They Strike Again: This Time It’s The Arthouse

Less that 36 hours after The Tote shut its doors due to draconian new licensing laws, it seems that the Arthouse, Melbourne’s favourite punk and hardcore gig venue on Queensberry Street in North Melbourne is to shut next year.

The venue management are coming up to the end of their lease and won’t be renewing it, citing new Victorian Liquor Licensing laws requiring them to shut at 1am instead of 3am to avoid being labelled a ‘high risk’ venue – and thus requiring a bouncer for practically every patron that can fit in the tiny venue if it were to stay open and profitable. At Tone Deaf we’re already missing the sight of some of our favourite band names painted on the front of the venue, and recalling parents walking past covering their kid’s eyes so as not to have them ask ‘what does ‘Anal Discharge’ or ‘Vaginal Carnage’ mean Mummy?’

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