With the stomach-churning news of Melbourne’s iconic The Palace Theatre being forced to close its doors on May 31st, Melbournians are desperate for some positive news for their nightlife and live music scene.
Enter: Cherry Bar. The notorious swanksters of the Melbourne CBD’s iconic AC/DC Lane have, yet again, broadened their portfolio. Having snapped up rival rock’n’roll venue Yah Yahs in Collingwood last month, the newest watering hole on their books boasts of a 230-capacity space with a continuing heavy focus on rock’n’roll.
Cherry co-owner James Young took to the venue’s official Facebook site last night in unveiling the exciting news, “the Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane Melbourne is taking over Bambu Bar in AC/DC Lane.” For those unaware, Bambu is a basement bar that resides on the right hand side of the CBD laneway facing Cherry Bar. The rock bar domo cheekily threw in, “now Cherry runs all of AC/DC Lane. Both sides. I like it both ways.”
The property power-team have further commented how the new bar, named EVIE (all caps) shall operate: “EVIE will be a ‘secret’ bar with a ‘secret’ entrance, it’s down the very end of AC/DC Lane around the corner to the left,” pertaining to Melbourne’s love of ‘off the beaten track’ laneway culture. And the best bit? Entry to EVIE is free! “Now Cherry runs all of AC/DC Lane. Both sides. I like it both ways.”
In regards to live music at EVIE, there are no immediate plans of turning their newly acquired location into a gig hot-spot, “with a 230-capacity, EVIE in the short term will not have bands,”writes Young. for now it “will operate much like a bigger version of Cherry Bar’s rear Jenni Bar,” he adds.
As mentioned, the newest notch on the bar’s belt will be renamed as EVIE. Let us guess, the words ‘Evie, Evie, Evie let your hair hang down‘ are resounding around you skull, aren’t they? Young has made it emphatically clear that the name of their fresh-faced bar is “in honour of AC/DC Albert Records label mate Stevie Wright”, so belt your best attempts of the 1974 hit as loud as you can.
The new addition of EVIE paints an interesting point of focus, with Young having earlier this month expressed fear of noise complaints threatening AC/DC Lane due to a new apartment complex set to arrive this June.
Regardless, EVIE’s grand opening is set for Thursday 17th April – Good Friday Eve – and as the new owners affirm, “doors open for the people who matter… music lovers.”
Arriving just in time for the long weekend, Melbourne, raise your glasses in a what is a small yet sure victory for our nightlife and hopefully in the distant future, our live music scene.
