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The Tote relaunches

Fri 11th Jun, 2010 in Features

It was a typically chilly June evening, spittles of rain falling upon the Wellington Street corner as individuals began to gravitate towards the worn, yet beloved building. Its entrance remained plastered with the scrawled laments of broken-hearted locals, who had long ago suffered the turn of a key, barred – perhaps forever – from the heart and soul of Collingwood. Dim fluorescent lights could be seen buzzing from within, logos and stickers as yet unstuck gracing its doors. Before long, it was time: Cameras circling, the doors were opened, and the bar approached.

Emotions ran high as last night, for the first time in almost five months, drinks flowed for punters at The Tote. And it is, happily, still The Tote. Its new owners – Bar Open, Pony and Yah Yah’s, Andrew Portokallis, Jon Perring and Sam Crupi – making not only a wise business decision, but one that will surely please those who have felt such a great affinity with the venue over the years.

So: what’s it like? What’s changed? What can we expect from The Tote, set for its official public relaunch? Well, it’s The Tote – and these four words sum up its resurrection so perfectly and efficiently. The first thing to notice is the new carpet, a disgracefully clean, pinky-red simply inviting one first act of clumsiness to stain it forever. No doubt there will be those who will regret the loss of the infamously adhesive surface that once lay underfoot, but in all honesty, it’s among just a few sacrifices to be endured in this, a new era for the venue. The fact is that the place is still very much identifiably The Tote, with little done to entirely refurbish the place.

No, instead, what you have here is The Tote as you last knew it. There’s nothing too mind blowing on offer. The venue is still, dare I say, a tad dingy. The light is still terribly selective; a sound desk operator heard complaining of as much only moments upon entering. There were electrical cords running across the walls finishing in a careless, uninviting tangle. The new furniture situated towards the entry of the band room looks like it has gone about ten rounds with a jaguar: worn, scratched and stained. The beer garden remains mostly untouched, but the inclusion of a Taco stall was well-received. Similarly, the bathrooms have been kept very much the same, old Tote obituaries marked into the tiles. All in all, it’s the venue you knew and loved once upon a time. It’s all of these things that once contributed to its charm. It was a clever approach from the trio of owners, who must have realised that any attempt to alter what was so cherished by a wealth of punters might appear contrived or illegitimate.

The evening’s proceedings included a warm introduction from Jon, Sam and Andy, followed by a preview screening of a documentary concerning the turbulent events surrounding The Tote in recent history. Two bands were also slated for the bill, the first of which were locals Eagle And The Worm. A mellow dream turned epic psychedelic opener was a bold statement from the nine-piece, but it proved par for the course, as the miniature orchestra professed complex and pleasingly cohesive compositions that perfectly reflected the tone of the evening. They’re a fun, funky sort of an outfit. Imagine taking Little Red and flying them to a remote tropical island. Imagine if you then handed them a multitude of instruments and left them to their own devices. That’s kind of what you should expect with Eagle And The Worm. At the very least, frontman Jarrad Brown’s vocal style is a dead ringer for any one of the boys from the doo-wop outfit. Whichever way you look at it, Eagle And The Worm are an exciting prospect. With three guitars, keys and a welcome brass section thrown into the mix, they boast one huge sound, and an entertaining, indie-rock approach that excels in its adventure and experimentation. An entirely emphatic performance from a band that will force you to sit up and take notice.

The second band on the bill would be Digger And The Pussycats, a duo that exploded onto the Tote stage. The energy that these two guys create is unrivalled by any two-man band I’ve witnessed. They do their utmost to ensure the entire stage is utilised; with their intense, devout commitment to rock and roll, thrashing about as Melbourne’s answer to The Black Keys. And the simplicity is rather astounding: just a guitar and a drumkit are at play here, and employed to maintain a crazy confronting BPM. Their performance was in stark contrast to the Eagle And The Worm, and those wanting a little more depth in their soundscape might easily be turned away by Digger And The Pussycats. But if you’re looking to lose your shit and rock out until the morning, then this is your thing.

The rest of the evening was spent with DJ Tristen Harris on the decks, and can after can of free alcohol for consumption; making the reopening of The Tote a memorable event – even if the memories would only come in fragments the morning after. If there was one charge I could bring against this night, however, it’s simply this: how is it that the hundreds of Tote supporters, who campaigned so ferociously for the venue’s survival only months ago, should be excluded from theses proceedings in favour of an invite-only, media-dominated event. It should not be forgotten that the Tote existed, and will continue exist, only with the support of its loyal patrons.

And it’s business as usual as of next Thursday, 17th July. In fact, a handful of dates and acts were announced at the event. So get out your diary, and pencil them in, because here’s your chance to celebrate not so much a new venue, but a new era. Welcome to The Tote.

The Tote Relaunches:

Thursday 17th June – Official Opening feat. Bakelite Age + more TBA
Friday 18th June – Apocalypse Dudes
Saturday 20th June – Jackie And The Cedrics + The Spazzys
Thursday 24th June – Warped + Mat Sonic And The High Times
Friday 25th June – Black Cab
Saturday 26th June – Mike Noga And The Gentlemen Of Fortune + Bowers + Joel Silbershier
Friday 2nd July – The Casanovas

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR TRIBUTE TO THE TOTE HERE