7 NIGHTS A WEEK LIVE MUSIC
74-76 Johnston St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Open 7 days 3pm - 3am
9417 4155
OLD BAR GALLERY UPSTAIRS
GOOD PEOPLE • GOOD STAFF • GOOD BANDS
NO DICKHEAD BEHAVIOUR TOLERATED
Band Bookings: bandbookings@theoldbar.com.au
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Upcoming Gigs
GOOD MUSIC PRESENTS: REAL SLEAZE w/ LIPSTEREO + THE HEART SHAPED ACES + THE VALIANTS
Good Music presents REAL SLEAZE.
Playing Indie Sleaze hits until late.
Also featuring live performances from...
LIPSTEREO
THE HEART SHAPED ACES
THE VALIANTS
STOKAHR + BRADILY + DIACETYL + MARKU + VESHAWN
Come down to The Old Bar to see Naarm/Melbourne's hottest talent. You're not going to want to miss this amazing night!
With #TRANSDANCE to make your body move from the likes of Stokahr, beautiful and emotional music from Bradily, Marku and Diacetyl mixed with some alternative hip/hop from Veshawn!
Accompanied by a SMNDIF Merch stall to get all your swag in order for the night!
This event will be a night to remember so Make sure you get down and wear your swag and get ready to dance and move!
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: THE RELAYS + FORKLIFT ASSASSINS
The band's growing buzz can be attributed to their blistering live shows, characterized by an element of unpredictability thanks to autistic frontman and guitarist Shann Lions, along with the rhythmic consistency of lead drummer Mik Weird and the youthful energy of bassist El Wellard.
Relays' debut self-titled album was released independently on October 2, just in time for their performance at the Chopped Festival (October 4-6), where they shared the stage with acts like Cosmic Psychos and A. Swayze & The Ghosts .
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: ROLES - Launch + GREAT AUSTRALIAN BANK
FREE SUNDAY AFTERNOON EVENT!
ROLES are launching their 7 track EP 'About Death' with Special guests GREAT AUSTRALIAN BANK.
ROLES: https://linktr.ee/roles___roles
GREAT AUSTRALIAN BANK: https://linktr.ee/greataustralianbank
Roles announce their new EP About Death, releasing November 22—a work that stares death in the eye and says, “Sit down; we’ve been expecting you.” This EP hums in the twilight of pop, moving across a spectrum from no wave to post-punk. The electronic focused duo lead us into the mundane strangeness of mortality, stripped bare, woven into the ordinary.
To celebrate the release, Roles will host an EP launch at the Old Bar in Fitzroy, Melbourne, on Sunday, November 24. Special guests Great Australian Bank will join for this free event, running from 4 to 6 pm—an afternoon of post-punk and synthesised sounds.
This event will take place on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. Sovereignty was never ceded.
The Old Bar is a semi-accessible venue, the entrance has a manual door with a tiny step.
SNAILGUN + PURRERS + THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS
Huge line up!
Snailgun + Purrers + Flocks + The Cars that Ate Paris
$15 on door
Doors at 7pm
STEPPERS - Launch + SOCIAL STREET + KEETS
// STEPPERS //
Friday November 29th at Fitzroy’s Old Bar marks your chance to help Melbourne based, 7-faced soul machine Steppers to begin rounding out a wildly successful year.
In the last 12 months alone, Steppers have achieved the release of 3 singles, regular radio features & interstate tours, and gigs at countless Melbourne music institutions - one including a sold out Corner Hotel supporting funk juggernauts The Bamboos.
With decades of collective experience in and around the Melbourne music scene, their dedication to the craft is outmatched only by the desire to deliver the troves of strange, precise soul within their arsenal.
Joining Steppers are lush lovers Social Street & burgeoning soul beauty Keets.
~~~~
FRIDAY NOV 29
OLD BAR // $15
NOT TO BE MISSED
ROOTBEER + FOUR SINNERS + THE ANTICS
ROOTBEER 35 year reunion show!
Formed in Croydon in 1989, ROOTBEER quickly became kings of the early 90’s all ages scene playing shows with the MEANIES, SPIDERBAIT, TUMBLEWEED, and NURSERY CRIMES, which earned the band support slots for international tours like FUGAZI, BAD BRAINS and ALL. The band also toured Europe with BORED! and released an album through SHOCK records.
November 30 sees ROOTBEER get together for a one off party to celebrate 35 years and have some fun.
Together on the bill are high energy punk rockers THE ANTICS.
And also the debut performance of THE 4 SINNERS playing only early HARD ONS covers.
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: TRUCKERS FOR CHRIST + THE DELVENES
Join TFC on the 'White Trashabilly Micro Tour' with The Delvenes for 18 wheels of rockabilly and surf pop good times
DISPLACED RECORDS: MYSTERY SHOPPERS + SCOWLS + MOUSE ORCHESTRA
Displaced Records returns with their second show “Displaced at The Old Bar”, highlighting a lineup of 3 awesome bands with members from all over the world who now call Melbourne home.
In the spring heat of a night in Melbourne the stars have aligned to bring you MYSTERY SHOPPERS. This band new brand is taking never seen before originals to the stage. Come to the Old Bar so you can say "I saw them when they were just startin' out" to your kids and grandkids at the dinner table. Don't miss this opportunity!
