The future of dance clubs, according to renowned music group 6AM AT THE GARAGE
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18.09.2019

The future of dance clubs, according to renowned music group 6AM AT THE GARAGE

Photo: Ryan Sauer Media
Words by Sam Howard

The show must go on for Melbourne’s electronic music scene.

In a city that welcomes 7,000 new residents per year, securing a place to call home in Melbourne is increasingly difficult. And that doesn’t just go for houses – it goes for dance floors and electronic music hubs, too.

The electronic scenes in both Melbourne and Sydney have been monumentally challenged in the last few years. We don’t need to be reminded about how Sydney’s nightlife has been completely brutalised by the outlandish and tyrannical lock-out laws. However, a slight shift of the rules in Sydney as of late may start to shine a bit of light in the night.

In Melbourne, the grave closure of Mercat, Hugs&Kisses and Lounge (despite its surprise reopening under different management) put a dampener on the optimism of the city’s electronic music lovers.

According to renowned music collective 6AM AT THE GARAGE’s Benny Rausa, urbanisation and development throughout Australia’s major cities are attempting to push the underground culture out.

“It may not look or feel like it, but those venues put in a lot of hard work and take a lot of risk behind the scenes to make sure the doors open week in, week out,” says Rausa. “With the closure of these cornerstone venues, we’ve lost some life on the scene.”

With increasing pressure on venue owners and promoters to pay up as prices rise, music culture can’t afford to meet the demands of rent imposed by development projects. But Rausa and the other half of 6AM, Liam Alexander, see oppression as an opportunity for more creativity and resourcefulness.

“People will fight back. The culture is too strong. With so many amazing promoters putting on world class shows, it doesn’t mean all is doomed,” Rausa says. “People start thinking outside the box on where to place their shows, how to start new venues and where to play. Melbourne relies too heavily on music for it to sit dormant, so it rears its head in different formats.”

For the last two months, 6AM AT THE GARAGE have been working away at reinventing and renovating a multilevel 24-hour venue in Carlton called Colour. With a vision to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity in Melbourne’s music culture, Colour aims to “create a space where people can feel comfortable, welcome, and simply have a great time,” according to Rausa.

Live music will be mixed with traditional dance music, with a band room upstairs and night club downstairs – creating a space unlike any other, especially in a 24-hour capacity. Colour: The Opening (Thursday October 3) will feature some of the best well-known and emerging local artists in the scene, including Sui Zhen, Andras, Interstellar Fugitives, NiMH, Proto Moro, Lori, Double Bounce and more. Check it out to witness a vibrant community keeping a culture strong.