New Melbourne Venue Confirms Live Music Offering

The Forester’s Beer And Music Hall — the former site of beloved dance destination A Bar Named Barry — in Melbourne has confirmed that it will maintain live music options as part of its comprehensive overhaul into a thriving hub of craft beer-centric culture, revealing The Rechords as the first band to grace the renewed premises at a launch event this September.

Although the venue, at 64 Smith Street, Collingwood, technically opened its doors last night, the official opening event will be held on Thursday, September 11, and see revered local roots’n’rockabilly vets The Rechords hit the stage sometime after 9pm, when the digs are opened up to the public. From there, expect to see live bands every Friday and Saturday night from 9.30-11.30pm, with DJs until late after the show – and no cover charge.

The renewed Forester’s site is well-suited for such shindigs, too, with 500sqm of space over two floors, with the main hall boasting seating room for 160 people and standing room for a further 140 – smack in the middle of feeling roomy while, at the same time, intimate. Upstairs will fit in another 100 punters on top of that, and at the centre of everything is an original, antique (c. 1920s) clam-shell stage, three metres up, to give things a particularly regal, classy vibe.

Forester’s Beer And Music Hall will keep you fed with fresh-cooked pizza from their on-site oven, to complement the 50 taps and more-than-30 types of craft beers from around the world they’ve got on offer.

“Melbourne is embracing craft beer and always appreciates a venue where you feel at home, looked after by a passionate team,” co-owner Russell Griggs said in a statement. “Combined with outstanding entertainment, this really will be a unique venue, one that will become a classic. 

“For our family business it is the culmination of 25 successful years in hospitality. While it involves a brand new concept, it also feels incredibly comfortable being in the building we’ve been operating in for the last 14 years.”

Forester’s Beer And Music Hall operates 4pm-4am Thursday to Saturday, and 6pm-2am Sunday to Wednesday. See the venue’s Facebook page for more information.