2am Lockouts

Blaxter · Post by **Blaxter** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:33 pm

Aaah. Ye olde Tankerville - a sure sign you're having a big night in Fitzroy if you wind up there...

ulyssian · Post by **ulyssian** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:16 pm

We got locked out... @ 158am on my phone.... 2am dead on the Flinders Streets clocks.... Stupid Government changed the clocks too!

I noticed that at about 10pm(ish) on Fri and Sat nights, the police were out on Elizabeth St and entering clubs which i was comfortable with and felt safe walking behind/in front of them when venturing across the city. However when walking back from Russel to Elizabeth St, I did not see one police member between 1.20-1.58am.

My latest email reply:

Tony R - Minister for Consumer Affairs wrote:Thanks for raising your concerns. Melbourne has the best nightlife in Australia and we want people to enjoy it but we need to make sure our city streets are safe.

Recently, Victoria Police have reported an increase in assaults in central Melbourne.

Police evidence is that much of this violence has occurred on the streets as people go from one venue to another late at night.

Itâ€™s important we address this issue of violence and the late entry restrictions trial is just one way we are doing so.

The fifty police member Safe Streets Taskforce now operates in the inner city on Friday and Saturday and the five-year $37.2 million Alcohol Action Plan addresses alcohol abuse by tackling the areas of health, community education, alcohol advertising and enhanced enforcement.

People have the right to go out at night and enjoy themselves, they have the right to stay out late and they have the right to come home safely.

Thatâ€™s why the Director of Liquor Licensing is trialling the late entry restrictions in four Councils areas: Melbourne, Yarra, Port Phillip and Stonnington.

Similar late entry bans in Ballarat, Warrnambool and Bendigo have been successful in reducing the violence on the streets.

The late entry restrictions will not stop people enjoying a drink or a night out in central Melbourne. People will simply need to make sure they are in their venue of choice by 2am.

Once they are in they can stay at that venue until it closes, no one is being stopped from having a drink in a pub, bar or club after 2am. The late entry restrictions do not apply to restaurants and people will still be able to go out for a late meal after 2am.

We simply want to improve safety in the city for those who go out, have fun and make Melbourne nightlife great.

If you want to read more about how we're restoring the balance http://www.health.vic.gov.au/drugservic ... n_plan.pdf

same o · Post by **same o** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:49 pm

lol @ "how we are restoring the balance"

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:00 pm

almax wrote:here is the list of some of the bars exempt from the 2am lockout.
Revolver
Lounge
Tramp
Q Bar
Billboards
Onesixone
Alumbra
Colonial Hotel
Blue Bar
The Gin Place
Colonial Hotel
Magday
Court Jester Hotel
Production 75 Holdings
Cherry Bar
Chasers
Patty Malone Bar
Boutique
Heavenly Pier
Little Lygon Bar & Grill
Damion De Silva
Jacanua
Loft
Noble Management
The Long Room
Event Coordinators P/L
LMB P/L
The Saint Hotel
Xchange
Cushion Lounge
La La Land
The Peel
Centrefold Lounge
The Men's Gallery
Shianti
The Tunnel
Negroni Bar & Grill
Mark Sleigh Base Backpackers - St Kilda
The Welcome Stranger
DV8
Bar 20

What a stupid, stupid law.... Pretty much ALL the major players are exempt, including 3 prominent strip clubs - all located on big, bad King St.

LÃ³s Kasinoâ€” · Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:13 pm

almax wrote:here is the list of some of the bars exempt from the 2am lockout.

Damion De Silva

isnt that a house dj ???? - dude gets his own friggin exemption... word!

same o · Post by **same o** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:33 pm

LÃ³s Kasinoâ€” wrote:
almax wrote:here is the list of some of the bars exempt from the 2am lockout.

Damion De Silva
isnt that a house dj ???? - dude gets his own friggin exemption... word!

i do belive the person u are talking about has a different first name..

think it starts with A, but not sure

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:42 pm

Aaron?

same o · Post by **same o** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:45 pm

nope i have a feeling it is anthony, but have the name arlin (or sumfin to that effect) in my head..

i dunno

witty_pseudonym · Post by **witty_pseudonym** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:47 pm

amici
amore
andrew
aaron
aardvark?

all strong contenders.

same o · Post by **same o** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:50 pm

WHO WILL WIN? TUNE IN NEXT WEEK TO FIND OUT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hardy · Post by **Hardy** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:51 pm

Direktor wrote:
What a stupid, stupid law.... Pretty much ALL the major players are exempt, including 3 prominent strip clubs - all located on big, bad King St.

