Tattoos, Tinnitus and Tunes: Neo-Punk Rock in the Melbourne Suburbs
Old Bar Interior, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
Old Bar is a little unassuming from the outside, a dive bar in the drinking hole saturated suburb of Fitzroy. A small venue with a gigantic musical heart; which if you pass at the right time can hear it breathing sounds of cranked up amps and kicked on distortion pedals. Opening its door in 2001, Old Bar has become a go to venue for indie bands to cut their teeth in the musical scene.
Old Bar Bathroom Interior, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
Previously hosting bands like “King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’ and “The Smith Street Band”; it continues to pump out live music almost every night of the week (Beat Magazine, 2017). The venue is self-described as a place to “Keep the filth in Fitzroy” Old Bar host a range of genres including, indie pop, alternative rock and most importantly punk (Public Broadcasting Station, 2018).
Old Bar Disco Ball, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
The venue itself is obviously old and well loved, with cracked concrete walls, graffiti in the bathroom and oh so much outdated décor. Complete with a seventies-esque disco ball above the stage and a pinball machine out the back, the venue is a hodgepodge of vintage treasures and rejected op shop goods. This makes it hard to tell whether the vibe of the bar is dive or faux dive; either way it is the perfect grungy spot to host quality Australian punk on a Monday night.
Caifein Playing Gig at Old Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
The first band off the ranks was a three-piece post-punk collective Caifien. These guys are seriously old school. All of them being Gen Xers who many would mistakenly consider to be long past their prime. Combining fast and heavy drums, with an overdriven rhythm guitar and aggressive lyricism; the music Caifein played feels like it was plucked straight out of the 90’s which makes absolute sense as they part of Melbourne’s punk scene back in the day.
Caifein Playing Gig at Old Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
I had a chinwag with lead singer of Caifein – Christie (pictured on the right) in the smoker’s section and she regaled me with stories about the good ol’ days. “The punk scene used to be so much better back then” she told me “I was in a band called Bleach from Darwin and I used to gig around Melbourne. I even used to play gigs here [Old Bar]”. The way her eyes lit up as she told me her experiences was unmatched, you could tell she had a fervent passion regarding the Australian punk zeitgeist. Being able to share her glory days of performing to sweaty punks in run down pubs was profound. In fact, even looking around the little footpath beer garden, punters clad in black patched up jackets, long unkempt hair and most importantly a pair of leather boots grazing the concrete floor. The punk scene may not be as popular as it once was, but it was still thriving in the little nooks and crannies of middle-class Melbourne.
Caifein Playing Gig at Old Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
Punk is one of those genres that can intimidate those who aren’t informed about it. The black leather, spikey hair, face piercings and tattoos can sometimes be a bit much for people. Starting in the late 70’s the punk movement swept over Melbourne as small-time bands began playing at venues all over the city (Kanoniuk, 2017). These bands performed music, which was often short, fast, and loud; touching on themes of anti-establishment and anti-authoritarianism (Kanoniuk, 2017). People dressed in wildly non conservative outfits, and while many of them looked scary and threatening, often they were harmless as teddy bears in a suit of armour. The scene has been described as a place where socioeconomic class was void and self-expression was king (Kanoniuk, 2017).
Smokers Section at Old Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
In the beer garden, I also bumped into a young bloke named Rylee (pictured front right). Someone who had never experienced a punk gig before and was dragged along by one of their friends. They shared with me their hesitancy to attend the gig: “the idea of seeing a punk show hasn’t really been something that has ever appealed to me”, they shared. “But being here surrounded by people who are so friendly… I wasn’t expecting it at all”. Rylee unfortunately was under the all-too-common misconception that punk fans are all tatted up tools with a penchant for kicking heads in. However, they were pleasantly surprised by the kind hearted introverts he was able to meet. Our conversation however was cut off by the all too familiar sound of a Proco Rat 2 pedal strumming power-chords. This was my introduction to the next band of the night, Dead Beat.
Dead Beat Playing Gig at Old Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
Dead Beat are a punk rock trio with obvious influence from bands like Nirvana and Foo Fighters. The lead singers’ hair is cut in such a way that it could be used as an industrial mop, reminiscent of a ginger headed Kurt Kobain. This paired with his thrashing and dancing on stage leads to some amazing hardcore visuals. Utilising guttural, stomach pumped, vocals paired with a dirty electric rhythm and fast paced drumming; Dead Beat punched a hole through the crowd and made for some primo moshing.
Dead Beat Playing Gig at Old Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne (30/10/2023)
The set lasted about 30 minutes before they ran out of songs to play, but just because it was a short time doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good time. After their gig I learned that this was the first live performance they had ever played, which was surprising as their stage presence was so visceral.
Long Exposure Moshpit, Old Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne
Unfortunately, as of writing this neither Caifein or Dead Beat’s music is available online as both bands are still finding their feet in the scene. The only way to hear their music is directly from the horse’s mouth. Which is cool in a kind of cravat wearing, hipster fuckwit, kind of way. These two bands delivered an experience which is not mimicked, nor easily consumable. In order to, experience it you need to don your battle jacket, lace up your boots and jump into the mosh pit. So, what are you waiting for? Why not grab yourself a pint and go support your local music scene.
References
Beat Magazine. (2017, 08 09). Decades of dickhead: Joel, Liam & Singa running the old bar. Retrieved from Beat: https://beat.com.au/a-decade-of-dickhead-ten-years-of-joel-liam-singa-running-the-old-bar/
Kanoniuk, L. (2017, 22 11). The birth of melbourne punk. Retrieved from Red Bull: https://www.redbull.com/au-en/melbourne-punk-oral-history
Public Broadcasting Station. (2018, 10 01). The Old Bar. Retrieved from PBS: https://www.pbsfm.org.au/news/old-bar
