The Punters Club Reveals Launch Date, Gigs From Harvey Sutherland, Frente! & More

The Punters Club is well and truly back in action. The venue has announced its highly anticipated reopening date—this Thursday, 22 August—and a huge roster of performing artists over the next two months.

Last week (16 August), The Punters Club shared its reopening date, but today, the venue has revealed who will perform in the much-missed venue.

Harvey Sutherland will launch the venue’s first live show in 22 years this Thursday, headlining a line-up starring DJs Chris Gill and Mike Gurrieri of Northside Records. Sutherland is leading one of 30 shows to be held at the venue in the coming weeks.

Additional acts set to perform at The Punters Club from this week into October include Dave Graney & The MistLY, Jen Cloher, Frente!, Groove Alliance, and more. You can check out the upcoming line-up of artists to perform below.

“LET’S HAVE IT,” The Punters Club began in a statement on social media. “Stoked to announce our inaugural lineup for Punters Club’s glorious return to Fitzroy ~ a quintessentially Melbourne collection of acts hand picked to soundtrack balmy Brunswick Street nights as we look toward spring and beyond.”

All shows are free to enter, so there’s no excuse not to support a local venue and buy a pint, right?

The surprise return of The Punters Club – after 22 long years – was announced at the start of July, with one of its new owners telling admins of the Facebook group Sound As Ever:

We see this new era as a love letter to the original pub, which original owners Mat and Penny Everett so beautifully created and plan to focus on music and music events but also create a community for all music lovers and locals. We want to honour what it once was but at the same time create something new.

A few weeks later, The Music confirmed that Calibre Music (CLBR) was appointed as the new team behind bookings at The Punters Club.

In a press release seen by The Music, the new owners stated that they plan to “[honour] the venue’s local legacy while creating an inclusive space that welcomes a new generation of Punters”.

Among those giving The Punters Club a second chance is Mark Wilson, best known as one-fourth of the iconic Aussie rock band Jet. He said of the latest venture, “I cut my teeth playing in local pubs around Melbourne, and it’s just really cool to be able to be right in the thick of it once more.

“Our vision is a place to gather, share a drink, grab a meal, watch the footy, or see some live music – something close to our hearts and a cornerstone of the venue’s revival.”

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