The Goth Club

Heresy is one of the older clubs in Melbourne. In fact, it’s so old, it was around while I was still underage and using my amazingly great facial hair to get into places without being asked for ID. The good old days when the most violently drunk and drugged up people at the clubs were the ones running them and getting kicked out of their own clubs by the bouncers in venues such as 9th Ward *cough* It also ran at what used to be the de riguer venue for goth clubs: Mega Bar (now Insignia).

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Sometime in 2002 it left Ma’s cradle of a club and struck out on its own as an irregular event, before being wrapped up by its promoter who concentrated his efforts on the Dark Events line ups and his own venue.

2010 seems to be a bit of a revival year for goth clubs around Melbourne, as Heresy is making a come back at yet another venue that used to be one of the staples of Melbourne’s Gothdom: the Blue Velvet bar at 60 Smith.st in Collingwood. And much like Blue Velvet used to be on its own, it’s looking to be a regular weekly Friday night haunt for people to have a bit of fun with quality drinks at a reasonable price before going on to other places and getting their angst on.

Whilst I haven’t tried the new Heresy yet, I’m sure it will be a decent night. Blue Velvet, since it’s finally had renovations (seriously Cam, how long were they happening for!?) and many of the old school DJs seem to be lining up to be involved in this once again weekly night. So far the line up includes: Doctor D, Robert Cyberman, Iggy D, Onya Box, Necromantic, Schism, Katsumi, Dissolved Pet, Spike, Slipstreem, Rael Borg and there are apparently “more” coming. Considering there are only two areas in the venue suitable for dancing, it’s going to be a hard press getting all those people on in a single evening, but I’m sure something’s been worked out as upstairs will be the speed+dance area, whilst downstairs will be people attempting to out absinthe each other and doing The Angsty Seaweed.

Entry prices are $15 at the door, $12 with a flier, or $10 if you were smart enough to hold onto your Heresy membership card for the last 7 years.

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DIRT, the club that caters to the younger crowd with their new fangled “hardcore” and “new-punk” and “nu-metal” and scat-boards, has finally found a new home and is meant to be getting a regular Friday slot. With Saturday nights getting rather over crowded, this now gives an opening to people that have their free time on a Friday night as their attempting to avoid sabbath dinner with family *cough* It also allows for a bit of club hopping between this, Silhouette for the more traditional music, and maybe even Cherry Bar if you feel like the cock rock.

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Now situated at The Night Owl, 33 Elizabeth.st, Melbourne, DIRT is all about having a good time and not caring what others think. It’s been out in the cold for a bit, and SKOL doesn’t seem to be coming back yet (not that it was really a different club, but y’know) but at least this means there’s a few things on a Friday now.

A real review will be forth coming once I’ve actually checked out the new digs.

Entry is $12, or $10 with the flier.

Drink Specials (until 11pm):

• $2.50 for Carlton pots (but why would you do this to yourself?)
• $4.00 shots
• $5.00 basic spirits

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Silhouette Flier - Better quality one to come when I find it.

Melbourne’s goth scene is shifting of late. Part of that shift includes a new Friday night club, Silhouette. The current DJ line up includes Nero, Rick Ruin, and Nebula, with a VJ set thrown in there at midnight. I guess we’ll call that DJ DVDHey. The music slated so far is the best of goth’s 70s through 90s period, so we’re looking at a lot of Bauhaus, Girls under Glass, Marilyn Manson, Sisters of Mercy, etc. Hopefully this extends to the VJ set as well.

Silhouette is on at the Portland Hotel, which is the corner of Russel and Little Collins streets, Melbourne. Entry is $6 before 10:30, $10 with flier after that, or $12.

The Portland is an odd space for a goth club. In terms of the venues own decor, it actually reminds me a lot of Die Maschine. It’s got that ex-strip club layout, but a very neutral decore that could actually go places if it’s worked with. The problem of course is what can you do with a large space and a limited budget… Well, a fog machine with the heavier juice and some polystyrene tombstones would go great on the dance floor, especially if the fog is rolling off the stage area.

Drink Specials:

• $6 Jim Beam
• $5 Quick Fucks, Wet Pussies, and Cocksucking Cowboys…

It should be noted that those drink specials can be made less euphemistic with the application of some cocaine and/or amyl-nitrate.

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For over a decade now, the man behind Cyberball has been running a few irregular BDSM/Fetish costume theme nights. Achtung is one of those, with a uniform (particularly militaria) bent to it.

By and large I’m a fan of these events provided they’re in a good venue. Sadly, this one isn’t, being held at Inflation, 60 King.st, Melbourne, with $15 entry fee.

There are a lot of things that Dark Events does right. They’re good with promotions. Find nice DJs. Are ok at not pissing off too many of what I like to call the “fractional scenesters”. It’s just the venue thing seems to be a real bugbear. Since the Paladin effectively became closed down, and goths are effectively persona non grata at what it’s become, it’s been hard for Dark Events to become situated at a venue that is cost effective for the promoter, and not a massively overpriced, understocked shit hole.

DJs include Schism, Doctor D, Robert Cyberman, Iggy D, and Onya Box.

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