Following on from news that a derelict ‘bomb site’ in the CBD has been converted into ‘Where?House’, the festival hub for Melbourne Music Week, an open-air cinema adding a live “music salon” to their 2013 program; and Fitzroy’s The Rochester opening a new 150 capacity upstairs band room – Melbourne is getting yet another live music venue to add to its live music scene.
Music lovers in Moorabbin can rejoice in the news that the suburb’s Kingston City Hall, better known as the Old Moorabbin Town Hall, has announced it’s return as a live entertainment venu to revitalise the local music scene.
The news came via Steve Kingi, a Melbourne music heavyweight and previous band booker for The Price Of Wales, and comes as a pleasant surprise after the recent closure of various Melbourne live music venues, most recently the iconic loose nightspot Pony – which will be winding up with a 24 hour live music marathon on the 1st of December.
Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic Morrabbin Hall venue after hosting various notorious Australian acts, including AC/DC in their 1976 prime and even Parkway Drive toward the venue’s discontinuation in 2009.
Kingi extends his confidence in working with the Morabbin council on the re-opening through the Kingston Arts website stating: “Since moving on from the Prince Bandroom, I have teamed up with council to bring live music back to this historic venue. And now, after six months of work we feel ready to announce our plans to the music industry”.“I have teamed up with council to bring live music back to this historic venue.”
With refurbishments expected to be complete by April 2013, the venue in Melbourne’s south east, holds a capacity of 1,000 in its Grand Hall and 300 in its Baby Grand with both offering seated or standing positions, which Kingi insists is “one of the only suburban venues” to do so.
With catering to underage, as well as over 18 shows, the venue holds hope for Melbourne’s live music scene with continuous closures recently popping up around town due to various and sometimes unforeseen reason, including the demise of venues including The Arthouse,and Pheonix Public House in the last 12 months.
But a spate of new venues offer hope for Melbourne’s music scene, including Level 2 opening just up the road from The Northcote Social Club, and Sydney Road’s eccentrically named The Rare And Reclusive, Oft Neglected, Lesser Spotted Mallard being a new spot hosting live music events.
Best of all, it the reopening of North Melbourne’s beloved Public Bar, with thanks to the owners of fellow live music venue The Old Bar, who now hold a 15-year lease on the pub, as well as following the model of its sister bar by hosting live music from Wednesday through Sunday every week.
