Along the Yarra River, the row of hospitality venues is finally starting to show signs of life.
Left Bank, a restaurant and bar in Southbank, is abuzz with the Friday night pre-match footy crowd. Food and drink are half-price until 6pm. There’s a DJ in the corner playing lounge tunes.
Only a month ago, two teenagers were arrested allegedly moments before trying to set this venue alight. The business escaped unscathed – but its next-door neighbour didn’t fare as well.
Soho Bar and Restaurant was closed for weeks after an arson attack on April 17. Tables and chairs were stacked haphazardly, and the building was pitch black. Scorch marks remained on the metal pillars outside. The bar was only able to reopen on Saturday.
Almost 20 venues within the Melbourne’s CBD and its immediate surrounds have been targeted in the unpredictable slew of crimes that began targeting hospitality venues in late March.
The incidents – including firebombings, drive-by shootings, kidnappings and burglaries – rose in frequency before halting suddenly in mid-May. Reports of fresh blazes have slowly dropped away from the daily news cycle, but those embedded in the industry have been left to pick up the pieces.
Workers within Melbourne’s nightlife scene say that their industry is in desperate need of support, after the highly publicised crime spree placed added pressure on an already struggling community.
DJ Flexi J, real name Jordan, has performed at clubs for almost a decade. He regularly plays at Left Bank, as well as other targeted venues like The Emerson and Bar Bambi.
He says that Melbourne’s bar and club scene is in a perpetual state of struggle – and the crime spree to which they’ve most recently been victim is just the latest in a line of tribulations for performers like him.
“A lot of us have had hours cut back … due to what’s been happening at the moment. A lot of us are on edge too. We don’t know [if] we’re going to be targeted next. If we’re in danger,” he says.
The DJ is particularly frustrated with the state government and local council, who he says haven’t done their part in supporting entertainment venues. High liquor licensing fees and rising insurance costs are among his biggest gripes.
Paired with the cost-of-living crisis, which is pushing patrons to spend less at venues, he says that many businesses are struggling financially. Even a club that appears to be bursting at the seams might be actually paddling like a duck under the surface.
“It doesn’t matter how many people go in … a lot of venues are at risk of disappearing forever,” Jordan says.
Last Friday, Victoria Police announced that it had searched seven properties and made two arrests in connection to the spate of crimes known as the bar wars – which has been assigned a dedicated Operation Eclipse taskforce.
Police have now connected 35 incidents to the crime spree – which has resulted in 65 people being arrested and charged with 370 offences. But there are still major questions surrounding why the attacks are happening and who is responsible.
“We have dozens of investigators and intelligence analysts working on identifying and commissioning these crimes, so we can best target those who are causing the greatest harm in our community,” Detective Inspector Graham Banks said in a statement.
Across town near Chapel Street, another cluster of venues is dealing with the aftermath of the targeted crime wave. At The Emerson in South Yarra, remnants of fire damage are minor, but obvious if you’re looking for it. Once you’re upstairs at the popular rooftop bar, it’s as if there hasn’t been an attack at all.
Management placed two shipping containers in front of the venue’s entrance in an apparent attempt to ward off drive-by shootings at the height of the attacks. Tonight, the street is free of barricades.
An hour after opening, it’s still relatively empty. An older couple is sitting in a booth. Two younger customers order drinks at the bar. It’s happy hour until 11pm, and popular cocktails are $9.
One patron says he’s a regular here, and tonight has arrived early to watch the AFL. He’s aware that the venue was recently targeted, but says he isn’t too worried because no crimes have taken place during opening hours.
But the recent incidents have made him wonder what might happen when the club closes its doors. “It’s a different vibe … you call an Uber, and it’s like, ‘Am I safe to stand outside?’ I don’t know,” he says.
Another DJ based in Melbourne, who didn’t wish to be identified, regularly performs around the corner at Electric Bar, which was ram-raided on May 4. He is certain that the recent spate of crimes has had an impact on clubs across the city.
“It’s kicked an already down industry … I feel like an industry that’s already really struggling to be successful has got kicked in the teeth again,” he says.
“All those years ago, the biggest problem was fights on King Street between people. Now venues are getting specifically targeted, for whatever reason, and it doesn’t really make sense.”
A photographer, who also wished to remain anonymous, agrees that times are tough. He has worked full-time in the industry for four years– mainly at private events – but he’s had experience in nightclubs too.
He says that the financial state of many venues has stalled to the point where photographers are getting paid half of what they once were or shifts are being cancelled.
The photographer describes a “transactional relationship” with nightclub managers, where creatives are willing to overlook the lower pay to secure the guaranteed weekly income a nightclub photography gig can provide.
Measures to try to financially support the city’s nightlife scene include a $10 million Hospitality Security Fund, announced by the state government on May 12, which aims to provide eligible venues with increased security measures like CCTV, security doors and alarms.
The opening date of the scheme is yet to be confirmed and there is limited detail available to businesses. DJs like Flexi J question how much tangible support the program will be able to provide.
“This new package is another way that we’re supporting businesses with safety measures – while Victoria Police are on the case,” Minister for Small Business Natalie Suleyman said at the time.
Amid concern for the future viability of their industry – DJs and photographers describe a scene that they are passionate about maintaining.
“What would help fix the scene … is people banding together and just going out. Not even for a drink, but just to support,” the DJ from Electric Bar says.
“These are local businesses as well … [we need to] bring the community together to show that these attacks won’t stop us.”
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