EEEK!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s last drinks at the Tote. This weekend.<\/p>\n
I know it\u2019s sudden. I didn\u2019t plan it to be like that.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t afford to keep fighting Liquor Licensing. The \u201chigh risk\u201d conditions they have placed on the Tote\u2019s license make it impossible to trade profitably. I can\u2019t afford the new \u201chigh risk\u201d fees they have imposed. I can\u2019t afford to keep fighting them at VCAT. I can\u2019t renegotiate a lease in this environment.<\/p>\n
So, come into the Tote this weekend to say farewell to the sad staff and to feel the sticky carpet for the last time.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t believe the Tote is a \u201chigh risk\u201d venue, in the same category as the nightclubs that make the news for all the wrong reasons. Despite being on a rough little corner of Collingwood, the Tote has had very, very few incidents. As a local police officer once said, \u201cThe Tote\u2019s the quietest pub in the area.\u201d (!).<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not dumb luck that the Tote has escaped serious violence. I believe the business has been run responsibly. People don\u2019t come to the Tote to fight. They come because they have a passion for music and love to be in an historic venue that reeks of that same passion.<\/p>\n
The Tote is (sorry, was) an important cornerstone of Melbourne\u2019s rich and diverse music community. It\u2019s too late to save the Tote but not too late to try and save other inner city venues that are feeling the same pressures.<\/p>\n
I know the sudden closure affects a lot of people. Most importantly, the hard-working staff that are being forced onto the dole queue. And the bands and artists that have had their gigs pulled from under them.<\/p>\n
Anyway, I don\u2019t want to get maudlin (or viciously angry). The era of the Tote is over. If you love the place, come and have a beer with us this weekend.<\/p>\n
Regards,
\nBruce Milne<\/p><\/blockquote>\n@ Mess+Noise<\/a> @ The Age<\/a><\/em> | Save The Tote<\/a> | Iconic Melbourne music venue The Tote will close its doors for the last time this weekend<\/a>. License Nominee Bruce Milne explains why to Bill Birtles from ABC News. ABC Melbourne. [Head bang : rob.]<\/p>\n
The Tote closes: Licensing over-regulation kills another iconic venue<\/a>, Ben Eltham | Licensing Killed The Pub Rock Star<\/a>, Mel Campbell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
EEEK! It\u2019s last drinks at the Tote. This weekend. I know it\u2019s sudden. I didn\u2019t plan it to be like that. I can\u2019t afford to keep fighting Liquor Licensing. The \u201chigh risk\u201d conditions they have placed on the Tote\u2019s license … Continue reading