MELBOURNE (VIP) Melbourne's Tote Hotel is alive and rocking once again. The iconic venue has new owners, a new alcohol license and its doors have swung open for business again.
Earlier this year, the famous rock 'n' roll pub became the highest-profile victim of tough state-wide licensing rules and security conditions.
A symbol of inner-city Melbourne's buzzing live music circuit since 1980, the Tote Hotel shut its doors on Jan. 18 for what was apparently the last time.
The venue has since changed hands, and thousands have been ploughed into its infrastructure. New licensees Seventh Tipple – comprising Jon Perring, Sam Crupi and Andrew Portokallis — had their license swiftly approved at 4pm on June 9, and the venue reopened Thursday (June 10) with an opening party for invited guests. Former proprietor Bruce Milne again treaded the Tote's boards, where he made the ceremonial hand-over of the Collingwood venue's door stamp.
The untimely closure of the 330-capacity Tote had sparked a period of mourning. More than 10,000 took to the streets of Melbourne in February for the SLAM (Save Live Australian Music) rally, a protest which helped pave the way for the creation of Music Victoria, a new independent body to represent the live industry's interests.
Familiar names such as the Lemonheads, Silverchair and Jet are among the thousands of local and international acts who have graced the venue's stages over the years. –According to Billboard
