The Espy
Now an annual tradition in the Australia Day calendar, The Espy will host another massive bash on Australia Day to celebrate the countdown of triple j’s Hottest 100. The bill this year is phenomenal. It’ll feature performances from the likes of Last Dinosaurs, Japanese Wallpaper, Lurch & Chief, Orphans Orphans, The Harpoons, Tommy Franklin, Za!, Foreign/National, Singles and Them Bruins. Of course, the Hottest 100 itself will be booming through the sound system all day long. It all goes down from midday, and it’s free.
Truckfighters, King Of The North & Warped
This Australia Day Eve, show Swedish stoner-rock gods Truckfighters how an Australia Day celebration goes down at Cherry Bar on Sunday January 25 for their ‘Straya Day Eve special. Melbournian duo King of the North and veteran rockers Warped will no doubt be showing those Truckfighter lads how many tinnies they can fit under their belt while smashing out some mammoth live sets to boot. It’s a huge night of rock’n’roll madness fit for an Australia Day king, so prepare yourself for the inevitable hangover the following day and head down to Cherry Bar for a helluva party. Free tinnies upon entry. Winning.
Bowled Over
The immense Melbourne triple j Hottest 100 party Bowled Over is returning to the St Kilda Bowls Club this Australia Day, and will feature a number of huge special guests. Now in its fifth year, the upcoming Bowled Over is set to be the biggest yet – with performances by Remi, Bad//Dreems and Twinsy. The day will also feature the ‘Levi’s Cup’ barefoot bowls championship, an Aussie barbecue by Sweetwater Inn, a club house fitted with pool tables and foosball, rock’n’roll bingo hosted by Beat’s Dan Watt and the Sailor Jerry Secret Garden. Huge, right? Kick off those shoes and head down to the St Kilda Bowls club this Australia Day for Bowled Over.
Rainbow Serpent
Rainbow Serpent has become somewhat of an institution over the years. Not just for electronic music any more, you can expect a vast selection of music, arts, performance and spiritual education. With world class décor, roving artistic performances, crazy activities you can’t imagine a more exotic sensory mix spread over four days. If you’ve never been to the Rainbow Serpent Festival, now is the time to buy a tent and call your friends, but not now because it’s sold out. Rainbow takes place from Friday January 23 until Monday January 26.
Dallas Crane, Davey Lane & Child
Here’s a gig that’ll throw you right into the swing of Australia Day celebrations. Aussie rock’n’roll stalwarts Dallas Crane are playing a huge show at The Corner Hotel on Sunday January 25, where they’ll preview a bundle of tracks from their upcoming 2015 album release. Joining them on the night is the inimitable Australian superhuman Davey Lane and winners of best hair in the business / stoner-rock freaks Child. Cowsmuff will open proceedings on the night too, so get there early, grab yourself a drink and get your ‘Straya on at the Corner Hotel.
Prince Bandroom
Australia Day at the Prince Bandroom is going to be louder than ever this year – with Tex Perkins and the Ape, British India and Adalita making up a lineup of Australian rock’n’roll royalty. They’ll be joined by up-and-comers Harts and The Cherry Dolls. There will also be a BBQ on the balcony from 4pm, so get in early for a bloody snag mate.
Crown
Studio 3 at Crown presents a very special one-night-only with superstar DJ Roger Sanchez. He’s headlined some of the biggest clubs around the world, including Pacha, Space and Amnesia in Ibiza and now he’s bringing his amazing skills to Melbourne. From humble beginnings in NYC to multi-year residencies, Sanchez is a truly self-made man and dance music legend. Studio 3 is located at the Crown complex. The party starts at 10pm until 4am and tickets are a mere 25 bucks.
