Preston's Merri Bar is loading up March with live acoustic talent from across Melbourne's independent music scene.
Merri Bar on Gilbert Road has built a reputation as one of the inner north’s most dependable live music destinations, and this month’s lineup is a solid case in point.
Folk, Americana, French-influenced jazz and plenty in between fill out the weekends, with Saturday evening sets and lazy Sunday afternoon sessions giving locals plenty of reasons to make the trip to Preston.
Weeknights aren’t left out either. Trivia runs every Tuesday from 7.30pm for the pub quiz faithful, and open mic nights land on two Thursdays this month; giving emerging artists a low-pressure chance to test out new material in front of a warm crowd. Sign up via the website if you’re keen to get up and play.
Headlining the month is a standout Saturday 28 March set from The Creature from Outer Bass; the project of Melbourne bassist Keith Stone.
What Stone does with a five-string bass guitar genuinely has to be heard to be believed. Part virtuoso performance, part darkly comedic science-fiction spectacle, the act has been turning heads for years. Stone first made his mark as founding member and bassist for Melbourne fusion group The Banned, racking up appearances on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, ABC’s Countdown, national radio spots, and coverage in American Guitar Player magazine along the way.
For this show, he’s joined on drums by Daniel Stone — aka The Son of The Creature from Outer Bass — making it very much a family affair.
Merri Bar
- 15 Gilbert Road, Preston
- Free entry for all live shows
- Dog-friendly venue with beer garden
- Trivia Night every Tuesday from 7.30pm
- Open Mic Nights: Thursday 5 March & Thursday 19 March from 7pm — sign up at themerribar.com
- Saturday 7 March: Rosario De Marco, 7pm
- Sunday 8 March: Mark Sinton, 4pm
- Saturday 14 March: Hugh McGinlay, 7pm
- Sunday 15 March: The Northwest Grifters, 4pm
- Saturday 21 March: Zeitgeist Riders, 7pm
- Sunday 22 March: Troy Wilson, 4pm
- Saturday 28 March: The Creature from Outer Bass, 7pm
- Sunday 29 March: Crumbe, 4pm
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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Rosario De Marco
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- 7 March, 7pm
Drawing on jazz, classical, folk and contemporary influences, Rosario De Marco is a Melbourne guitarist and composer with a sound that travels well beyond genre boundaries. His original compositions have earned him national TV and radio appearances, and he’s shared stages with the likes of Zucchero, Omara Portuondo and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. With several albums already under his belt and new work currently in progress, De Marco brings a depth of artistry that’s well worth catching in an intimate setting.
Mark Sinton
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- 8 March, 4pm
Melbourne singer/songwriter Mark Sinton has carved a rich musical path, from fronting 90s act Carbine on Shock Records, to London band The Gasolingers recording with producer Charlie Francis, to leading The Mansions with ex-members of Musket and The Paradise Motel. Catch him live at Merri.
Hugh McGinlay
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- 14 March, 7pm
Melbourne singer-songwriter, author and self-described optimist Hugh McGinlay isn’t too fussed about staying in his lane. His music skips across styles and genres without getting precious about it — rough around the edges in the best possible way. As he puts it himself, he’d rather be interesting than tidy. Hard to argue with that.
The Northwest Grifters
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- 15 March, 4pm
The Northwest Grifters deal in heartfelt, honest Americana that gets people moving before they’ve had a chance to think about it. Currently finishing up their debut album for release in 2026, this is a band with something to say and the songwriting chops to back it up.
Zeitgeist Riders
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- 21 March, 7pm
Melbourne alt-folk rock trio Zeitgeist Riders are a fiddle-led whirlwind of danceable, genre-blurring energy. Fiddly, folky and driving, their original material sits somewhere between foot-stomping folk and full-throttle rock — the kind of thing that tends to get a room moving fast.
Troy Wilson
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- 22 March, 4pm
Roots, blues and resonator guitars are Troy Wilson’s weapons of choice. His set moves between original songs and well-worn juke joint stomps, delivered with the kind of lived-in authenticity that only comes from genuinely loving the music you play.
Crumbe
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- 29 March, 4pm
Melbourne four-piece Crumbe sit at a restless collision point between surf, punk and raw lyrical honesty. Their sound pulls from the post-punk grit that’s long defined Melbourne’s live scene, with nods to Patti Smith, PJ Harvey and the Velvet Underground running through the mix. Expect a B52s-style groove and a whole lot of attitude.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Merri Bar.
