Mon 7th Jul, 2014 in News
A new 2250 capacity venue is set to open in Melbourne to help cover for the loss of the Palace Theatre which closed in May.
The Melbourne Pavilion on Racecourse Road, Kensington will undergo an extensive refit allowing the venue to host major touring acts under the name Pavilion Live. Currently the venue operates as a sports and function centre with a licensed capacity of 1300. The Palace could hold 1850 punters.
“Melbourne is well served by a brilliant collection of well-operated small venues and venues of the 900-1500 capacity but there is a definite need for a venue that is the next step up from there – a venue that is large enough to accommodate national level touring bands but still offers a more intimate experience than a stadium-type venue,” explains Pavilion Live spokesman, entertainment lawyer and consultant Andrew Watt. In a press release Chris O’Brien, general manager of Soundwave Touring, agrees noting that the recent closure of the Palace was “a dagger to the heart of the Victorian live music scene.”
As FL reported last year, the loss of The Palace looms as a logistical nightmare for bookers trying to entice overseas bands to our shores. “The proposed demolition of The Palace Theatre won’t affect the health of Melbourne’s grassroots music community,” wrote FL Editor-in-chief Darren Levin. “What The Palace does provide though is a place for mid-sized tours – the kind that can’t fill out Etihad (53,000 capacity or 20,000 in “intimate” mode), Rod Laver (14,820), Hisense Arena (10,500), Festival Hall (5445), the Myer Music Bowl (25,000), or The Plenary (5540). We’re talking shows by the likes of Bernard Fanning, Foals, Parkway Drive, Devin Townsend, Amity Affliction, Lana Del Rey and Pennywise. And that’s a big gap to fill for a city that likes to think of itself as Australia’s live music capital.”
HOW WILL MELBOURNE COPE WITHOUT THE PALACE?
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