It's all happening.
We’re no longer hanging on to just glimmers of hope for the return of live music, with one of our absolute favourite regional venues announcing a slew of gigs for the next few weeks.
Cleverly merging an inviting design, sultry vibe and playful bistro with the comfort of a traditional Victorian pub, The Bridge Hotel has become a staple in the regional music scene, bringing in the locals, groupies and music aficionados from all over to celebrate live music. With the likes of Courtney Barnett, Kid Kongo, Henry Wagons, Ella Hooper, The Pretty Littles, Hugo Race, Harry Howard, Dallas Crane plus many more gracing the stage, there is no shortage of fine music here, rightfully earning them the title of best regional venue in the past at the Music Victoria Awards.
Now they’ve opened their beautiful 1860s heavy wooden doors to musicians once more, letting them haul in their gear through for live performances.
Having already hosted two gigs already (Archer and Maya Rose) and with local singer-songwriter Nadia Phillips taking to the stage this weekend and C.W. Stoneking the following, The Bridge Hotel is working hard to make up for all the lost time announcing a tonne of acts for December.
First up we’ll be getting a Sunday afternoon with RVG’s Romy Vager on December 6. RVG released their second album, Feral, earlier in the year, recording the album’s instrumentals live to track. In what has been called both a cry for help and a call for action, album number two followed a busy few years since the band’s debut release, including performances at SXSW and Roskilde.
The next weekend will see Odette come through on Friday, December 11. Describing herself as the “geeky kid performing in primary school assemblies”, Odette is as cool as a cucumber when performing. Helped by the introduction of soul and funk by her mother and the keys by her father’s side of the family, the singer-songwriter released To a Stranger in 2018. In early days, she already has triple j Hottest 100 entries and ARIA nominations under her belt.
The next day, Saturday, December 12, we’re in for a treat with Tim Rogers and Davey Lane heading to The Bridge. We know them well. We love ’em. And there is not much to say that hasn’t been said before. However, we feel it important to let you know that Lane has a new album called Don’t Bank Your Heart On It. This is his third studio album, and features the likes of Todd Rundgren, Vika and Linda Bull, Chris Cheney and Phil Jamieson.
Next we’ve got a Sunday session with Didirri on December 13. Growing up in Warrnambool, young songman Didirri turned to music as a way to be honest. Piano came first, but he later picked up guitar and found the connection to the instrument ran deep. His debut EP Measurements has been doing big things, including racking up more than 30 million streams and leading to shows in the US, UK and throughout Australia.
Later in the month, there are also shows from the likes of James Kenyon on Saturday, December 19, Ali Barter on Sunday, December 20, Kee’Ahn on Sunday, January 10, The Davidson Brothers on Sunday, January 17 and James Ellis & The Jealous Guys on Saturday, January 30.
You can suss all the gigs and purchase your tickets here.
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