Scowls is an indie multimedia music and art project intrinsically wrapped within themes of youth, teenage rebellion, and adolescent wrath. Dissecting the cultures and mentalities of the adult world, Scowls inherently tackles coming of age and the transition into adulthood with the raw vitality of the DIY Aesthetic. Fusing musical influences from The Strokes, Radiohead and Alex G with the open emotional expressionism of bands such as Arcade Fire and Black Country New Road, Scowls is pure emotional and artistic expression from the maturing late teenage mind.”
Izzy weirs mouse orchestra is a revolving cast of poet Isolde Weir and an assortment of ragtag mischiefs from about town. Imagine a wes anderson movie about young gay love soundtracked by a balkan brass band. Expect shenanigans!
TYLER RICHARDSON (LUCA BRASI) + BEC STEVENS + KELSIE RIMMER
Get ready for an intimate experience as Tyler Richardson, the heart and soul behind Luca Brasi, steps out for his highly anticipated solo tour at the end of 2024. Known for his raw storytelling and expressive songwriting, Tyler brings a collection of deeply personal and stripped-back performances, showcasing tracks from his solo work as well as reimagined Luca Brasi favourites. This is a rare opportunity to see Tyler up close, delivering the same energy and passion that has made him a staple of Australia’s punk scene, but with a new, introspective twist. Don’t miss out on a night of powerful, heartfelt music in its purest form.
Tickets available now – secure your spot for an unforgettable evening!
TURTLE SKULL + BURIED FEATHER + SHROUD + TTTDC
Heavy psych rockers Turtle Skull return with their new single Apathy – a fuzz drenched anthemic middle finger to engagement-driven existence and its impact on our ability to authentically experience life.
In support of the release, the band is embarking on their biggest tour yet, a 7-date run along the Australian east coast.
Apathy is the second taste of Turtle Skull’s forthcoming album, slated for a mid-2025 release. Their previous full length Monoliths (2020) debuted locally at #1 on the AIR 100% Independent Albums chart and reached #4 on the Doom Charts - a highly-regarded monthly curation of the best international heavy releases, and garnered attention from local and international music media, including NME.
They’ve since sold out headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne, toured NZ, and played festivals including Camp A Low Hum (NZ), The Gumball (NSW), Vivid (NSW) and Ninchfest (VIC), and supported leading international and local acts such as Frankie and the Witch Fingers (USA), Earthless (USA), and Stonefield.
SNOWGUM PRESENTS: SLCJH + SUNNY MORRIS + HUGH FUCSHEN + WINTER McQUEEN & ACACIA PIP
We’re excited to be hosting our final show for the year on Sunday the 8th of December at the Old Bar! You can catch sets from some of our favourite local songwriters - Acacia Pip & Winter McQuinn, Hugh F, Slcjh, and Sunny Morris - for only $15!
This event is a safe space and antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated. Let a band member, venue staff, or the Snowgum crew know if someone’s behaviour is making you feel uncomfortable and we will do our best to help you out.
We acknowledge that this event is taking place on the stolen land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, as well as acknowledging that sovereignty was never ceded.
Poster art by @buzz__inga
STELLA BRIDIE + CHITRA
Naarm/Melbourne's Stella Bridie brings her debut EP Speaking Terms to life on December 12 at The Old Bar. Known for crafting songs that capture the raw emotions of life's quieter moments, Stella blends indie rock’s cathartic energy with pop-infused melodies, drawing comparisons to artists like boygenius, Ethel Cain and Olivia Rodrigo. Her striking lyrics and emotive delivery as heard in her recent single ‘He Didn’t Mean It’ have earned her praise from Rolling Stone, NME, and triple j, as well as slots on major playlists like Apple Music's New Music Daily and Spotify's Fresh Finds. Potent and primal, her EP debut arriving on Nov 28, is set to establish Stella Bridie’s voice as a necessary addition to the indie landscape. Don’t miss this chance to experience her powerful, evocative sound live.
DEAR SEATTLE + LUCKY
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A GA TICKET ONLY (WITHOUT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD & KEYCHAIN)
Love, loss, addiction, nostalgia, and every salient moment of life in-between beats at the insatiable core of TOY, the forthcoming third studio album from Sydney alt-rockers Dear Seattle, due out January 17 2025 via Domestic La La.
Showcasing Dear Seattle both brandishing their trademark infectious craftsmanship while also showcasing their palpable creative growth over the past few years, TOY is an emphatic collection of relatable anthems to belt at the top of your lungs; an album that feels instantly familiar yet fresh in one exhilarating sweep that unfurls across the 12 tracks.
To celebrate the album’s upcoming release, Dear Seattle announce a 10-date national release party tour set for December and January. Kicking off in Hobart,the band will showcase tracks from the new album alongside some of their beloved favourites. Housed in intimate venues to deeper connect with theircore fanbase, the band will play full live sets, sign merchandise, play pool, andhang out with their fans before the set. This unique format will enable fans tointeract with the band fostering a sense of community as they collectivelycelebrate the much-anticipated release of TOY.
GRACE ROBINSON + KYLE GLOVER + SKINNY WIZARD
Despite both being raised in the Naarm music community, Grace Robinson and Kyle Glovers actually first crossed paths in Darwin in 2023 where they spent time swimming, singing and sunning in the beautiful Larrakia country together. Since then, both artists have embarked on their own exciting musical journeys, launching highly anticipated solo band projects in different cities—Grace in Melbourne and Kyle in Darwin. Now, for the first time since their bands' resurrections, state borders are set to be crossed as the two come together for a special co-headline show at The Old Bar on December 14th.
Both in full band form, Kyle Glovers and Grace Robinson will each headline a set at one of Melbourne’s favourite venues, bringing their best show to the stage. The night will then be rounded off by the formidable Skinny Wizard, who’s DJ set is guaranteed to get you sweating it out on the dance floor well into the summer Saturday night.
This is the collaboration of the year, and the show of the summer. It's going to be all about love, pints, music, a bit of dancin' and connecting with friends old and new. Don't miss out!
Set times:
Kyle Glovers Band: 9:30pm
Grace Robinson Band: 10:30pm
Skinny Wizard 11:30pm
Kyle Glovers:
With a 12-track record fresh under his belt, this will be the official debut of the Kyle Glovers band project in Melbourne. Playful and delicate, Kyle's sunwashed serenades remind us that the mundane can be beautiful, even psychedelic. Soft harmonies float alongside drawling melodies. With a voice sweeter than the smell of hibiscus in a dry-season breeze, Kyle's lyrics are odes to escapism, love, and the feeling of content you get from sitting on your favourite park bench. Having sold hundreds of tickets in Darwin's pubs already, Kyles soft rock arrangements and casually beautiful voice will definitely charm your pants off.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/kylegloverband/
Grace Robinson
Coming off the back of her first packed out headline show in November, the Grace Robinson Band couldn't wait to do it again. Grace Robinson has been lingering around the Naarm music scene since she was 14, sneaking onto pub stages to perform Missy Higgins covers. Since then, she’s established herself in electro-soul supergroup Empress and as a notable booking agent for WAT Artists, touring nationally on the festival circuit. However, 2024 saw a return to her roots, and the beginning of a solo project in the indie rock realm. Her new music showcases her extraordinary vocal agility and honest dry storytelling, accompanied by her iconic mint-colored Danelectro guitar. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of musical influences, including Sharon Van Etten, Phoebe Bridgers, and Joni Mitchell, as well as local talents like Julia Jacklin and Angie McMahon, Grace weaves honest and vulnerable narratives into her music, often speckled with self-deprecating gags. By the end of her set, you’ll probably know the ins and outs of her therapy sessions, her relationship with her mum, and her unwavering belief that the Collingwood Pies could’ve gone back-to-back if only they’d made the finals.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracer.obinson/
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: DAVE JOHNSTONE BAND (AMMONIA) + CYCLONE MAVIS
Our drummer Bren is leaving us to move interstate, come cry and dance with us at the Old Bar! Performing alongside Bren’s other band, Dave Johnstone Band (Dave of iconic 90s band Ammonia). Don’t miss our first performance since February and our last ‘til we find a new drummer! A comet of a CM show. Freeee entry and Sunday afternoon - pretty ideal really. Sunday 15th December from 3:30pm.
JACK DAVIES (WA) + ANNA SCHNEIDER + BILLY BARKER
Acclaimed West Australian songwriters Jack Davies and Anna Schneider will be joining forces with the heart wrenching ballads of Billy Barker(VIC) and Claudie Joy(TAS/WA), for a collaborative tour along the fringes of Victoria. This will be an intimate evening of songs, stories and warmly coloured lamps.
Performers...
Jack Davies
Following the release of Jack’s debut solo album “Orange Moon Glow”, a collection of heartwrenching, and sometimes witty ballads, the West Australian folk singer will be touring back across the continent. Playing a string of intimate acoustic shows, showcasing new songs, poems and loosely strung together sentences. Well known for his band "Jack Davies and The Bush Chooks", the group have toured extensively across Australia. Be sure not to miss his unique blend of spoken word, folk picking, sad singing and indi acoustic weirdery.
Claudie Joy
Taking inspiration from beloved storytellers such as Haley Heynderickx and Adrianne Lenker, Claudie paints together thoughtful words and poignant guitar into the delightful mess of sincerity, honesty and obscurity that has seen her charm audiences across the country. After selling out a string of shows in WA with her 7 piece group "Claudie Joy & the Joy Boys", and releasing their debut EP, Claudie made the move to TAS to pursue new opportunities, bringing with her a finely woven blanket of songs. Musical moments that reach in deep to the ever so tender parts of our lives.
Anna Schneider
As her first note floats out into the air, hair on the backs of necks rise and chatter simmers to stunned silence; Walyalup singer-songwriter Anna Schneider has you pulled in, and as she plays on, you’ll want to be nowhere else. The earnest elegance of Anna’s songwriting, which slips between folk and indie with alt-country touchstones, appears tantalizingly effortless, true, and endearingly demanding of your attention. Wrapping up 2023 with two industry nominations for ‘Best Vocalist’ and ‘Best Folk/Singer-Songwriter act’ at the WAM awards and a premiere for her music video ‘Crush’ on ABC’s rage, Anna’s latest single ‘Shiny Thing’, has cemented Anna as a true vocal rarity and an artist to be entranced by.
Billy Barker
With a sound that lands somewhere between Gareth Liddiard and Jeff Buckley, Billy Barkers live show can leave you feeling amused, pissed off and heartbroken within the same pint of beer. With a crowd grabbing presence, Alt-folk singer-songwriter Billy Barker takes audiences down that wondrous and gritty road of everyday life. Over the last five years Billy has repeatedly filled popular Melbourne venues, country pubs and festival stages with his rich catalogue of songs. The pandemic years saw a return home to Victoria’s rugged coastline where he’d first picked up a guitar, inspired by the songs of Dylan and Cohen. There, he’s built a studio, released a record of lost tracks and started recording a new album set for release in 2025. “A stunning songwriter with a pure and timeless voice.” Blake Scott of Peep Tempel.