The Brunswick Hotel
The Brunny is celebrating Aussie Day with $10 jugs of Boag’s Draught and two days of punk, rock, psycho and everything in between. Two massive days of bands across two venues and three stages, with the exciting announcement of WA punks TRS are coming to Melbourne for the first time, there’s also Sydney pop punkers The Colytons, who’ve reformed after seven years. Punch the Clown will also be returning for one show only. Sound good? Get down to 140 Sydney Road, Brunswick on Monday January 26 from 3pm.
The Penny Black
The Penny Black is celebrating Australia Day Eve with your favourite Sunday session. The Easy Now crew, along with 100% Phat are bringing together Melbourne’s premier reggae/dancehall selectors, a handful of reggae mash up specialists and Rudeboy to ensure this arvo session turns into a proper party. On Monday, The Penny Black countdown triple j’s Hottest 100 by chilling in the beer garden and sipping on a few cold brews. What could be more Australian than that? 420 Sydney Road, Brunswick.
Closet
This coming Australia Day, Closet will take over the Abbotsford Convent’s Shadow Electric to host a very special summer event. For more than five years, Closet is been one of the longest-running and best-loved queer nights in Melbourne, hosting local DJs, bands and bringing hundreds of the north side’s LGBTIQ community out each month. Closet’s Gay Jamboree are hosting their first ever daytime party with at Shadow Electric this Australia Day with a lineup of DJs, burlesque, dancers, alt-drag performances, along with local food trucks providing an Australia Day feast. It all kicks off at 4pm at Shadow Electric, 1-16 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford. First release tickets are $20.
The B.East
The B.east is chucking one hell of an Aussie Day weekend celebration over the entire long weekend. Starting on Friday January 24, Dave Holmes Gang will clash cool cafe country with front bar blues. On Saturday, catch Australian punk rock outfits Captives, and all the way from WA, Foam. For your Sunday fix is the supremely talented Claude Hay: an award-winning Australian solo artist that blends slide guitar, bass and drums to create music that invokes the best of stomping traditional blues, hard rock and booty-shaking funk, all delivered with chops to burn and a vocal range to match. The B.east is located at 80 Lygon Street, East Brunswick.
Aviary Hotel
Leading up to Australia Day, Aviary Hotel are celebrating all weekend long by kicking off with their ever popular Friday and Saturday happy hours. DJs keep the party cranking every day including Sunday Soul Sessions hosted by King 7 before DJ Snufbox brings in the public holiday. Tune in to triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown on the Monday while the crew host their first BBQ in the beer garden. The chef is offering a sensational mixed grill plate with all the Aussie classics. Drink specials include $18 cocktail jugs and jugs of Boag’s Draught for 14 bucks. Aviary Hotel is located at 271 Victoria St Abbotsford.
The Curtin
Joining forces for the first time since 2009, Queensland’s primary export, Six Ft Hick, and the slackest fucks in musical history, The Nation Blue, play The John Curtin Hotel on Australia Day Eve, Sunday January 25. Flour, Melbourne’s punk supergroup of sorts – with members from Batpiss, Cut Sick and a bunch of others are sure to melt faces when they hit the stage. Go get silly from 8pm at 29 Lygon St Carlton.
Young And Jackson
Join the crew at Young and Jackson for a craft beer showdown all Australia Day weekend. Showcasing the best craft beers from around the country and featuring live entertainment all weekend, Y&Js; is the place to be this Australia Day weekend. Entry is free. Garn. Young and Jackson is located at the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets in the CBD, with the party starting from 10am.
Prince Of Wales Public Bar
This Australia Day, the Prince of Wales Public Bar will be serving a dream lineup for your Australia Day shenanigans, and best of all, it’s free. Head on down and live the dream with psych, garage and stoner-rock acts Superholics, Smellgoods and Sam Krieger. Superholics are a five-piece, sitar infused psych-pop/rock collaborative from Melbourne. After spending the last year developing their sound, they’ve just released their first single Jelly Roll.
