I'm pretty sure there were 20,000 people there...

Yep, that was the figure I heard, too.

depends how many beers you'd had by that stage, tigers.

there was 20,000 there and they were all really good looking.

marching band???

Footage of Bruce's speech: here

marching band???

brass band!

Good on you, Melbournites.

After reading all these threads, you can't help but reach one conclusion: the closure of the Tote is unnecessary. Its debt just doesn't seem that large, compared to the level of support from the music/pub community.

Somebody had to say it.

I really wish the Hoey got to have something like this. I know it's a shit situation but you Melbournites should count yourselves lucky.

3CR will be joining the simulcast at 10pm in glorious mono on 855am and streaming at www.3cr.org.au

Timewaster, I think the point is the ongoing liquor license uncertainty, the continual legal fees to fight VCAT to state your case that you're not 'high risk' etc. Considering the investment already put into keeping the Tote afloat until now, as a venue licensee, would you want to commit longterm in an environment where the regulations / costs are in flux, making your ability to trade profitably and safely impossible?

Equally, as a business person/entrpreneur, if you're unable to get any security (long term lease / buying the building out right, which is what bruce wanted to do), especially after being in business for 10 years, then you'd be bloody sick of it as well.

Its debt just doesn't seem that large, compared to the level of support from the music/pub community

I’m fucked if I know which tote thread to ask this in, so this will do.... Was the 'music community' aware that the venue was struggling, so much so that it was about to close? Should today’s farewell gig have been a fund raising gig a month or 2 ago?

As Bruce has said a couple of times now, he was trying to deal with the situation, and thought he could.
And he didn't realise the level of support that existed, and was out there waiting to be tapped, until after he made the decision to close.

I really wish the Hoey got to have something like this. I know it's a shit situation but you Melbournites should count yourselves lucky.

The problem with this is that everyone in bloody Sydney is so apathetic. All facebook-business and no action. It only took two days for shitty graffiti and posters for crap shows to cover up the Hoey.

My heart would have swelled with pride if Sydneysiders had taken half this much initiative. Walking past that ghost of a building just reeks of WHY.

As Bruce has said a couple of times now, he was trying to deal with the situation, and thought he could. And he didn't realise the level of support that existed, and was out there waiting to be tapped, until after he made the decision to close.

This reminds me of Jihad Against America's last ever gig. Not unironically at The Tote...

They were pretty bad, though. C'mon!

I really wish the Hoey got to have something like this. he problem with this is that everyone in bloody Sydney is so apathetic.

Or you could look at it another way and say people in Sydney are more receptive to change, given that living in a large urban environment brings one face to face with the constant fluidity of life/social norms/etc. Whereas in Melbourne, like in any rural location, people are more resistant and scared of change.

The problem with this is that everyone in bloody Sydney is so apathetic. All facebook-
business and no action.

Maybe but The Hopetoun did just shut up shop overnight without notice and there was nothing that could be done about it. At least the Tote has remained open for the moment allowing people to show their support in many different ways

Are we Melbournites?

I always said Melburnians.

If Perring's got the 'respect' why aren't his other venues more pleasant (and safe) places to frequent?

That's a really good question. Pony is a shithole. (That's my personal, utterly subjective opinion of course.)

In an ideal world, the Government would offer to compensate Milne for Sue MacLellan's failure in judgement, but refunding him the losses he experienced by not being able to operate during his most profitable hours, and by not being able to draw the same crowds due to have not-first-choice bands due to the earlier closing hours. They'd also refund him for any expenses he incurred fighting their stupid policy, and of course for lost business while closed.

In an ideal world the Blue Print festival boys would buck up and start paying off their debts as well.

I don't know what the balance sheet would look like then, but you can't just complain that it closed coz Bruce was broke; he managed to run a sustainable business for a really long time until these events conspired against him, and it seems an unfair rort that some other business owner can just walk in and take his IP without having earned it to begin with.

I'm curious to know if MacLellan is only consulting with Perring...

Ms Maclellan said she acknowledged that conditions for late-trading venues with live or amplified music might have unintended consequences. In those cases she might use her powers to modify the conditions.

What really pisses me off is where was the fucking consultation when Milne asked for it?

He was the one trying to fight for it, he was the one who deserved it.

but refunding

by refunding

I mean what's a few thousand when they've just wasted 1.2 Billion on Myki?

Just add it to Lyn Kosky's tab.

'Victorian Government helps small business owner of iconic cultural venue survive the GFC'.

It'd be a massive Labour marketing win.

That's a really good question. Pony is a shithole. (That's my personal, utterly subjective opinion of course.)

you're definitely not alone there. it's a total dive and plenty of folks i know have no interest in going or playing there ever again. bar open is less awful and a portion of its shitness can be attributed to location (and hippies?), but this news doesn't fill me with confidence.

Isn't pony an ''afterparty'' type place in a lot of ways? That may explain its shitness; people show up trashed or ''overtired.''

I liked it when I went there five years ago. Better than the Townie in Sydney but not better than the Townie in Melbourne.

My article about the fear for the future in live music, an allegorical piece. The closure of The Tote & Arthouse is indicative of the lack of choices we face

http://www.upstart.net.au/tote-recall/

Isn't pony an ''afterparty'' type place in a lot of ways?

No, many people may be surprised to learn that they do actually put on regular evening gigs.

yeah, but they get most of their patronage during that post-gig shift, surely? pony anyway. bar open possibly.

Jon's done a shitload to support the live music scene in Melbourne over the past 15 years or so. He deserves your support, if only for keeping the Fair Go for Live Music in the faces of legislators.

winners

best wishes for the meeting today

ps - 'case by case' basis just gives more fuel to Maclellans personal power trip.

Stupid question: Does it mean Das Tote will open its door again?

go team culture!

Jon's done a shitload to support the live music scene in Melbourne over the past 15 years or so. He deserves your support, if only for keeping the Fair Go for Live Music in the faces of legislators.

That's good to hear bxckxtrxdxr.

Also whilst I'm being a sookie above, many of my favourite gigs over the years were at Pony.

I'm still angry about Milne finishing up with the Tote. I wish the government would actually pay for its mistakes rather than just doing damage and then changing things after with no liability for its fuckups.

I give Jon two thumbs up any day.
He's wasted a lot of his time meeting with bureaucrats trying to get sensible changes to help all live venues.

Vice are getting in on it

When does the Tote for the BAM cancellation prediction thread close?

Trust Vice to turn a political protest into a fashion shoot.