In an explosion of leather, sunglasses and band t-shirts, Melbourne’s music community turned out in force last night in a peaceful rally/protest against the closure of arguably the city’s most iconic rock n’ roll venue. Wellington and Johnston Streets in Collingwood were blocked off to traffic as Melbourne’s music lovers and musicians – some who have never been seen out in broad daylight – gathered to mourn the closing of a venue known to music fans around the world. A queue of several hundred snaked down Wellington Street lining up to get in to the venue, while approximately 1500 gathered out the front. Media crews walked amongst the throng, interviewing crowd members and documenting a scene unlike any other ever witnessed in Collingwood.
Music scene identities littered the crowd while noted author Chopper Read was spotted entering the venue. To a cheering crowd, a PA was set up in one of the upstairs rooms from which comedian Rod Quantock and Yarra City councillor Stephen Jolly addressed those gathered below. The biggest cheers were reserved for Melbourne music legend and Tote Publican Bruce Milne, who’s dignified battle against bureaucracy has inspired the music scene around Australia. Laughing at a wag in the crowd yelling out ‘needs more bass in the foldback’, he told them ‘I can’t keep The Tote open … but this is the point where we draw a line in the sand and say this is not going to happen again in Melbourne’. In a particularly moving moment, the crowd began chanting ‘Bruce, Bruce, Bruce’ in unison. In a sign that the closure of The Tote has become an increasingly political issue, the Director of Liquor Licensing Victoria, Sue Maclellan, issued a poorly spelled statement detailing claims the body has against the Tote just before the protest. These claims have been largely refuted by Milne.
The Tote has announced a killer line up of bands to play what will be the last ever gig in the venue – at least as we know it. Tickets went on sale at midday Sunday on The Corner Hotel’s website sending the site in to meltdown and were quickly sold out to several hundred lucky punters – some of whom were planning to fly from interstate to be at the gig.
The closure of the venue has left thousands of music lovers in mourning right around Australia. Local music identity and former Tote band booker Luke Roberts (who once booked a little known band called The White Stripes to play there) told Tone Deaf ‘It’s fucked! I’ve been going to The Tote for 20 years. I first saw Ratcat play there in February 1990’. Roberts reckons he’s seen in the order of 3,000 bands play the venue, with highlights being ‘too many to mention’ but recalls The Dictators, Mike Patton, Babes in Toyland, Zeke, Guitar Wolf and Bob Log 111 as mind blowing gigs. He also singles out Brian Mannix of Uncanny X-Men joining Legends of Motorsport on stage to sing ‘Everyone Wants To Work’ as a moment he’ll never forget. Local musician Mikey Stabbs played the venue dozens of times in several bands over the years and reflects: ’It was unique in that so many bands had their first gigs there and would come back to play again and again and again’.
Melbourne is a poorer place for the demise of The Tote as a band venue. Tone Deaf hears that several approaches have been made to the venue’s owner to run it as a music venue but The Tote as tens of thousands of music lovers knew it is over. While the music scene has practically lost a limb as the result of The Tote closing, it doesn’t have to be terminal. Music lovers are urged to use their passion to let the Government know that changes to legislation which are throttling live venues can’t remain. Laws that lump a venue like The Tote in with beer barns prone to alcohol fuelled violence are ludicrous. The Tote may be gone but we can’t let other live music venues follow suit. Don’t get angry, get even and remind the Government in writing and most crucially at the polling booth. To Bruce and the staff of The Tote, we salute you.
The Tote’s final gig features the following bands:
The Drones
Dan Kelly’s Dream Band
Beaches
Spencer P Jones & The Escape Committee
The Stabs
The Dacios
Hoss
Legends Of Motorsport
Dave Graney & The Lurid Yellow Mist
Dynamo
Deaf Wish
Guttersnipes
Kamikaze Trio
The Nation Blue
The Onyas
The Breadmakers
Cosmic Psychos
The Meanies
The Exotics
Precious Of Jules
Town Bikes
Johnny Casino
Bombshells
Digger And The Pussycats
With the massive gig selling out in minutes this morning ,don’t despair as you can listen to the gig live via RRR or PBS
Click the link to join the group to help save The Tote and check out the photos from yesterday.
– Jim Murray
Watch The Day Unfold here:
