Autumn music mayhem: Must catch concerts and gigs in Melbourne
WITH the epic line-up of musicians flocking to Melbourne over the next few months, it’s time to unplug your earphones and get some live music flowing through your ears. Juliana Mare shines the spotlight on some of the best upcoming concerts and gigs.
Passenger
March 20/21, The Athenaeum
Britain’s own Mike Rosenberg, aka Passenger, is one of those brilliant lyricists with exceptional guitar skills to boot. After a string of tours down under over the past few years, Rosenberg has claimed Australia as his “second home” and luckily for us, he’s taking a break from touring with Ed Sheeran to perform two solo shows in Melbourne. His repertoire is diverse with some wittily written ballads, beautiful duets and even some up-beat folk tunes with insanely catchy melodies. The second night has already sold out so be quick about it if you want to secure a seat for the Wednesday night show.
Tickets can be purchased via Ticketek.
Black Sabbath
April 19/May 1, Rod Laver Arena
Yes, you read correctly, the pioneers of heavy metal music, Black Sabbath, are reuniting with all the original band members for their first Aussie shows in 40 years. Currently writing a new studio album, fans can expect all the best hits plus a bunch of new music to head-bang to. For the diehard fans out there, if you have a spare $1200 sitting in the bank, you can purchase the ‘Total Concert Experience’ ticket and meet Ozzy Osbourne himself.
Do purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment.
The Beatles No. 1’s
June 1, The Palms at Crown
The last live performance The Beatles ever gave was January 30, 1969. In 2013, the tribute band, The ‘Fabulous’ Beatle Boys are about as close we’ll ever get to the wonder and talent of 1969. In a two-hour concert, all the Beatles songs that made it to No. 1 on the music charts will be performed – 35 hits of sixties nostalgia. After sold out performances in Canada, North America, South Africa and Asia, it’s finally Australia’s turn to relive the music of the biggest band of the late 20th century.
Get your tickets here.
The Script
April 6, Rod Laver Arena
‘Hall of Fame’, ‘Breakeven’, ‘The man who can’t be moved’, ‘Six degrees of separation’ and countless more hits have come from the three Dublin boys of The Script. Whether it’s a ballad with meaningful lyrics or a chart-topping, upbeat track that makes you want to dance, The Script have achieved international success and sold tens of thousands of albums worldwide. After selling out The Metro Theatre in Sydney in mere minutes, Aussies are pretty keen to get a glimpse of these boys again so get your tickets for their one-and-only Melbourne show.
Birdy
April 8, Palais Theatre
April 9, Hamer Hall
This 16-year-old singing sensation has stunned the world with her beautiful, melodic voice. Her debut album is composed mostly of covers including Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’, The xx’s ‘Shelter’ and Ed Sheeran’s ‘The A Team’. Her music has been featured on The Vampire Diaries and her YouTube videos have reached nearly 125 million views. With a hauntingly beautiful voice, Birdy will surely captivate crowds at her two Melbourne shows, the first of which has almost sold out.
Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.
However… if you’re not a fan of forking out the high price of a concert ticket or would rather witness some of the latest and greatest local talent, have a wonder into these venues around town.
Musicland
1359A Sydney Road, Fawkner
Musicland is like a go-to hangout for all things music. Depending on which night you choose to rendezvous there, you’ll either catch a local band’s performance, the always exciting Battle of the Bands competition or the open mic night. With all ages/genres/levels of musical talent welcome, if you’re brave enough (or you’ve had enough to drink), why not try serenading the crowd with your song of choice?
Rainbow World
Level 2/206 Bourke Street, Melbourne
You’ve never experienced karaoke like this before! If you reckon you have a better set of pipes than any local gig, book yourself a room at Rainbow World and see if you can impress your mates. There are 44 private rooms, each with a different theme – Barbie, cowboy, pirate or Chanel to name a few – so even if the singing is terrible, at least the decor is just a tad awesome. With rooms big enough for 15 people and prices charged by the hour, karaoke is definitely a fun, cheap night out, just remember to record your friends when they brave the mic!
The Pirate Room. Image by Rainbow World.
The Corner Hotel
57 Swan Street, Richmond
The Corner Hotel is the perfect venue if you’re looking for somewhere relaxed, low-key and casual but with a stellar gig guide of some pretty well-known musos. This venue has a massive floor area to allow for a decent size crowd and rightly so because more often than not, it’s a full house. Over the next few months, the venue is playing host to The Lumineers, Silverstein, Ben Howard, Pete Murray and heaps more.
The Hi-Fi
125 Swanston Street, Melbourne
The absolute best feature of the Hi-Fi is its lowered mosh pit. It almost feels like a swimming pool is being constructed in front of the stage, with two steps on each side. While it sounds like an odd structure for a venue, it’s a brilliant move because it means everyone in the venue has an excellent and for the most part, unobscured view of the stage. Boasting a line-up of quite well-known acts, the Hi-Fi will more often than not have a packed out venue, with queues down Swanston St waiting to get in. The current gig guide includes Smash Mouth and Grinspoon.
Of Mice and Men performing at The Hi-Fi.
Bennetts Lane Jazz Club
15 Bennetts Lane, Melbourne
Dubbed the “boiler room of Melbourne jazz” by Lonely Planet, the Bennetts Lane Jazz Club’s stage hosts the best local jazz musicians or talent from abroad, every night. If you’re not keen on waiting for the weekend for a decent night out and you want to listen to music that’s not your everyday radio tune, why not see if you take a liking to the jazz club? Having hundreds of jazz musicians perform there in the past is surely a good sign!
Know any other good music venues around town? Let us know in the comments section below.