GHOSTS! OF CHRISTMAS PAST w/ CREEPY TWINS + SOUND FOSSIL + BJ MORRISZONKLE & NERO FRIKTSCHN FEURHERDT
Ghosts! Of Christmas past
The Creepy Twins (AKA Taylor Project) w/ Soundfossil /BJ Morriszonkle+Nero Friktschn Feuerherdt @The Old Bar Tuesday December 17th
A night of classically creepy country ghost songs (Ghost Riders, Long Black Veil etc.); sad country Christmas songs (Christmas in Prison, So Much Wine etc); and other songs and stories about haunted objects. Haunted houses, haunted violins, haunted mitochondrial cells. Also, “every ghost song is a love song”, as they (specifically David Foster Wallace) say. In songs can be found ghosts of our own lives, ghosts in the machine, the ghosts of aborted futures, the “persistence of the no longer”. Ghost towns, ghost Facebook pages, and that colossal plane of things hidden, lost, or left out of place and time. Christmas brings these into sharper focus.
With: Soundfossil, who play opulent, insolent chamber-folk to enjoy with eyes closed - Titanic-foyer muzak for the new 20's, a decade whose mascara is already running.
And: BJ Morriszonkle and Nero Friktschn Feuerherdt who are actual ghosts - confused and upsetting, but actual ghosts. They might play music (harmonium included) or just walk through the walls.
Finally: The Creepy Twins (AKA Taylor Project) will bring folk-nerd songs as a proto-musical-theatre show about the Elmore house and the strange Christmases, tales and dreams had within it, including dead possums, talking walls, and cursed guitars.
We will bring our own ghost stories, and you are invited to bring yours for zine contribution or stage presentation.
Tuesday December 17th at The Old Bar Johnson Street Fitzroy
From 7:30pm.
PARA FUNDRASIER w/ RIN McARDLE + HANNAH McKITTRICK + ROMANIE
Rin McArdle, Hannah McKittrick and Romanie join forces for a very special show to raise money for PARA foundation. Founded and led by Australian Palestinians, PARA helps Palestinian migrants and refugees settle in Australia and achieve their full potential - free from the barriers created by conflict and displacement.
IT'S CAMP DRAG SHOW
Join Drag Performers for an Over-the-Top Celebration of Goofiness and Fun
It’s Camp is the celebration of all things camp. It’s a silly, over the top show with Drag performers showcasing their favourite camp numbers! Expect a blend of dazzling spectacle, infectious energy, and genuine laughs that will keep you entertained from start to finish.
Camp moments of the past include: Passata Giveaways, Hula Hoop Daddies and Lego Cowboys
Secure your tickets now for an evening that promises to be anything but ordinary & it’s camp, it’s quirky, and it’s downright delightful!
With Artists: Silvio Di Baci, Marilyn Costello, Zero and Cockadoodledude
NYE: FRENZEE - Launch + GRIM RHYTHM + TANKERVILLE + THE ANTICS
“On Crete, art forms are ancient and born of the geography, bound to deep traditions. The custodians of Cretan folk music are the Xylouris family, one of the most revered and respected names in Greece.
Apollonia, Nikos and Adonis Xylouris are the next generation. The children of George Xylouris (Xylouris White), schooled and skilled in the ways of the old, these siblings share a kinetic bond that is erupting in real time and their band is called Frenzee.”
- Tom Lyngcoln (Nation Blue/ Harmony)
Melbourne-born, Crete-raised and based siblings Apollonia, Adonis and Nick Xylouris - the trio who quickly won over swarms of Australian fans and fellow musicians after a relentless run of introductory shows earlier this year across Victoria, playing with the likes of Mod Con, Gut Health, Our Carlson and more are back in town. Frenzee's return to Australia was confirmed with their inclusion on the Meredith festival. The punk siblings are releasing their debut long player, What’s Wrong With Me, out Friday 18 October via Poison City Records / Ouga Booga Recordings (GR).
Frenzee have so far released two singles Pink Tax and 100°C. The second heavy-hitter is accompanied by a handy-cam-captured video clip for 100°C shot on location in the band’s Greek home base of Crete, filmed and edited by recently announced ARIA nominated rock outfit, C.O.F.F.I.N’s Ben Portnoy who has also designed their tour poster.
FRENZEE will be launching the album at The Old Bar in Fitzroy on New Year's Eve. Tickets on sale now.
WITH SUPPORT FROM:
GRIM RHYTHM
TANKERVILLE (First show in 3+ years)
THE ANTICS
https://www.instagram.com/frenzee.band/
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: THE REMOTES + 90BPM
The Remotes and 90 BPM rock the Old Bar on a Sunday arvo….FREEEEEE
GIRL AND GIRL + SQUARE + SPURTS
Girl and Girl are back from an extremely fun European tour and new music is coming very soon - come celebrate with them on their Australian spring tour dates.
Australian indie outfit Girl and Girl are known for their passionate, wry brand of hooky, '70s post-punk-influenced guitar rock. Following several buzzed-about EPs, the group signed with Sub Pop and released their 2024 full-length debut, Call a Doctor, which NME called “brilliantly bonkers indie rock”.
