Beloved St Kilda live music venue Dog’s Bar has closed down
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09.12.2020

Beloved St Kilda live music venue Dog’s Bar has closed down

Words by Tom Parker

Sad news.

St Kilda institution Dog’s Bar has closed down with the venue’s owners unable to keep up with rent demand during the COVID-19 period.

When the pandemic hit in mid-March, Dog’s Bar was forced to close its doors for an extended period of time. What came next was mounting rent, and suddenly operating one of Melbourne’s most beloved live music venues was an unsustainable practice.

Local blues legend Phil Para shared the news of the venue’s closure via his personal Facebook page.

“Dog’s Bar is finished,” Para said in the Facebook post. “I spoke to Gavan [Breen] today, it really is all over. This is not something the power of the people can fix. The rent demand for the COVID period while their doors were closed is too much and too immediate and they are to be locked out this week. The landlord owns the intellectual property and so Gavan can’t even express himself on Dog’s Bar Facebook.”

First opening in 1989, Dog’s Bar was one of Melbourne’s first dedicated wine bars. Following its establishment, it quickly earned a reputation for being a local’s bar where anyone who walked in felt welcomed and at home.

It also became a fantastic live music venue which prided itself on offering free gigs and providing a stage for both artists from home and abroad.

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