The new gig series is your chance to get up close and personal with a range of emerging and established acts.
Since opening its doors in 2009, Temperance Hotel has held a place in Melburnians’ hearts. It’s undeniably familiar, comfortable, and charming, which is the perfect recipe for any night out haunt.
Having served as a destination for a cheeky boogie and a great feed on Chapel Street for over ten years, Temperance is now serving up lo-fi entertainment with its new live music series, Thursdays Up-Close.
Coming out of lockdown hungry for live music, the team at Temperance has introduced Thursdays Up-Close to give punters intimate performances in a relaxed atmosphere where you can grab dinner and a couple of drinks.
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Kicking off the series on May 27 is 2020 Golden Guitar nominees, Darlinghurst. Nabbing the #1 spot on the Country HOT 50 Chart back in March, Darlinghurst are a homegrown sensation who are making waves in the US.
The series will also feature the likes of The Badloves and Abbey Stone, along with emerging artists including BB and Luke Joseph.
Temperance’s Resident DJ and Producer, Marcus Knight has seen the venue grow from strength to strength since joining the team 11 years ago and attributes its longevity to, “A certain warmth, charm, and agility”.
“Thursdays Up-Close is a new concept since reopening in the post-lockdown era and we all feel it signifies the future and optimism in general,” he says.
“The final gig before lockdown after ten years was hard, watching emotional staff members, security, and other entertainers walk away with so much uncertainty and what a lockdown would mean to their respective lives.
“Coming out of lockdown, the venue and I had a desire to back local artists in a lo-fi and intimate format where you can enjoy fantastic live music with your mates whilst having dinner or enjoying a casual drink at the bar.”
A culmination of Knight’s creative vision and hunger to do more, these new experiences at Temperance offer an opportunity to move forward and try something new.
“The initial public appetite for entertainment was so phenomenal, it allowed us to try some new additional creative angles which has been fascinating,” he says.
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With their debut album set to be released in August, Darlinghurst cannot wait for the show.
“We’re so excited to see live music back,” says vocalist Pagan Newman.
“To have the opportunity to perform in metropolitan Melbourne, which is stereotypically away from our usual country music environment, is really exciting. Our show at Temperance gives new listeners the chance to experience our music and our harmonies, first hand.”
Darlinghurst’s sound is built on the foundations of personal experience and soul.
“We’re very strong in the way that we think [in terms of our music],” says Newman. “We’re all about being inherently unique and being true to ourselves. Our music is an extension of that.”
Following the release of their brand new single, ‘Unfaithful’, Darlinghurst fans can expect that same foot-stomping, enigmatic and all-over electric energy at Thursdays Up-Close.
“We bring a similar show to every gig we do,” says Newman. “It’s acoustic but we mix between songs that are super up-and-about, big country-soul ballads, and some cruisy songs in between to help lower the heart rate.”
Thursdays Up-Close debuts on Thursday May 27 at 6pm with Darlinghurst headlining and BB Music as support.