Formed in 2020 in Queensland, Girl and Girl features singer/guitarist Kai James, guitarist Jayden Wiliams, bassist Fraser Bell, and drummer Melissa James (aka Aunt Liss). After winning the inaugural Gold Coast Music Prize, Girl and Girl became one of the hottest buzz acts at Australia’s 2022 Bigsound Music Conference. The band supported Dry Cleaning on a national tour of Australia before embarking on a debut European Tour including showcase performances at The Great Escape, support dates with Blondshell and an appearance at London’s Wide Awake Festival in 2023, playing to a packed and heaving main room at London Calling, and rapturous crowds at Pitchfork Music Festival and Rolling Stone Beach.
Girl and Girl was named one of Rolling Stone’s 'Best of SXSW' and NME '10 Essential Acts' at SXSW 2024, and featured on Steve Lamacq’s 6Music SXSW Wrap as a top pick of the festival. They returned to the US for a month-long tour with Royel Otis in May, where they recorded multiple live-to-air radio sessions including a debut performance for KEXP Live.
The band returned to Europe in late 2024 for electric appearances at End of The Road, Manchester Psych Festival and a series of joyful headline shows, ahead of their packed showcase slots at Reeperbahn 2024.
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: GRAND BAXTER + ALISTER TURRIL
OMG they're releasing even more music? You bloody bet ya. And to celebrate this one we're throwing a super fun arvo doo at the legendary Old Bar in Fitzroy with one of the kindest and most beautiful singer-songwriters in existence Mr Alister Turrill. This one's gonna be an absolute blast so come on down and party!
Saturday 16th November, 4pm-6pm
The Old Bar, Fitzroy
Free entry!!
~GRAND BAXTER~
From the forests of eastern Melbourne come Grand Baxter, an alt-folk trio combining earnest songwriting, dense textures of guitar and strings, and a humble country-folk charm. Inspired by Jason Isbell and Gillian Welch, Grand Baxter exists at the intersection of rock, folk and country.
Their latest single ‘Holy Signs’ takes to the lively streets of Fitzroy in a story about those dependable people you can rely on in hard times. With surging guitars and driving rhythms, ‘Holy Signs’ is a powerful dynamic deviation for Grand Baxter, and serves as a compelling preview of Grand Baxter's upcoming EP, 'Silverline' to be released in 2025.
Supported by folky bluesy shaolin master Alister Turrill
THE BRAKES - launch + PROGRAM + THE ANTICS
The Brakes will be gracing the hallowed Old Bar stage on Friday 15 November to launch their long awaited debut LP 'Big Rock' alongside fan favourites Program and barnstorming punk rockers The Antics.
Doors at 8pm
https://theoldbar.oztix.com.au/.../ec68c7b0-2336-409b...
Tickets $15 on the door, $10 + BF presale
BIG ROCK will be out on Legless Records OCTOBER 31st and available at all good record stores.
Fusing swampy rock and tear-jerking ballads with toe-tapping, harp driven 12-bar blues, Big Rock is the album that Melbourne didn't know it needed. With a no-frills approach, The Brakes' debut release showcases the band’s unique blend of down-the-line rock’n’roll, infectious hooks and colloquial story-telling.
So save the date, grab a ticket, put on you dancing shoes and get down to the Old Bar to kick off your weekend in style!
We live, work and play on land that was forcibly taken from Aboriginal people. There has been no Treaty with the First Nations of this place and the effects of colonisation continue to this day.
We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, on whose land this event will take place. We pay our respects to the Elders past and present, and recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded.
There is a strict zero tolerance policy towards racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism or harassment of any kind. Please report any unwelcome behaviour to staff or event organisers.
THE OLD BAR GALLERY PRESENTS: FLAGRANT DYKERY - CJ STARC + SOPHIE SHINGLES
“Tender to those I love and respect”
Stone Butch Blues, 1993, Leslie Feinberg
Sophie and I bring to you our love of dykery, our special interests of queer history and references to our bible - Stone Butch Blues. Flagrant Dykery is a collaborative collection delving into the complex and exposed experience of living in a cishet patriarchal world, with an ode to those before us, around us and our futures.
We draw from the works of Leslie Feinberg and collections of lesbian/queer media (ranging from the 80s to the present day). We seek to highlight the euphoria in blatant expressions of gender and sexuality (or lack thereof) that come from donning clothing and specifically lesbian-coded fashion that is both obvious and hidden. We explore this through re-created everyday historic to present dyke wardrobe staples using denim, cord, and leather. These fabrics are all hardy and long wearing, like our dyke histories.
Something we wish to be noted is our commitment to sourcing second hand materials and textiles, drawing from our own wardrobes as well as gifted clothing and op shops and upholstery business scraps.
Juxtaposing not only the “feminine” techniques of work against our chosen base materials (often found in and perceived as “masculine”), but also the masc/butch identity against the intricacies of our shared crafts. Within this array of garments, each individual piece is reflective of a multitude of aesthetics, symbols, text and flagging strategies (Hanky code being central).
Relevant are the long expressed identities of those who came before, and those with us now in the present. We seek to continue the tradition of refusing what is expected, defending the individual's right to be complex, flagrant and dykey.
We are nothing without the dykes before us.
This exhibition is incredibly personal to us as dykes with a love of sewing, embroidery and leather. We can’t wait to show you what we made, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did creating every piece!!
