High Note is the name of the brand new live music venue launching at the base of the Northcote Theatre on High Street. Photography credit: BAMSAM.
A unique hybrid venue from local music industry heavyweights Crown Ruler, all-new music venue, bar, and creative space High Note opens its doors tomorrow. Transforming the two adjoining street-front spaces of the historic Northcote Theatre, High Note sets a new tempo with inspired everyday experiences and a year-round program of live acts, events, workshops, art and more.
The brainchild of co-owners (and long-time friends) Jamie Bennett (founder, Crown Ruler), Umut Turkeri (co-founder of Hope Audio) and James Clarke (CEO, music and culture marketing agency Bolster Group) – High Note was born from a shared desire to build a place for creativity, collaboration and human connection.
High Note in Northcote
Location
- 220 High Street Northcote VIC 3070
Hours
- Tuesday-Friday, 4pm-1am
- Saturday-Sunday, 1pm-1am
- Closed Mondays
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Having produced some of the country’s most exciting events — from Melbourne’s Sun Cycle and Duke St Block Party to Nike Air Max Day and the Oceania launch of UK underground radio platform NTS, plus collaborations with ACMI, Potato Head Bali and more — Crown Ruler has championed the soulful underground through touring, events, and their music agency for over 20 years. The realisation of a long-held dream for the Melbourne-based crew, High Note will be Crown Ruler’s very first bricks-and-mortar space.
Located in the heart of Northcote, the venue welcomes everything from relaxed after-work drinks to creative collaboration and live music experiences. Visitors will find themselves immersed within a neighbourhood dance cued up by host selectors, or witness live acts and artmakers from a proudly diverse and indiscriminate range of musical styles. With programming charting genres from the well-known to the unknown, the cruisy to heavy, old-school to new cuts – High Note promises a soulful experience any time of the week.
On the venue, Bennett says: “We wanted to create a diverse community-focused venue to suit High Street’s many moods.” Intended as a home to support independent creative initiatives, workshops and exchanges, Bennett says the foremost goal of the space is to inspire and uplift the community. “This is a special spot for people to meet and connect, the type of which doesn’t currently exist here in Melbourne.”
High Note’s core values extend to the impressive soundsystem spearheaded by Turkeri. “In the heart of a vibrant community, the sound system becomes the beat that unites us,” Turkeri explains, “it’s a testament to the shared ethos between High Note and the makers behind our sound system: the value of community and music as the force that binds us together.” Anchoring the system is a piece of hi-fi folklore bound to excite any audiophile: original vintage Altec horns that once graced the Sydney Opera House, now restored to their former glory by Turkeri. They find their new home inside cabinets throughout the venue, a nod to Altec Lansing’s revered midcentury ‘Voice of Theatre’ speakers.
As for the venue’s hospitality offerings, follow the glow of the bar and you’ll be met with a discerning drinks list that runs the gamut of fancy tipples, old-school classics and crisp beers poured straight from the tap. Australian wine and beer dominate, alongside classic cocktails with a twist, and a variety of non-alcoholic options from names like Heaps Normal, T.I.N.A. and the iconic Japanese rehydrator, Pocari Sweat. Once the space is licensed for food, guests can also expect a modest but tasty rotation of bar snacks and charcuterie, including takeovers from local food-spots further down the line.
To kick-off opening night on Friday 20 October, DJs well-affiliated with local radio stations and record stores Bridget Smalls, Earl Grey, Mike Wale and Jazz will be spinning soulful electronica, christening what’s soon to be well-oiled system. The following day, Saturday 21 October, catch DJs from Izy – Maru & Waari will open the energy, followed by tunes from Elsie, Dawn Again and Boorloo-based Ben Taaffe. To complete the weekend, Sunday 22 October will promote house and soul stylings from Mothafunk, Shuko, Tendjai and Zalina.
On Saturday October 28, as part of the lineup for the inaugural Eighty-Six festival, High Note’s second space will be activated with live performances, including one from multinational trio Asa Tone. Composed of Jakarta-born Melati Malay, New York-based Tristan Arp and itinerant producer Kaazi, Asa Tone’s equatorial excursions in voice mallets and synthesis are both transportative and fluid, while firmly grounded in the earth – a perfect inhabitant for High Note’s atmospheric and intimate space.
Beyond monthly music programming curated by Crown Ruler, High Note’s performance space will become a lively hub for music education and artist collaboration. From hosting exhibitions, record fairs, artist talks and Q&As, the venue will become an info-den by day to a veritable second home for fledgling artists looking to cut their teeth in workshops on music production, music writing and more.
Of the interiors, Clarke says: “The ground level bar space itself is a contemporary departure from the connecting theatre’s living architecture and history, with the modern design harmonising really nicely with the building’s Edwardian Baroque-era roots.” He continues: “We’ve kept it simple, with timber features in walnut tones paying homage to this great building’s heritage,” he adds that intimate corners transform as the day goes on and, by sunset, High Note emits a welcoming ambient glow designed to lure locals in off the 86 tram outside.
The build was executed in collaboration with local builders Curve Build, and featured custom pieces by Old Four Legs. Across the adjoining spaces, the modern interior is enhanced by original artworks by Olivia Chin and Jaime Brohier resulting in a seamless fit out that integrates the old and the new to offer a richly atmospheric canvas for creativity.
Set to become the city’s newest hub for inspired creative cross-pollination, High Note officially opens to the public tomorrow – fusing Northcote Theatre’s old-world charm and live music heritage with the innovative vision of Crown Ruler, in ways that only Melbourne can.
Head to highnote.space and follow them on IG for more info.
