It’s your first day on earth, and you’re in the mood for good tunes. You’ve found yourself in the city of Melbourne, so you head to a pub for a Sunday sesh...
…and someone goes, “The muso has an Accadacca vibe.” You think ‘huh, Melbourne?’
You’re lost, but dedicated to the cause: to be a true-blue Aussie music freak. Here’s your cheat sheet – the unexplainable and iconic habits, quirks, and etiquette – of what makes our live music experience its own world, from the Retreat to the bush.
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
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Shoey
In my late teens, I lost my innocence at a Shannon Noll concert when he asked a punter for their shoe, poured a Coopers into it, and drank.
The Shoey: you love to hate it. Apparently, the tradition harks back to the early 20th century when it was peak-decadence to sip champagne from a woman’s slipper. Not as fancy here and now, drinking booze from a mate’s shoe can be spotted at festivals, gigs, and award shows. It’s questionable, gross, but we cheer it on as a bonding moment between performer and audience. Even Post Malone, Yungblud, and Harry Styles got around it on our shores (and in our shoes?).
As Formula One racer Daniel Ricciardo once said, “If the sparkling wine is cold, then it tastes good. If it’s warm, then you might get the sweat through it, but the cold taste kills the bad stuff…”
Bush doofs
Drive three hours from Melbourne to dance to electronic music in a vast field probably in terrible weather conditions. And don’t forget your doof stick: long poles decorated with unhinged signage, like pictures of celebrities (often Danny DeVito), memes, and drug-related puns. Stay until your ears ring and your sunburn skin is thickly coated with dust.
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“No Dickhead Policy”
Meredith Festival adopted this slogan back in the early ’90s, with this community-minded ethos now embedded throughout Victoria’s music scene. It boils down to: to be here, you need to be chill. Look after yourself and others, or go home. Don’t stand in front of someone shorter, shut up during quiet songs, don’t film the whole set, keep your hands to yourself, and be inclusive. Melbourners like good manners and all that.
Wear something weird–or not
It’s not unusual to see people donning Bunnings hats or hi-vis vests at gigs, as an embrace of absurdity, as much as the cool detached opposite is true: all black with a faded tote bag.
Post-gig feeds
It’s all part of the post-gig ritual. Refuel from dancing and park your bum on a curb, scoffing hot chips with your bestie. Here are your choices: Stalactites (24/7 Greek) after a Forum show, Lambs on Lygon after anything northside, and any Halal Snack Pack runs if you’re near Flinders Street. And 7/11 is always there if you’re desp for a meat pie.
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Tram panic
That kebab sobered you up? Now you’re either in a mad dash to catch the last tram home, or doing maths or whatever with your mates on how to read the after-midnight “Night Network” schedule. Or you resign yourself to $40 Uber after staying for the band’s encore. Whatever your scramble, put your safety first, always. Good luck!
Triple J Hottest 100 Parties
Hosting? All you need is a good speaker. To be loved by your mates, put ice in the bathtub for drinks, and something in the slow cooker or on the BBQ to keep everyone fed. It’s late January, so an inflatable pool or fans to cool everyone down. Some lazy beer pong or song-guessing games, but it’s not essential. Don’t overthink it. There are no rules. We’re just there to listen and chinwag.
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We love our venues
Melbourne’s known for its hidden laneways and warehouse gigs you’ll only find via your friend’s brother’s housemate, sure. But it’s not all underground. Sticky-carpet venues, like The Tote, Corner Hotel, Cherry Bar, that hold years of live music culture, are also fiercely adored and protected.
Liquor licensing, lockout laws, noise restrictions, cost of living, gentrification, and developments are having audiences and musicians alike fighting to stop iconic venues – big and small – from disappearing.
In 2010, tens of thousands of people came out to support The Tote at risk of closing. Again, in 2023, everyone re-assembled with a crowdfunding campaign after the property was listed online ‘priced for development’.
Now you know the customs of Melbourne’s music scene.
For more intel, head to the classics – Retreat, Nighthawks, The Espy, Bergy Seltzer (the bar, the bathrooms, the smoking area) – to see for yourself. IRL experience is where the real cultural education starts.
For more music, venues, culture and art, head here.
