The new owners of 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy (formerly Kewpie and Bimbo) are reopening the venue this month as the legendary Punters Club, replete with original decor, a jukebox filled with CDs from 90s Aussie bands and posters adorning the walls from the venue’s peak era.
The Punters Club is widely recognised as one of the best music venues to have existed in Melbourne. Coming into being back in 1987 (when the Moonee Valley Hotel was taken over), it was given its moniker and refurbished to serve as a live music hub on Brunswick Street.
It was the heart of music in Fitzroy, famous for its grungy vibe, bare floorboards and raw live performances, with the venue helping launch the careers of countless bands, including Frente, Magic Dirt, Something For Kate, Spiderbait and You Am I.
As Brunswick Street started to gentrify, it remained one of the last grimy stalwarts on the street before finally succumbing to the higher rent on a new lease. In 2002, The Punters Club closed for the last time after a 12-hour music marathon, and the site became Bimbo, then Kewpie.
The Punters was part of a golden era of Australian music and interest hasn’t waned over the years with various Punters Club Reunion Shows – including one at Leaps and Bounds festival in 2023 – paying tribute to the extraordinary venue.
The new owners are a consortium that includes Jet bassist Mark Wilson as well as the owners of venues like The Scenic Hotel and Near & Far.
“We see this new era as a love letter to the original pub which Matt and Penny Everett so beautifully created,” they said in a statement.
“We plan to focus on music and music events but also create a community for all music lovers and locals. We want to honour what it once was while also creating something new.”
Where: 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