Where: Old Bar Gallery
Open every day 3-8 pm
When: November 12th - 24th
Opening event: 12th November 6-10:30 pm
Closing event: 24th November 6-10:30 pm
MORBID MONDAYS: UNDERGANG (Denmark) + DOUBLED OVER
Denmark's most abhorrent excreta pedlars UNDERGANG are cramming one more show into the sagging slough remaining of Melbourne town after their sold out appearance at Decennial Deliration. For the soul-stained masses who failed to obtain admittance to their prior show— or for the depraved few who crave a second baptism in bile before these miscreants slither back to Copenhagen — this is the call.
Joining them will be long running distaste makers, the incomparably inimical DOUBLED OVER!
A truly damaging double display to ensure the ruination spreads from weekend to weakday, and seal the labefaction of any timely recovery.
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: RUNNERS & THE YOUNG + GHOSTS ON THE HIGHWAY
Hey friends, we’re playing at Fitzroy’s finest, The Old Bar Sunday 10th November 4-6. Doors open at 3 and the music kicks off at 4 with a set from spook country sensations, Ghosts on the Highway. Pedal Steel Powerhouse, Matt Dixon will be sitting in for our set so don’t miss it!
HOUSE OF LIGHT + S:BAHN + WINTERNATIONALE + FIELD MONUMENTS
HOUSE OF LIGHT
Visiting again from Berlin, House of Light croon amidst a cinematic shoegazy mesh of synth and guitars. Their lyrics evoke the new-romanticism of the 80s and the disillusion of the 90s. Compared to New Order, the Doors & Sonic Youth & been booked with Lydia Lunch, Pete Doherty, the Drones and been interviewed by Andy Rourke of the Smiths. Their album was voted Sound & Vision magazine #2 of 2023, & their song “Cold” #1.
SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/artist/0FaJUAl3mBp7WR82pF7WHp
BANDCAMP https://houseoflight.bandcamp.com
YOUTUBE http://youtube.com/c/HouseofLightLive?sub_confirmation=1
S:BAHN
Local post-punkers with an intensity akin to the Fall, S:Bahn capture the arc of love from flirtation and lust, through betrayal and regret with their latest album 'Love Story.'
https://www.facebook.com/SBahnReboot
WINTERNATIONALE
FIELD MONUMENTS
Ambitious Melbourne indie-rockers Field Monuments have set themselves the task of releasing song a month, every month. Connecting nostalgic dots between sparse indie-folk and explosive post-rock. Featuring ex members of local 90/00s darlings Deloris and Skip Tracer, they play only a couple of times a year so don’t miss out.
https://fieldmonuments.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/fieldmonuments/
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: YEEVS + PURRERS
Gadigal-based three-piece YEEVS have just put out their first new album in five years, ‘The Borderline, Thereabouts’.
Written and recorded from 2020-2023, it’s the band’s most layered, melodic and multifaceted release yet.
Recorded in the Blue Mountains with additional recording done by Tim Kevin at Tempe River Studios, ‘The Borderline, Thereabouts’ shows a band at their most enriching and dynamic.
Joining them on their show at The Old Bar will be local shoegazers Purrers
CHIMERS - Launch + BENCH PRESS + NOHOPER
Chimers hit the road in support of their new album Through Today, out November 8 on Poison City Records (Oceania) + 12XU (North America) and as special guests to Party Dozen (October) and The Saints ’73-’78 (November). Catch the band live in Melbourne, Geelong, Fremantle, Perth, Brisbane, Thirroul, Sydney and Wollongong with more dates to be announced. Don’t miss the chance to see Chimers, live in 2024.
Through Today is Chimers' second long player, ten tracks of raw honest aggression capturing the band at their zeitgeist: right here and right now, as melody and power merge seamlessly into one. Recorded and mixed by Jonathan Boulet (Party Dozen, Body Type, Loose Fit) Through Today is a significant leap forward from Chimers' self-released and self-titled 2021 debut. Traces of late-eighties post-hardcore and alterna-sounds (Fugazi, Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü) seep in and out of the album, but with Chimers' direct and no-unnecessary-fills approach, the sound is always uniquely theirs. Special guests on the album include Kirsty Tickle from Party Dozen and Jordan Ireland of The Middle East.
HUGO VAN BUUREN - launch + SANDY HSU + POLJE NIEUK
HUGO VAN BUUREN has been quietly expanding his practice well beyond its alt-folk roots - stretching out and finding home in the friction between the organic/synthetic, gentle/firm, continuous/discrete. Recent singles ‘Copper Mouth’ and ‘Two Rivers’ have marked the beginning of a more unfiltered chapter, with his sophomore EP ‘Two Truths’ set for release on Thur Nov 7. Hugo will be joined by his full band to celebrate on release day at The Old Bar along with very special guests Sandy Hsu and Polje Nieuk opening the night.
SANDY HSU is a multidisciplinary artist and singer-songwriter whose practice explores themes of the divine feminine, grief, desire, beauty, cultural ties and her diasporic identity. A collection of vivid storytelling entwined with expansive sonic landscapes, Sandy’s music has the ability to settle itself in the chambers of a listeners heart.
POLJE NIEUK is the sound-based collaborative project of dylan marelić and grzegorz dalmata. Their music practice is process-driven, combining DIY electro-acoustics, field recordings, synthesizers, and speech elements. Polje Nieuk works with these elements like building materials to form drones, rhythms, and textures that conjure imagery of hypothetical spaces shrouded in an ambie
PRISON AFFAIR (SPAIN) + BUGHUNT + CLIT SPLIT + PUBLIC FIGURES
Infamous Egg Punk Rockers PRISON AFFAIR, from Barcelona Spain, make their way to Australian shores for the first time! Starting in 2019, their limited cassette releases, weird imagery and friendly shredding rock 'n' roll tunes quickly blew this band up on an out of proportion scale as they shared stages with some of your favourites like Snooper, Gee Tee, research Reactor Corp and lots more!! Catch them at Old Bar, their first Australian East Coast show, supported by local rockers BUGHUNT, CLIT SPLIT and PUBLIC FIGURES (First show! Members of Sunfruits).