Steal The Sky: The 2015 Australia Day Weekend Fundraisers
Want to do something good for humanity this Australia Day, that’ll still include the usual Australia Day drinking, gigging and partying? For the fifth year running, the Melbourne music scene will unite on the Australia Day long weekend for a string of super special fundraiser shows. Presented by the Deathproof team, Steal The Sky: The 2015 Australia Day Weekend Fundraisers will be split across two days, with all profits going to The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, The Refugee Council and Oxfam. Nice work, team. On Australia Day Eve, The Reverence Hotel will host Sydney punk legends Frenzal Rhomb, as well as Saskwatch, Hoodlum Shouts, Hawaiian Islands, Robert Muinos, Have/Hold, Outright, Scul Hazards, De Nada, Tyre Swans, Kissing Booth, Ben David and Craig Coburn. On Australia Day, The Corner Hotel will play host for the day with The Smith Street Band, The Bennies, Joelistics, Curse Ov Dialect, Fear Like Us and Stockades all taking the stage. It’s gonna be a huge feel-good musical love fest. Get on board, ya hear?
Beechworth Music Festival
Still mourning the loss of the Big Day Out? Luckily for you, Beechworth Music Festival has your Australia Day long weekend plans sorted. After a successful launch last year, Beechworth Music Festival will return to Madman’s Gully Amphitheatre on the farmlands of the former Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum for a killer Australia Day long weekend of live music and good times. Gracing the Beechworth stage will be Beaches, Jen Cloher, The Bennies, The Sugarcanes, Ron S. Peno and the Superstitions, My Left Boot, LuLuc, The Hounds Homebound, Rubber Band, Pearls, Benny Williams, Liv Cartledge, DJ Mermaid, Wangaratta Ukulele Band, Geoff Jackson and MC Cat McGauran. It all goes down on Saturday January 24, and tickets are on sale now via the Beechworth Music Festival website.
Yah Yah’s
Step into Doc Brown’s time machine-gun it to ‘88 and set the time circuits for 1994. The Pass Outs are straight out of the era when long hair and flannel ruled the world – but we’re under the impression long hair and flannel still does rule the world. Anyhoo. The Pass Outs live set is jam-packed with grunt-filled guitars, powerful vocals and infectious lyrics. There’s a reason these guys sold out their debut album launch – it’s ‘cause they’re fucking solid. Catch them live at Yah Yah’s on Australia Day Eve, Sunday January 25. Grab a VB / MB at the door.
The Retreat
Get your Australia Day Eve off to a soul-filled start with The Retreat Hotel’s Sunday Summer of Soul series. Kicking off from 2pm and featuring the banging vocal powerhouse Kylie Auldist with the Glenroy Allstars, as well as DJs Manchild and Vince Peach, the Sunday Summer of Soul series is sure to be a cracking commencement to your Australia Day celebrations. Then, from 5pm, Trudy and the Saturday Cowboys will take to the stage. This original retro-country outfit will cross the river and showcase their incredible tunes to The Retreat’s audience. As always, it’ll be free entry, so get on down to The Retreat and party till the sun goes down.
Great Britain Hotel
If there’s one place you should be on Australia Day Eve, it’s at the pub that shares its name with our Commonwealth brethren. From 9pm, Tequila Mockingbird headline the night with 4tress and Tragic Earth with DJ Dubya kicking on until close. It’s free entry on Sunday January 25 at 447 Swan St Richmond.
The Vineyard
Here’s one to mark in your diaries. Legendary hip hop outfit 1200 Techniques will be performing a stellar live to air on KISS FM and free performance at The Vineyard, 71A Acland Street, St Kilda. In what’s sure to be a truly colossal affair, 1200 Techniques will be joined by guest DJs Billy Hoyle, Ty Tai, Coco Noir, DJManchild and DJ Peril. There’ll be drink specials on all day too, and space is limited, so best get there early. DJs and broadcast will kick off at 4pm, and 1200 Techniques will grace the stage from 9pm. Get on it, party people.
