Last Chance to Save the Tote

I’ve been going to the Tote hotel in Collingwood to see live music for over 30 years now (shhh no one needs to know how old I am) and over that time I have seen some amazing live music, from local heroes to national treasures, to international super stars. I even had my 18th birthday there! True the venue has had a bit of a fraught history, but at least it’s not boring!

Back in 2010 the Tote closed for a brief period, after harsh changes to the liquor licensing meant that it was becoming financially untenable for small, live music venues to keep going. This meant live music in Melbourne was in peril as so many smaller venues are the life blood of the live music scene. The Tote became somewhat of a sacrificial lamb of sorts at the time, and as thousands gathered in the streets to protest the closure, we honestly thought all was lost at the time. A few weeks later though she re-opened with new owners and seemingly another chance to keep rocking out. And so life went on and the music played for nearly a decade, and no one worried about the Tote anymore. However one COVID pandemic and a myriad of other reasons later, and here we are again, trying to stop the Tote from closing.

But why is it important? Shouldn’t we just let it die? I have heard a few people say this, and if I was a more apathetic person, then I might agree with them, but the Tote is special It is filled to the brim with memory and music. And look maybe the current owners haven’t done right by the venue or the bands (or so I have heard), and yes it needs a little love and attention, but that is no reason to give up on the old girl!

Step into the fray the folks who run The Last Chance Rock N Roll bar, who decided they could try to do something about it. They think they can save the Tote, and yeah it’s a gamble but then isn’t that life in general anyway? It’s not an easy mission they’ve chosen to accept though. Apparently the owners want something like $6M plus for the venue, which is a hefty chunk of change for anyone to come up with. The Last Chance folks have agreed to put up half of their own money, and have also created a Pozible campaign to raise the other $3M. It’s a bold move because if they don’t get to their target, they don’t get any money. And their offer may not even be accepted. There are so many challenges! But at least they are trying and that passion is something I think we should all admire. As Dr Frankenfurter says “Don’t Dream it, be it”. Sounds good to me.

Check out the Pozible campaign and chuck in some dollarydoos if you can: https://www.pozible.com/…/the-last-chance-to-save-the-tote