Absolutely spasticated. Basically, the little bars get fucked while the problem bars get even more patrons. Utter fucking shit.

same o · Post by **same o** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:52 pm

Hardy wrote:
Direktor wrote:
What a stupid, stupid law.... Pretty much ALL the major players are exempt, including 3 prominent strip clubs - all located on big, bad King St.

Absolutely spasticated. Basically, the little bars get fucked while the problem bars get even more patrons. Utter fucking shit.

it's the bush goverment being run by the neo conservities imo

witty_pseudonym · Post by **witty_pseudonym** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:54 pm

definitely needs more conspiracy theory

Stray · Post by **Stray** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:57 pm

Any bar/club/restaurant who applies for the exemption will receive one as long as they follow the rules which were listed above.

Post by **breaksRbest** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:00 pm

While I'm all for giving exemptions to some pubs/clubs I think VCAT should've taken into consideration each particular clubs history of violence in or out the front of the place.

By that I don't just mean that if a fight happens on King St then every Licensee in the street gets the blame. Just reported incidents that directly involve the bouncers/staff, punters that have just left or are inside the club. If the club is mentioned in teh Police report, it's counted.

Obvious repeat offenders (of which there would be quite a few on that list) should not have been granted an exemption.

The way it is now we're probably fucked either way. If the lockout (in its current form) manages to reduce violence in the streets it will be hailed as a success. If it doesn't, they will say it's because too many clubs were granted exemptions and the lockout wasn't given a fair go.

retzie · Post by **retzie** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:17 pm

Stray wrote:Any bar/club/restaurant who applies for the exemption will receive one as long as they follow the rules which were listed above.

Which, while we're talking spasticated, include no passouts

Can anyone explain the reasoning behind this? Do they think we're going to leave for a bit, cruise for punch-ons, then go back in?? I mean, they ain't going to let you back in on a passout if you come back fucked anyway. This is specifically only going to catch the people who aren't a fucking problem in the first place!!!

As for reduced violence, I saw more cops than I've ever seen on my way home on Friday (~5am). Seriously, at least 5 cop cars between BA and Elizabeth St! Any claim to lockouts reducing violence is completely and utterly void under these circumstances. I'm guessing the location of police units is not a matter for public record, though, so we won't have any usable stats to argue this fact. Handy

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:21 pm

Hmmm... sounds awfully convenient to beef up police numbers in the city upon the introduction of the trial.

Stray · Post by **Stray** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:28 pm

Yeah I saw a lot of police around chapel st on Saturday night

Post by **system** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:06 am

sAme'0 wrote:
LÃ³s Kasinoâ€” wrote:
almax wrote:here is the list of some of the bars exempt from the 2am lockout.

Damion De Silva
isnt that a house dj ???? - dude gets his own friggin exemption... word!

i do belive the person u are talking about has a different first name..

think it starts with A, but not sure

arlen de silva's been playing round the traps for tiiiiiime.

same o · Post by **same o** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:22 am

system wrote:
sAme'0 wrote:
LÃ³s Kasinoâ€” wrote: isnt that a house dj ???? - dude gets his own friggin exemption... word!

i do belive the person u are talking about has a different first name..

think it starts with A, but not sure
arlen de silva's been playing round the traps for tiiiiiime.

thats the one.

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:41 pm

Stray wrote:Any bar/club/restaurant who applies for the exemption will receive one as long as they follow the rules which were listed above.

exactly.

which leads to the idea that perhaps the govt simply intended to get the lisencees to agree to these conditions however possible.

which leads to the idea that perhaps the lockouts were NEVER intended to fix the problem, but the ensuing conditions that the venues must agree to may just put HALF of them out of buisness.

this is what i think was the intention all along.
the lisencees have agreed to this.
and now when the numbers are about to crunch, its looking like they will get the closure of many of the smaller venues who cannot wear the extra costs associated with the conditions of the exemptions.

the bigger clubs will soak up the costs, and so will the punters.
watch for increased drink prices and door fees all over town.

but also wait for the number of mid week club nights that close,
and smaller venues that simply cant justify having live entertainment and they become back to bars or restaraunts with 'cafe del mar' playing in the background.