Grab your tickets now and be part of the explosive night that Melbourne will be talking about for ages! See you there!
MORBID MONDAYS PUBLIC HOLIDAY EVE EDITION: GRIM RHYTHM + FLY! + SQUAMATA
MORBID MONDAYS AT OLD BAR
Public Holiday Eve at Old Bar for a very special edition of Morbid Mondays at Old Bar. After destroying Tasmania on a short run GRIM RHYTHM are taking the Old Bar Stage on Monday November 4th with supports from Squamata from Geelong.
Back from the depths, Grim Rhythm resurrects their original three-piece lineup to keep the spirit of rock 'n' roll ablaze. Originating a decade ago in the mystical forests of Melbourne's outer west, this instrumental rock trio returns with renewed vigor and fresh music, delivering their signature hard-hitting sound.
Supported by the Blackened Sludge of Squamata all the way from Geelong.
Tickets $15+BF - Cash Specials until 3am
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: CURLY & THE FRINGE + BOOGIE ROCKAFELLA
Curly & the Fringe -
Roll up! If you're into messy banter and a high energy folk/rock show, this is for you. One of us is obsessed with music and the other has a lifelong passion for words. We're Simon-&-Garfunkel-Boy-&-Bear-Angus-&-Julia-Stone-esque, and we've been playing around Melbourne supporting acts like Mick Thomas, Brooke Taylor & Malibu Spacey. Our song 'Over & Over' spent three weeks at the top of the AMRAP charts and is our most streamed song on Spotify.
We've got a super fun 5-piece rock band filled with our very talented friends, Andy, Simmo and Jin, and we're gearing up to record our first album due to be released mid-2025. This will be our first headline gig in 2024. Cheers, James & Bron
Boogie Rockafella:
A two-piece with one big sound. A rock and roll fusion of big-riffin’, hard-hitting, foot-stomping boogie. Influenced by the raw early sounds of The Black Keys and Bon-Scott-era AC/DC.
Throw in some T-Rex style glam rock and straight-up Delta Blues and you’re getting close to the rock and roll collage that is Boogie Rockafella. Emerging from the Wesley Fuller live band (Cheersquad Records), Liam Hopkins (Guitar &
vocals) and Alex Gooding (Drums & vocals) strip things right back and show us what can be done with nothing but an infectious riff, a driving beat and maybe some harmonies just for good measure.
Their debut single ‘Keep On Keeping On’ is now streaming.
FREE ENTRY ARVO SHOW: MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS + THE UNDERMINERS
Matt Malone & The Holy Spirits will be performing their last band show of '24 at one of the most revered live music venues in Melbourne - The Old Bar!
This will be a special show to celebrate Matt's birthday / another year alive / another year older w/ one of his all-time fave Oz bands - Underminers (Hap Hayward - The Dead Salesmen + Chris Morris - Shooting Czars) who are reforming for a very rare performance.
FREE ENTRY (4-6PM) - don't miss out!
MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS
Matt Malone is an iconoclastic singer-songwriter hailing from the goldfields region of country Victoria, Australia. His bold baritone and carefully crafted songs have been likened to The Man In Black - Johnny Cash, gospel preacher - David Eugene Edwards, poetic folk troubadour - Townes Van Zandt and tenebrous lyrical princes - Nick Cave, Mark Lanegan and Michael Gira.
In 2023, Malone released the critically acclaimed LP - For The Term Of My Natural Life (Vinyl, CD, Digital - VRS Records), solidifying his status as one of the Australian underground’s most revered and literate songwriters.
He and his band The Holy Spirits (Anthony Cornish + Ash Jones) are currently performing shows in support of their latest EP - Made In The Image, Vol. 1, featuring songs by PJ Harvey, Bob Dylan and John Lee Hooker whose interpretation had Henry Wagons saying - “what a powerful rendition of the John Lee Hooker classic I’m Bad Like Jesse James from bluesman and twang artisan - Matt Malone… I like that!”
'★★★★’
- Sydney Morning Herald
'★★★★’
- Backseat Mafia
"Matt Malone & The Holy Spirits channel the darkness, the shadows... you'll recognize some Bad Seeds vibes in here and I'm all for it."
- Henry Wagons, Double J
"Malone mines life's dark shadows in a similar way to Nick Cave or foreign antecedents like Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan. It's an album of singular vision, unrelenting in its intensity..."
- Rhythms Magazine
"Matt Malone & The Holy Spirits sound like a Ennio Morricone score for a Cormac McCarthy movie.”
- Americana UK
"Whatever juju, alchemy or disturbed darkness that made Jim Morrison put on a pair of leather trousers & shock the world out of its apathy… Matt has got it!"
- Kim Salmon (The Scientists, Beasts Of Bourbon, The Surrealists)
"Matt Malone & The Holy Spirits are stripped and bare in the outlaw country tradition, but with the menace and slow stabbing guitar of a Rowland S. Howard Special."
- Samuel Fell (Rolling Stone)
"Matt Malone resonates with echoes of Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and the greats... his latest single (The Stranger) embodies his unique style and lyrical genius."
