. It’s run by some old friends of mine and when they purchased this, some years ago now, they gave it a new lease on life.
It’s got all the staples; live music upstairs, Sonny’s chicken (and burgers) for classic quality comfort food and lovely staff…sorry, and heaps of booze. Including pink white wine on tap.
The main thing is that it has a warmth from being managed well and has therefore an inherent positive culture. Always treated with respect, served well and looked after. I like to pull up a spot near the bar, order some picking-at foods and just chip away at drinks and conversations with mates or the bar staff until words stop forming correctly. A must.
Band Memory: I recall playing there during a massive downpour and buckets being placed around the room to catch the leaks in the roof. No safety concerns, but it was a wild night and just felt like we were all going to be washed away at any point!
Globe Alley
This is a fairly new addition to the list, but the location has always been a favourite. Globe Alley is the latest incarnation of the 1 Globe Alley addy and I think they’ve done it right.
Again, good food, great staff and a rock n roll approach gives it an instant “Let’s have some fun!” vibe. They keep entry always free, love live music and throw money and support behind growing a stronger local music community. Warning: the hot chicken wings are f@&$ing hot!
Their attitude towards growing the community is exactly why we decided to run our monthly Repent Repeat event there. (Obviously thank you to the team there for allowing us). The event will be a monthly party and showcase for the best bands and live acts, party DJs and photographers from all over the country. We love supporting others and bringing great music to new audiences so make sure you come along!
Boney
This pace is an old fave from the acid days, mid 2000’s rock n roll mania. Of course, then it was called Pony but adding an ‘e’ (green Mitsubishi, anyone?) and an extra dash to the letter P doesn’t fool me.
I remember Jono and I’s old band, 1QA, playing here every other month for the 2am slot, it was a wild scene. The freaks come out at night! You would have to sit around at home on a Friday/Saturday night trying to stay sober until midnight before loading the van and heading into the lion’s den.
Back in those days, I had a false front tooth I could remove and at Pony shows, I would like to take it out and use it as a guitar pick to freak people out while screaming toothless into the audience.
All The Colours played there recently and I don’t think anyone bothered to exorcise the place or burn any sage cos the vibe was the same, slightly turnt and a little possessed, we had a blast.
The Espy Basement
The Espy Basement is Back!
Physically it has changed a little, like the building above it. When you went to the basement it felt like God was looking the other way, and people were crazier than they normally would be. This quality, I believe, has been retained; we felt it immediately when going back there recently for a sweaty bloody show of punk rock.
Band Memory: J Moriarty reminding the crowd squished in that while the building above had been transformed to this lovely Modern Central Coast style pub, they had somehow overlooked the exorcism to get the spooky crazy out of the basement.
In fact, talking about J Moriarty, this would have been the first time we ever met, in the green room before a 1QA show. I sauntered down there to tell anyone and everyone, just with my eyes, that they were never getting close to my talent and looks and what should those eyes get stuck on? J’s old Fender Tele with cello-taped images of the female genitalia. What an axe!
You can tell a lot by the way a player winds fresh strings on. I stuck around to confirm my suspicions and sure enough, here was the only other guitarist in Melbourne, that wasn’t Phil Para, that had a clue and a rock band. With the right line up and money for booze, these memories may be recreated in a new generation.
The B.East
This venue is definitely one our favourites: Burgers, Beers, Bands and the fourth unmentioned B, which dynamically changes depending on the weather.
These guys have it down to sequence so everybody has a great time, perfect to start your night as nobody is getting super cooked at a burger bar. Then the rock and roll starts!
I’ve actually liked every lineup I’ve seen here; it sounds great, is intimate enough to bring the crowd in. Every single one of the staff are friendly and tell you if you don’t suck; ample chuffing room outside on the BBQ style tables and for once, just in the right spot to get your mates to come and hang any day of the week! I swear I saw Goldeneye on N64 in the corner a while back too!
All The Colours Tour Dates
Saturday, October 5th
Globe Alley, Melbourne
Event
Saturday, October 12th
Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney
Event
Friday, November 8th
Globe Alley, Melbourne
Event
