St Kilda holds a special place in Australian musical mythology. Paul Kelly sang about it in “From St Kilda to Kings Cross,” Masters Apprentices brought us “Melodies of St Kilda,” and in “The Crowd,” The Cat Empire sang about wanting to “sleep on the St Kilda sands.” So if you’re a travelling music lover, it makes sense to get out of the CBD and base yourself in this Melbourne suburb instead. Make sure you put the following on your itinerary.
See Some Live Music
Image by Melissah Crumpton via Trover.com
Of course as a music lover, you’re going to want to catch a band or two during your stay. Unfortunately, it seems most locals would rather be clubbing than watching live music, so the number of venues booking bands is dwindling. However, there are still a couple of great options available.
The Prince of Wales is probably the best known pub supporting the live music scene. It attracts big name acts, too; over the next few months, head there to see Regurgitator and Salmonella Dub. Republica and Captain Baxter have live music on the weekends and amazing food. And don’t forget the Palais, a beautiful art deco theatre that will welcome Olly Murs, Mondo Rock, and Xavier Rudd over the coming months.
Catch a RocKwiz Taping at the Espy
St Kilda is home to The Esplanade Hotel, or “The Espy” as the locals call it. Even if you’ve never been to Melbourne, you’ll recognise this pub as the home of RocKwiz. Whether you have dreams of being on the stage with Julia and Brian or cheering the teams along from the crowd, no visitor to St Kilda should miss a RocKwiz taping. The Espy is currently undergoing renovations, but sign up for the Kwizlist newsletter to learn when taping begins again and score your tickets.
Go Shopping
St Kilda has plenty of great places for travellers wanting souvenirs of their holidays. Jazz lovers could spend hours browsing the pre-loved LPs and EPs at Mainly Jazz Records and Books. Get some cool instruments at African Drumming, or drool over the goodies at The Bose Store.
Where to Stay
St Kilda has plenty of great accommodation options that are much more affordable than the hotels in inner-city Melbourne. Habitat HQ doesn’t have frills, but this hostel has a guitar library and open mic nights every Tuesday. If you want a little more luxury, look to Sixty Two on Grey, a renovated Georgian house built in the 1860s, or Tolarno Hotel, once owned by celebrated artist Mirka Mora. Her works still adorn the walls, along with pieces from up-and-coming local talents.
How to Get There
The number 96 tram, which travels from East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach, is the quickest way to get from Melbourne to St Kilda. You could also catch a train on the Sandringham line or rent a bike and take the scenic Bayside Trail, which connects Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs with St Kilda.
This post was written as part of the #HipmunkCityLove project. What do you love about St Kilda?