Some of the most iconic music venues in Melbourne have been shrunk down by local artist David Hourigan.
Melbourne’s most iconic music venues have been preserved in miniature form thanks to local artist David Hourigan.
His small-scale replicas are so good you can practically smell the carpet and see the thumping bass rattle windows.
All 10 of the miniatures in his collection will be on show at David’s Loud, Live and Loved exhibition this month.
Melbourne music venues by David Hourigan
- The Punters Club, 2002
- The Espy, St Kilda,1997
- Batman Records, Swanston St, 1985
- The Palace Theatre, Bourke St, 2002
- The Reverence Hotel, Footscray, 2018
- The Old Bar, Fitzroy, 2023
- Cherry Bar, AC/DC Lane, 2006
- The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood, 2025
- Paris Cat Jazz Club, Goldie Place, 2025
- The Tote, Collingwood, 2025
Loud, Live and Loved exhibition
- When: July 17-31
- Where: Off The Kerb Gallery, 66B Johnston St, Collingwood
- Entry: Free
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Where it began
David’s first miniature appeared back in 2020, which he says was a way to live vicariously through the non-existent live music scene.
“I’m pretty excited, I’ve been working on the music theme for a couple of years now.
“It’s nice to get to a stage where I’ve got enough to show them off in an exhibition.
“I’ve been working as a full-time artist making miniatures since 2019, my first exhibition was a week before COVID started locking down.
“My first of the Melbourne music venues was Cherry Bar; I was stuck at home and no one was able to get out and see live music.
“I thought, ‘I don’t have to go to these venues, I can make my own and live vicariously in the comfort of home’.
“I liked the theme so I kept going and I honestly thought only architecture nerds would be interested but so many people loved it.
“It was incredible to see, so many people have great memories of these places.
“People have said to me “I can smell the carpet”, or “I remember the toilets”, or “I met my partner there”.
“These places are so deeply rooted in our consciousness and in the community.”
The venue selection process
I asked David how he chooses which venues he’ll make, and he says a large part of the decision comes down to the architectural details.
“There are some that I look at and think I’d love to make but it’d be a nightmare, like The Palais which is huge and intricate,” he says.
“The Espy nearly killed me; there’s so many ornate Victorian art windows and it’s exponentially more difficult than a frontage bar.
“Another part of the joy of being an artist is that you get to make what interests you and things you have a connection to.
“So some of the places I wanted to recapture was because I enjoyed gigs there, and some are places I never saw.”
David moved to Melbourne in 2006, so some buildings didn’t exist during his time, but this hasn’t stopped the talented artist in his endeavour.
“I saw the record store on a history of Melbourne page, it’s from the 80s, and I just thought ‘I have to make that’,” he says.
“It’s cool to capture places that are gone, as well as preserve places while they’re still here.
“That history aspect is a huge part of it.
“I remember seeing The Gasometer Hotel with its bright red exterior and knew it would look amazing, and then halfway through my build of it they announced they would be closing due to the rising insurance costs.
“I went to their final weekend and took photos so it would look exactly as it had on their last day, it was beautiful and bittersweet.”
Other miniatures
Alongside the 10 ‘big’ miniatures set to star at the exhibition, David has made several matchbox-sized vinyl racks, and you can bet he’s chosen his favourite albums to be recreated.
“You can see inside the record store I made so I had to make a couple of racks, and they looked really cool,” he says.
“Each is a little bigger than a matchbox and I had fun choosing which albums to put in them.
“I’m a big fan of Billy Bragg, and The Pogues, so I had to put a few of their titles in.”
For David, these miniatures made of modelling foam and found materials mean more than simply some fun art, it’s recording history.
“I’ve made models since I was a kid and as an adult I have wondered why I’m making these, but I love these buildings and why not use the skills I have to capture them,” he says.
“It has meaning to me and it’s a process I enjoy.
“When I see people engage with them, they’ll look at the whole thing and lean in close at the details; there’s so much of a 3D object you can take in.
“For the ones gone or at danger of being demolished it’s nice to have a record of what they were like.
“It’s a bit more visceral than something 2D.”
Although he’s hesitant to tackle the larger Melbourne music venues, there’s one in particular David might eventually conquer.
“I’m most tempted by The Forum, it’s an incredible building and I just know it would be crazy, but one day I probably will attempt it.”
David Hourigan’s Loud, Live and Loved exhibition is on show at Off The Kerb gallery in Collingwood, from July 17 – 31, free entry.
