Melbourne’s House of Soul

Melbourne’s entertainment and nightlife scene is something I would call lost in translation. Finding an identity in music and entertainment is probably one of the most fiercely sought after prospects, not just in a city, but also in life in general. New Orleans and Jazz, Rio and Samba and Mumbai with their own eclectic pop music, just to name a few.

Whether it be a drunken affair with your mates or a casual night out, I implore you to find a place that doesn’t scream the stereotypical ‘club’ with multiple rooms playing the ignorant selection of top forty across a room full of ‘RnB’ and ‘House’, with every tune of music generally sought out of the drivel in what is today’s FM Radio.

Being a child of the mid 1980s, I unfortunately missed out on Melbourne’s golden era where one could find groundbreaking RnB at solid venues as opposed to modern day RnB leaking out beats at 124bpm, with some ridiculous electro beat in the background. I have regularly thought to myself, has music come to this?

After talking with a friend who told me, “come check out this group, they are straight up fire, playing at Temperance Bar on Chapel Street,” my initial thoughts are of the venue; the old Frostbites? Really? Frostbites is a place that survived on the mixture of their ‘Slurpee’ like beverages alone. So reluctantly I decided to go, and to say I was surprised was definitely an understatement. Not only was it a good Sunday evening out with the lads, I was lucky enough to bear witness to a group dropping classic RnB with a backdrop of talented DJ’s and their mix of soulful House music. Looking around the crowd really appreciated the sounds and sights on offer, as guys and girls of all backgrounds and colours danced the evening away with a band and DJ who interacted with everyone, creating an atmosphere that literally had a soul. Additionally, any qualms I had in regards to the venue were immediately quashed. Architects have clearly been working overtime to create a venue befitting of this group and its crowd; with re-furnished bar-tops, a central dance floor that revolved around its DJ, a revised upper level, and a large spacious ‘Feng Shui’ outdoor area for us who like to inflate our lungs with tar.

In so many ways Melbourne’s unique trait is our diversity and nights like this at Temperance bar provided the ideal coming together for everyone to party on a Sunday night regardless of the fact that the majority of patrons probably had to work the next day at 9am. Talking to members of the band and DJ’s, I found that they take a personal account of everything that goes on in their ‘club’ and it made me all the more appreciative of the night and what they put into it in order to make it a success. Close with the crowd and the venue staff, they created a vibe that made people want to return to continue sampling their new urban blend of Soulful music. Despite all this, I think for me the most pleasing notion at Temperance is their collective goals; they aim to create something that is more than just another night out, but a coming together of people surrounded by their appreciation for Soul music, rather than selling out and playing the monotonous radio blended tunes we are so privy to – and something Melbourne nightlife has sunk to in order to keep their balance sheets in the green.

Mixing Disco, House and Soul, with Funk, Afro and Latin blends along with ‘Le Soul’ and the Tavares brothers, who in my opinion are one of the most intriguing live acts I have seen in the last 18 months.

Temperance Bar in Chapel Street, South Yarra from 4pm on a Sunday needs to be checked out – I guarantee that all music fans can savour their tastes in music, and like the big city, this place will overwhelm you, even if you don’t hit it square in its brash mouth.