With live acts, a grungy atmosphere and a retro setting, this Fitzroy bar makes the grade. There are even pinball machines. Happy hour serves up $2 beer pots.
Do regular bars with plush seating and mood lighting seem a bit ho-hum and predictably polished? For those who crave live, edgy music in all shapes and sizes, it could be a wise move to pull up a pew at The Old Bar and settle into the what's-it-gonna-be-tonight mood.
With live acts performing five nights a week, this place is a platform for local and overseas bands and experimental theatre acts, as well as amateur musicians keen for their first real audience. Expect anything from raw rock legend Billy Childish, to a mop-haired solo guitarist wailing and thrashing around in a white singlet and thongs. Gig listings are scrawled in chalk out the front and also appear in street press and on the venue's website.
Unmistakably unique, this joint is decked out in vintage movie posters such as Girls Out of Hell and a photocopied homage to Andy Warhol's image of Elvis. There are also some retro pinball machines, a beer garden and a barbecue to lure you in. Chairs and tables have an 'I Love Lucy' 1950s feel and the bar staff pour out a friendly vibe.
Happy hour features $2 beer pots from 5pm to 8pm everyday except Sunday.
Brianna Summers
