The Espy has announced first live music since closure, so we looked back at three iconic gigs

New venue operators at St Kilda’s iconic Esplanade Hotel (commonly known as The Espy) have announced its first live music event since the venue closed its doors more than two years ago.

Australian punk royalty X will headline the Gershwin Room event on September 23 with support sets by rock duo The Heartache State and DJ Whitt.

Reports circulated back in March that The Espy was bringing back live music after a dismal run of planning, refurbishments and a change of ownership put the venue’s future at risk.

As itenters a new chapter, we take you back in time to relive some of the greatest artists to ever take the stage at The Espy.

Photo bySimon O’Dwyer

Paul Kelly

Kelly recorded one half of his second live album Live at the Continental and the Esplanade in front of a packed crowd at the Gershwin Room on 29 May 1995. The tape captures Kelly in a resonant full-band setting in contrast to his renowned acoustic sounds.

The other half of the album was recorded over two shows at the now defunct Continental Hotel in Prahran in Melbourne, only a few kilometres north of The Espy.

John Farnham

Golden boy John Farnham chose The Espy to launch his 2002 studio album The Last Time which reached #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart and is certified triple Platinum.

Farnham played a Sunday afternoon show at the venue, playing a bunch of songs off the new album and signing autographs for fans. To this day, Farnham is the only Aussie artist to have a #1 single in five consecutive decades.

Icehouse

Icehouse frontman Ira Davies had a long time ambition to play guitar in a reggae band. In December 2012, that dream came true as Icehouse played two shows at The Espy (and one at Sydney’s Oxford Arts Factory) under the moniker of “DubHouse performing reggae-styled versions of classic Icehouse songs and old reggae favourites.”

A live album titled DubHOUSE was eventually released in 2014 and, like many Icehouse albums, was produced by Davies.