DAVE GRANEY recalls his favourite Tote memories including the time the head of the Hells Angels got up to sing ‘Unchained Melody’. The iconic Melbourne venue is closing its doors today (January 18).

Let me be the first to say that I think it stinks that the Tote is closing because of the dopey demands of liquor licensing regulations. It’s stupid.

There’s rarely violence at venues with live music in my experience. These old farts and young fogeys that are in public life obviously never go out much. Music is not the cash cow it was once reputed to be. All the mafia money is in porn nowadays. That’s the cash bull I guess. Pubs like the Railway Hotel in Fitzroy getting monstered because they’re accessible to the licensing agents. They can just walk in and bug them about “responsible service of alcohol” certificates being displayed and security. The place had bluegrass banjo sessions for fuck’s sake. They’re not gonna smash them over anybody’s heads. Other pubs have gotten the treatment over the last year too. Maybe music doesn’t belong in pubs any more? Maybe it has to go somewhere else?

In the late ’60s and early ’70s it wasn’t in pubs. It was in town halls and dance events that didn’t have any alcohol. Those shows at Ormond Hall in Prahran; the TF Much Ballroom era. Then the music moved into the pubs. The hoteliers kicked the bands out of the big rooms as soon as they could see that poker machines were more lucrative. The Tote, however, was a dedicated music culture joint. I live out of town so it was not my local or anything. Before that I was south of the river.

The stage in the band room there was funny for me to be in. I could see under it to where the old stage was. The false floor over what I remember being the real floor. There used to be much more of a drop from the area where the mixing desk was to a dance floor and then the stage which was very high. It would have suited the more fascist-style synth acts of the ’80s. Though I don’t think that type of act would have played there. Perhaps the last version of the People with Chairs Up Their Noses. All the “little bands” would have avoided it. Too real and rootsy. Not precious enough.

It was always a rootsy type place as I experienced it. One of my favourite ever Melbourne bands, The Crackajacks, played there. Brilliant guitarist Warren Rough. Great singer. They were a part of that Melbourne vein of rockabilly and western swing that ran so deep during the ’70s and ’80s. They were, IMHO, the best of the best. The Feral Dinosaurs, a shaky country band with Jim Shugg and Jim White played there many times, as did the Moodists.

“The Tote is pretty unusual for plowing through so many different periods, like an old rusting merchant ship. It was always there.

My favourite ever gig there was a night The Crackajacks were playing and a western swing band were opening. Ball Bearing, head of the Hells Angels, was there and he got up to sing a song with the band. He wanted to do ‘Unchained Melody’ and that actually happened. The audience were all aware of his stature in the world and applauded perhaps a bit more than they otherwise would have.

The hotel was run then by Paul Doherty, who became Slim when he jumped the bar and ran off to be a guitar player with The Johnnys. Actually, the Johnnys were in the middle of the action with the Hopetoun in Sydney as well. I mean they played there after hours. I mean they played, not played. Played.

The Tote went with the times. In the ’90s it would have been home to those dreadlocked, Dr Martens-ed, grunge type chorus guitar bands. Somebody must know some names! I was always a “south of the river “ type I guess. We had the piano bar at the Prince of Wales. The place was always accessible for touring Yankees and young diggers doing their first shows. Live music seven nights a week is pretty good to have around. You would think.

It was one of those rooms that always sounded good. People thought The Punters Club was a permanent door to walk through, and so for The Continental and The Seaview in different areas and times. The Tote is pretty unusual for plowing through so many different periods, like an old rusting merchant ship. It was always there. Like The Esplanade Hotel, becoming a room that had an attitude and a name. I don’t like rooms with attitudes! Lenny Bruce used to say that he didn’t believe “rooms” had anything special, they were all rooms to him. I agree, but that’s talking as a player. They’re important to people on the street who are thinking of going out somewhere to see a band. Maybe someone dropping in from another city. They’re places on the map that are certain. So its a bummer when they drop off.

Maybe all the talk about Melbourne music thriving has made people a bit complacent? it can all be blown away so easily. Perhaps Sydney is in the future? I mean the underground clubs in the inner-city areas. Its not easy up there, but the musicians are tougher.

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Dave Graney and The Lurid Yellow Mist will perform at The Tote’s final gig tonight. The event is sold out.