:: The Esplanade's 130th birthday celebrations

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

The Esplanade Hotel, Australia’s longest running live music venue, celebrates its 130th birthday with a month long program featuring 300 international and local acts over 30 days and nights. The Esplanade is giving punters even more reason to celebrate with low-ticket prices and a program of music that delivers a line-up sure to appeal to the most discerning of music lovers.

The Hoodoo Gurus, Weddings Parties Anything, Blue King Brown, Tim Finn, Marva Whitney (USA), Jehst (UK), Bodyjar, Vasco Era, The Galvatrons, Boom Crash Opera, The Fauves, the Dukes of Windsor and David Bridie are just some of the acts that comprise the stellar lineup of musicians gracing the four rooms within the Espy Venue over the month.

Saturday November 1 is the Espy’s ‘Family Day’; Espy regulars and St Kilda locals are invited to sit back with a cold beer and tune into Ryan Meeking and the Few while sausages sizzle and Espy friends and family toast 130 years of music and culture.

That night, punters can pay just $12 to experience the Deep Roots Festival, a coming together of some of Australia’s more credible roots acts including Martin Martini and the Bone Palace Orchestra, Ash Grunwald, Dan Sultan, Bonjah, Labjacd plus more.

Sunday November 2 delivers one of Australia’s most iconic bands, Boom Crash Opera in the Espy Lounge supported by Headspace and the Nudist Funk Orchestra. In the Gershwin Room, Melbourne rock darlings The Dukes of Windsor take to the stage supported by Damn Arms DJ’s, the Peacocks and Boy & Girl. If that’s not enough action for a Sunday night, punters can head down to the basement to Rock In The City and catch Perfect Reason, Holliava and Fire Fire.

For those who prefer to be front of stage rather than trackside, the week commencing Monday November 3 covers a bevy of music delights including the Behind Crimson Eyes (single launch) on the 3rd, the Cup Eve Party with Pablo Discobar & Direct Influence on the 4th, Tim Finn and Guests on the 5th and the Emergenza Music Festival (Battle of the Bands) on the 6th, Bob Log III and guests on the 7th.

The following three weeks of programming just gets better; highlights include Bodjar, the David Bridie Album Launch, Jehst (UK) and Buff1(USA); see the attached program for the full, night by night schedule of live music.

Stay tuned for more details on the one-day, twenty band festival, ‘The Espy Fest’ to be held on the glorious St Kilda Esplanade on Sunday, November 30.