Revolver Upstairs
Revs, Revolver
Address229 Chapel Street, Prahran
Melbourne
Australia
Website
https://revolverupstairs.com.au

Revolver Upstairs, known locally as 'Revolver' or 'Revs', is a live music bar and nightclub located on Chapel St, Prahan in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The venue regularly hosts performances from electronic music artists, especially the techno scene.[1]

The designated smoking section at Revs, commonly referred to by patrons using Australian colloquialism 'Smokers', is a segregated outdoor area from the twilight of the dance floor accessed through the venue's rear flight of stairs. The smoking section is famously populated with Narcoterrorists[2] and 'Revs Rats', another Australian slang term for loyal, frequent customers. The 'alleged' facilitation and sale of designer Narcotics thrives in the venue's makeshift outdoor street pharmacy with little to no repercussion from local law enforcement such as but not limited to the Victoria police and Strike Force Raptor.

Recently, Lebanese vendors which make up the majority of the unlicensed practitioners in the Smokers have come under just scrutiny for the supply of subpar and overpriced medication for club goers. The Lebanese crime syndicate is yet to respond.

It is one of Australia's most famous nightclubs. The venue is in-part known for its 24-hour weekend license,[1] and so is notorious as a common location for a 'weekend bender'; with 72-hour continuous benders being a feature of urban legend about the venue.[3][4] Ordinarily, the music is interrupted during Saturday midday to operate as a Thai restaurant; after which it operates continuously until Monday morning.[5]

Revs is a somewhat notorious venue in popular culture, in part due to rumours surrounding what occurs inside the club.[4] Some of these rumours are disputed by the venue's managers as urban myth, and Vice has reported that the rumours are inaccurate.[3][4]

Description

The interior of the venue has been described as 'eclectic', and is fitted with vintage furniture. It 'lacks conventional dance floor space'.[3]

Crowd demographics have been discussed as an important issue by the venue managers in interviews. In a 2021 interview, they were quoted as saying: "In the early days, it was easier because a lot of interesting people were coming. But then once the hype about it being open on the weekend and all the stories started to emerge, it did attract a lot of dickheads. And keeping them out is a full-time job".[3]

The venue regularly attracts notable artists and DJs to perform. Some of its more notable past performances include Fatboy Slim, Architecture in Helsinki, Bicep, Blackalicious, and The Avalanches.[6][4]

During the week, and during the midday on Saturday, the venue is converted into a Thai restaurant called Colonel Tan's. The restaurant has received moderately favourable reviews from The Age.[7]

History and operations

The business 'Revolver' was created by Thai pop star Tan Punturaumporn and a Melbournite venue manager Camillo Ippoliti. Camilo had previously been a venue manager at the now-defunct Cookie, and The Toff In Town.[3]

Initially the bottom floor was renovated from a former parachute factory, and became a business known as 'Revolver Music Gallery'. Later, an associate recommended that Camillo convert the upstairs level into a music venue, this became 'Revolver Upstairs'.[3]

While the venue's staff claim that the venue is intended to be a community centre for music, arts, and culture; they have conceded in interviews that this doesn't match its public perception.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Martin, Kaya (2023-02-01). "The best nightclubs in Melbourne". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  2. ↑ Narcoterrorism
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The inside story of Revolver Upstairs nightclub". Stoney Roads | Latest News in Electronic and Dance Music. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Richards, Arielle (2022-07-21). "An Oral History of Revolver, Melbourne's Most Famous Night Club". Vice. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  5. ↑ "Home". REVOLVER UPSTAIRS - Bar, Thai Restaurant, Nightclub, Live Music, Arts. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  6. ↑ "Our History". REVOLVER UPSTAIRS - Bar, Thai Restaurant, Nightclub, Live Music, Arts. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  7. ↑ Rousseau, Nina (2010-01-12). "Colonel Tan's". The Age. Retrieved 2023-06-07.


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