Venues Update: Melbourne’s Capitol & Mary’s Underground open, plus more

CAPITOL THEATRE RETURNS AFTER $18M REVAMP

The Capitol Theatre in Melbourne will open for public events today (Wednesday June 5) after an $18 million revamp.

Its owner RMIT University expects the 580-seater to host 500 cultural events, festivals and performances each year.

It will be home to ACMI (the Australian Centre for Moving Image) while its HQ goes through refurbishment, with 500 sessions to 100,000 visitors a year.

The Capitol, as it is now called, has been closed for five years.

The building, the work of Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Griffin, opened in 1924 as a major cinema and evoked a a crystalline cave with its ceiling concealing more than 4,000 coloured lamps.

LIVE MUSIC FOR MARY’S UNDERGROUND

Live music has returned to the old Basement site in Circular Quay, courtesy Mary’s Underground owners Jake Smyth, and Kenny Graham.

The club is open Monday to Thursday from 5pm-1am, and Friday to Saturday 5pm-3am, with the owners promising “a big ass party every night.”

MORE TIX FOR FORTUDE MUSIC HALL OPENING

Word is that the owners of Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall are planning to issue more tickets for their opening night after it sold out instantly.

They’ve also made it quite clear that although there will be three former Powderfinger members in the crowd on the night, there’ll be no reunion.

EAU-DE-VIA HAS FRIDAY ON THEIR MIND

With support from the City of Sydney, Eau-de-Vie in the heart of Darlinghurst announced The Speakeasy Sessions.

From June 7, they deliver live music every Friday from 6 pm this winter from female vocalists.

PERTH’S LANEWAY LOUNGE CLOSES

Perth’s Laneway Lounge jazz club has closed its doors six years after Samantha Jade christened the venture with its first performance.

It is believed that musicians and suppliers are owed money, some of whom have launched legal action.

Just what went wrong at the venue, off Murray Street, but it changed hands 18 months ago with No Black Tie Pty Ltd taking over.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE TO GET UPGRADE

Yesterday’s (June 4) budget from the ACT government had very little in the way for contemporary music or the arts sector.

However the government is providing upgrades to the Canberra Theatre Centre “to improve safety and comfort for staff and visitors.”

More than 280,000 people visited the Canberra Theatre in 2017-18, including nearly 15,000 students from 173 schools at 410 events.

The ACT is also investing in a new cultural hub for Canberra, with the creation of the Kingston Arts Precinct.

CAIRNS’ ORIGINAL LANEWAY BAR REOPENS

Laneway Green opens to the public tomorrow (Thursday June 6) on the site of the original laneway bars with live music to complement its offering of cocktails, beer, wine and classic American-style street food.

Carli Willis of GOAT Productions will curate the music and arts events, with a focus on emerging and diversified talent.

HOW SYDNEY LOCKOUTS BLITZED THE VIBE

An investigation by the Sydney Morning Herald found how the lockouts knocked the stuffing of its affected venues.

During the month of May, 128 music events took place in the CBD and 50 in Kings Cross.

But the SMH reported, “In a seven-kilometre radius from the centre of the CBD more than 500 live music events took place at venues where entertainment is a significant part of the operation of the venue.”

The story quoted venue operators saying many Sydney acts they were trying to book had moved to Melbourne.

CAPULET BOWS OUT

The Capulet nightclub in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley precinct closed its doors a few weeks ago.

Dragonfruit, Brazucas AU and Rumba Latina “will move on to bigger endeavours,” owners said.

NEW VENUE FOR HOBART

The 400-capacity Altar live music venue which opens tomorrow (Thursday, June 6) as part of Dark Mofo will remain a venue after the festival.

NORTHBRIDGE GOING CAR-FREE?

City of Perth’ has put forward a proposal which will see Northbridge precinct ban cars on Friday and Saturday nights.

The City wants to turn it into a people’s place but with only buses, taxis or service vehicles allowed.

City of Perth deputy chair commissioner Gaye McMath told Seven News said having people walking safely to different venues “is important in creating more vibrant places” but Mustang Bar owner said it would kill the vibe.

“You have the same number of people spread across a much greater area and it just doesn’t look as busy,” he said.