St Kilda has a great new live venue
What a beautiful room and the sound is to die for!
The MEMO crew have set up a dazzling little band room in the bar area of the venue with long drapes surrounding the walls and styled with MEMO’s signature standard lamps and in bold St Kilda colours…I was well impressed.
Ember Lounge is open with free entry Monday to Wednesdays as a cool, laid back bar. It is dripping with a New York type of feel, cool and sophisticated but relaxed and comfortable. I can see it spinning quite a few cocktails
The sound was extraordinarily good for such a small room, must be the curtains, the bar prices were reasonable and I even got handed a bowl of chicken wings! THAT really impressed me, a small plate with 3 wings, I have bleated for years that some food should be available at gigs, all I wanted ever was just a handful, satay or wings and they surprised and won me forever lol!
I love the decor, they really thought it out, the use of the space is a genius stroke, to simply separate this huge concert venue with a massive black velvet curtain that frames the bar and creates the perfect stage area at the other end, a white roof and the opposite walls striking red and all the table cloths and table furniture all just perfectly matched.
This new room also strengthens St Kilda’s steady regrowth and recognition as a music capital of Melbourne.
Just in this local hive MEMO put on the best live shows from such a variety of artists and groups and the Palais do the monster shows, Dogs Bar is pumping 7 days a week with live bands, covers and originals, The Vineyard have at least 3 nights of hard core rock and roll every week highlighted by their new St Kilda Live initiative on Saturday nights. Lona have music on most nights and weekend afternoons as to Pablo Honey occasionally.
Throw a rock the other way up Acland Street and Abbey Road and St Moritz, Claypots is pumping most nights, Big Mouth, Iddy Biddy and The Branch do small acts, Lost is found and heading back soon with a strong program and Surabaya Johnnies does it every night as well. That is 14 venues I have counted and probably more.
Nothing wrong with the live scene here except promoting the fact that it exists in bulk!
This Ember Lounge though is the coolest and cutest idea I have seen in a long time, thinking tangentially and creating magic! Get out this winter and check out this very heart warming new bar experience.