GRR.

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:52 pm

ghetto kitty wrote:watch for increased drink prices and door fees all over town..

already happened.... $9.50 for a stubbie of Asahi on friday...

$8.50 for coppers

$10 for a shot of agwa

to quote ADDboy: Out of Control!

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:04 pm

where was that dan?

Blaxter · Post by **Blaxter** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:06 pm

Palace/ Metro was already charging $9 for Heinekens.
Another reason why underground and house parties are better than regimented club partying.

FoundationStepper · Post by **FoundationStepper** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:27 pm

somehow i dont think that was the intention GK. I think the VCAT thing caught the gvt with thier pants down and the conditions were just part of negotiating themselves out of a corner...

who knows though, but i doubt they would have implemented this 3month legislation just to use it as a catalyst for something else, legislative processes dont really work that way

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:29 pm

just a theory.

not just my theory either.

i dont really understand the ins and outs of govt policy.

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:17 pm

I can't wait for this whole load of poo to be over... At least then we know how it's going to go..

too much up in the air at the moment... sux

GK: I don't really want to publically point out who's drinks are soo exxy, but you should be able to figure out where I was on Friday

Post by **huge** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:32 pm

yer drink prices are fucked. $9 for asahi at POW at marky. wtf? gotta start sneaking in hip flask.

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:38 pm

no probs dan, not really wanting to target any either, just interested...

its all up in the air yes, and thats whats killing me!

Baby Ruth · Post by **Baby Ruth** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:38 pm

Nope, he is a person, with his own exemption!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... =153311140

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:00 pm

huge wrote:yer drink prices are fucked. $9 for asahi at POW at marky. wtf? gotta start sneaking in hip flask.

A bottle or a pot/pint/schooner?

Asahi is usually very pricey on tap - but still, you're most likely talking about a bottle - and if so, that's outrageous.

80% of the reason I don't go out is money related. Drinks being the biggest offender, followed by entry fees and cabs... it's an expensive exercise to go out unless you're designated driver (and 'goodtimes' there).

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:03 pm

well now your list of financial excuses might actually ring true direkt!!

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:27 pm

Well, it's been expensive for me for years...

Not being a big earner - but being a big drinker of craft beers is a recipe for disaster!

Spicy · Post by **Spicy** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:30 pm

hey what's with the no passouts rubbish? i went to a venue on the weekend which was obviously exempt, got stamped and came back in about 5 minutes later (free). this happened about 3 times during the evening.

were they being naughty, or does this rule just not make any sense? also, it can't really be enforced.

quick · Post by **quick** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:15 pm

huge wrote:yer drink prices are fucked. $9 for asahi at POW at marky. wtf? gotta start sneaking in hip flask.

of asahi?

Hardy · Post by **Hardy** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:38 pm

sAme'0 wrote:
Hardy wrote:
Direktor wrote:
What a stupid, stupid law.... Pretty much ALL the major players are exempt, including 3 prominent strip clubs - all located on big, bad King St.

Absolutely spasticated. Basically, the little bars get fucked while the problem bars get even more patrons. Utter fucking shit.
it's the bush goverment being run by the neo conservities imo

No way. This sounds like the work of... COUNT SQUIDULA!!!

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:58 pm

Spicy wrote:hey what's with the no passouts rubbish? i went to a venue on the weekend which was obviously exempt, got stamped and came back in about 5 minutes later (free). this happened about 3 times during the evening.

were they being naughty, or does this rule just not make any sense? also, it can't really be enforced.

is this spicy from itm?

the condition states 'no passouts for the purpose of smoking'
they are trying to discourage punters from spilling into the streets to smoke.

im not sure how they determine what one is leaving for.

witty_pseudonym · Post by **witty_pseudonym** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:17 pm

as long as i can still get a passout to go jack up (or off depending on mood) in the alley, i'm happy.

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:17 pm

ulyssian · Post by **ulyssian** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:42 pm

Double

retzie · Post by **retzie** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:59 pm

ghetto kitty wrote:the condition states 'no passouts for the purpose of smoking'
they are trying to discourage punters from spilling into the streets to smoke.

im not sure how they determine what one is leaving for.

