Last September we brought you the news that Melbourne would be losing yet another live music venue when The Public Bar in North Melbourne announced it was closing its doors for good in December that year.
A statement from the venue at the time read ‘After 18 years of supporting live and local music in Melbourne, North Melbourne’s Public Bar will be closing its doors in December this year. We would like to thank all the punters that have supported us over the years.”
The closure was just the latest in a string of closures around the country and particularly in Melbourne including the East Brunswick Club which will say goodbye in a few months and The Prince Bandroom which seems to be holding on by a thread after a restaurant group bought the Prince complex.
But now a glimmer of hope may be on the horizon as a we’ve been tipped off that a sign has been erected on the front door of The Public Bar stating ‘Closed For Renovations, The Public Bar Lives On! Open early 2012’.
We tried calling a number also posted on the door but it went straight to voicemail for someone from The Railway Club Hotel, a steakhouse pub that prides itself on food and dining. So is The Public Bar going the way The Prince is headed and turning into a dining venue, or has someone swooped in to save this live music venue?
The notice on the door is pretty ambiguous and the phrase ‘The Public Bar Lives On’ could mean any one of a number of things. We’ve left a message with the new contact but unfortunately didn’t get a response by deadline.
In the meantime we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed and we’ll let you know if we hear anything more. Anyone who knows any information about the future of The Public Bar can email [email protected]