- Anthony De Filipis
For The Term Of My Natural Life -
https://youtu.be/JXOAjqxr1oY?si=9Mr2dhVGerGS88u1
I’m Bad Like Jesse James -
https://youtu.be/HNln4qHE4lg?si=ewvO8qp4s3_2Iffw
Bandcamp -
https://mattmaloneandtheholyspirits.bandcamp.com/
+
UNDERMINERS
Hap Hayward and Chris Morris first started writing and playing together around 1990 in the Nulty Grips, with Peter Crebbin, Lawrence Nulty and David Quick. In 2000, Hayward and Morris continued writing and playing under the guise the Underminers. The Underminers secured a publishing deal with Mushroom Records and got some great reviews for their efforts while remaining relatively known only to friends and family. They would record three albums with a rotation of players, the brilliant Lawrence Nulty being there for the crux of them. Hap and Chris have only played a few times since the final album - Heart Part Of Your Mind in 2011.
"Underminers might be the best Australian band you’ve never heard."
- David Maine
"The Underminers debut album is full of stunning, heartfelt tunes all with a fair helping of Hap's wistful, slightly off-beat sense of humour. Compelling, essential."
- Croxton Records
"(Heart Part Of Your Mind) is a personal album drenched in a mood of melancholy but also uplifting beauty.....an epic album full of moods, questions and frustrations."
- Scott Thurling
Bandcamp - https://popboomerang.bandcamp.com/.../pb064-underminers...
SCORPIO RISING III: GUTZIG + BECCY & THE VAMPS + PROBOSCIS + LATE NIGHT KARAOKE
Spooky season is upon us and Scorpio Rising Fest III is back.
Wear your costume and get maggot 🦂🤘🎃
THE OLD BAR GALLERY AND CHEERSQUAD RECORDS PRESENTS: LOS CHICOS (SPAIN) + MESA COSA + THE BREADMAKERS +ART SHOW
Spanish legends LOS CHICOS, the TRUE Kings Of The Party, are back with a stupendous new record that propels them to the next rhythm punk garage country rock and soul roll frontier!! The band’s 8th album, ‘Never Is Too Much’ was produced by the legendary Mike Mariconda (The Raunch Hands, New Bomb Turks, Cosmic Psychos, Powder Monkeys…) & offers the best tunes and performances these five Spaniards have achieved in their whole history. LOS CHICOS return to Australia for an amazing seventh visit and kick off proceedings with a huge Halloween show at the Old Bar, Fitzroy on Thursday 31 October with special guests the insane noise punk of MESA COSA and the fabulous 60s R&B revivalists THE BREADMAKERS. Tickets on sale from noon Tuesday 17 September for $25 + booking fee or $30 at the door if there are any left! Live photo by Juxe Aretra Goñi, August ‘24
ALSO for the art show upstairs:
Join us on Halloween for an unforgettable night of monstrous artwork, live music and drinks!
'Monster-pa-LOSER' is an art exhibition showcasing a captivating collection of monster-themed artworks from talented artists in the special effects and puppet making industry. From classic creatures to modern interpretations, you're sure to have an unforgettable experience being face to face with some of the scariest and most gruesome monsters out there.
Costumes are highly encouraged, so come dressed as your favourite fright or unleash your own creative monster!
FREE ENTRY MORBID MONDAYS w/ VAN DIEMAN (TAS) + RAWTISM + EMPEROR MOTH
We're gonna hit @theoldbar for Morbid Mondays once again. This time with our blackened thrash brothers @emperormothman and metal devils all the way from Tasmania, the almighty @van.diemen
FREE ENTRY, DUDES!!!!
OLD BAR FEVER WEEKENDER DAY 2: DOLLS + BAREFOOT BOWLS CLUB + CARPAL TUNNEL + GOLD COAST LEATHERS + CLIT SPLIT
THE OLD BAR FEVER WEEKENDER
DAY 2
Sunday 27th October
4pm - 3am
As everyone knows venues have really taken a hit and a real shitty time the past couple of years, covid and all the hangivers from that, soaring insurance costs, cost of living expenses with people spending less cos no one has any goddamn money BUT
WE'RE STILL HERE!!!
And to celebrate that we're putting on a weekend shindig with some of our new favourite acts and a few stalwarts we love.
Come down, say g'day, have a drink, have a dance, watch a band, have a chat and enjoy The Old Bar Fever Weekender.
DOLLS
BAREFOOT BOWLS CLUB
CARPAL TUNNEL
GOLD COAST LEATHERS
CLIT SPLIT
OLD BAR FEVER WEEKENDER DAY 1: BENCH PRESS + BODIES + DOPPLERHAUS + TAPE/OFF + HANNAH KATE BAND + BULLS
THE OLD BAR FEVER WEEKENDER
DAY 1
Saturday 26th October
4pm - 3am
As everyone knows venues have really taken a hit and a real shitty time the past couple of years, covid and all the hangivers from that, soaring insurance costs, cost of living expenses with people spending less cos no one has any goddamn money BUT
WE'RE STILL HERE!!!
And to celebrate that we're putting on a weekend shindig with some of our new favourite acts and a few stalwarts we love.
Come down, say g'day, have a drink, have a dance, watch a band, have a chat and enjoy The Old Bar Fever Weekender.
BENCH PRESS
BODIES
DOPPLERHAUS
TAPE/OFF
HANNAH KATE BAND
ROM COM
BULLS