Ah, that makes some sense. I hope clubs can be reasonable about passouts for other purposes, as impossible as the situation is

witty_pseudonym wrote:as long as i can still get a passout to go jack up (or off depending on mood) in the alley, i'm happy.

Mebbe this is where the "Cock Out Good, Lock Out Bad" shirts come in....

obliveus · Post by **obliveus** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:50 pm

Exempt or not, I've played 5 seperate venues (2 with exemptions) in the past 2 weeks and I gotta say all were down considerably in numbers. Vibe wasn't the same either, especially in the exempted clubs. Five extra security personnel on the door (it seemed), 30 cops patrolling at the same time near these clubs, cops on horses, disgruntled owners, early close times due to lack of patronage...something I've never seen in Melbourne.

One senior management type person at one of the venues says takings have been cut in half since the lockout and they have an exemption. The type of punter making it in was different, too...talk about having to play to the lowest common denominator to get a dancefloor. That says a lot coming from me, too, cuz I'm one cheesy mofo. If it was just one week, I wouldn't think anything different and I know I cant be making assumptions based on only 5 gigs and 2 weekends...but I got a bad feeling about this lock-in/lock-out bullshit. I hope it ends with the trial and doesn't stick around for too long.

I'm really hoping that it's just the venues I'm playing and all the rest of you haven't noticed anything weird. Sorry, but it's just weirded me out.

FoundationStepper · Post by **FoundationStepper** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 12:31 am

i really hope the small venues are building a strong business case around this, and there will be access to the info on increased police presence

deviant · Post by **deviant** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 10:59 am

very low numbers for my gigs too

except Hybrid, which was mega busy, but all the local gigs were very quiet.

FunkyJ · Post by **FunkyJ** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:40 pm

I was out at around 3:45am after Klute the other week, and I felt like I was back in Adelaide.

If I was in a punk band, I'd make this song (thanks to the Clash)

Melbourne's Burning

All across the town, all across the night
Everybody's driving with full headlights
Racing home to worship the old religion
Everybody's sitting 'round watching television!

Melbourne's burning with boredom now
Melbourne's burning dial 99999

I'm up and down main streets, locked outta pubs
What a great lockout system - fuck the clubs
I can't think of a better way to spend the night
Than shivering in the cold winter nights

Melbourne's burning with boredom now
Melbourne's burning dial 99999

Now I'm on the NightRider, looking for fuck
This one leads nowhere, I guess I'm outta luck
The place feels like Adelaide, my original home
But this is Melbourne but I'm all alone!

Melbourne's burning with boredom now
Melbourne's burning dial 99999

witty_pseudonym · Post by **witty_pseudonym** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:53 pm

my work was dead on saturday night. they didn't apply for an exemption but have a pretty big smoking/beer garden, so thought it'd be to their advantage...that and they wanted to avoid increased scrutiny they'd attract i think.

people were going crazy though! there were so many fights (heaps more than usual), even though the venue wasn't any where near as packed as it has been in the past. not sure if it's related to the lockout, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Spicy · Post by **Spicy** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 7:30 pm

thats crazy! i hadn't noticed a change although i was only out on friday night. do you reckon the slump in numbers is due to the long weekend? WLS, etc..

kitty, yeah it's me hehe, you can call me mike ^__^

ulyssian · Post by **ulyssian** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:30 pm

We got locked out at 4am of Roxannes.... we technically went outside for a chat and photos.... and accidentally had a cigarette in the process....
bit weird considering where you can smoke there.........
but they were nice enuff to let us tag team to go back in and get our jackets ...

Fents · Post by **Fents** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:43 am

Carlo @ lounge being quoted

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 62,00.html

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:27 pm

obliveus wrote: Vibe wasn't the same either, especially in the exempted clubs. Five extra security personnel on the door (it seemed), 30 cops patrolling at the same time near these clubs, cops on horses, disgruntled owners, early close times due to lack of patronage...something I've never seen in Melbourne.

not to mention the fact that EVERY punter is confused or mis informed about the lockout.

unless your a DJ or you run a venue, and even then, it seems nobody is clear on the conditions, the exemptions, the current legal standing, the VCAT applications, the MLLA, the managers and bar staffs responsibility what you can and cant say to the media, in your press, in your venue, on the phone to punters.

did everyone notice that beat ran the govt ad saying' all clubs are exempt'
while inpress did not?