Venue Spotlight: Solace

In a city often touted to be Australia’s nightlife capital, it feels strange that the opening of a new venue is something so rare. Naarm/Melbourne’s CBD has been no stranger to adversity in recent years. While Eora/Sydney’s 2014 lockout laws are regularly examined as one of the biggest killers for any city’s nightlife culture, it was only recently that Naarm’s CBD had lockouts of its own, and that a 13-year freeze on the allocation of late night licenses was overturned.

Solace is a brand new venue, right in the heart of Naarm’s CBD, which has been brought to life at just the right time.

The venue opened up just a little over a month ago and has quickly asserted its knack for understanding the inner workings of Naarm’s more comfortably obscured musical cohorts. Thus far that has meant playing host to crews like SHED, MEGANESIA and Weaver Agency among others, who have brought the likes of Konduku, CHEAHDX, Mabel, Nak, Afrodisiac, Kate Miller, Willis Anne and Fergus Sweetland into the space.

The venue is a love letter to its city, and its city is clearly listening.

Though only a little over a month in, there’s already plenty to say. Mixmag ANZ spoke with Solace’s Director and General Manager, James Keogh and Elliot Gooding, to get in the know about what Solace’s grand plans consist of.

Q: Can you give us some details on Solace? What was the decision to start the venue & who is involved?

S: Solace was born out of a shared idea for a community-based music venue. All four founders have several years experience in events programming and record label curation, and are all experienced punters who've seen every type of dancefloor - both locally and internationally. Melbourne has a truly world-class music scene, and through our experiences, we wanted to establish something that was internationally competitive in terms of sound, lighting, and feel.

Likewise, the decline of clubs in our city was a huge pain point we wanted to address. We wanted this first offering to contribute back to the club ecosystem, and hopefully inject some new life into the electronic music and venue landscapes. The ball started rolling early last year, and we managed to snag a killer venue that really met our aims and dreams.

Q: What was the space before it was Solace? What kind of work needed to be done to get it to the point it's at now?

S: Before we came in, Solace was the fabled Croft Institute; a laboratory-themed bar with a whole lot of kooky stories behind it. Syringes with shots in them, nurses as wait staff, and even a fully functional school gymnasium on the top level! The venue was totally unoccupied for six years, so it was completely derelict. Us four founders, together with our interior designer Aaron McKenzie put in the backbreaking labour to get it up to scratch, turning it around in about two months, which is a heroic effort if you look at photos from when we first came in!

Q: What does the word 'Solace' mean to you?

S: Solace - A feeling of warmth and comfort. The venue, across all floors, is intended to be a punter's moment in the sun. A return to simple pleasures: great sound, groundbreaking artists, effective lighting, tasty drinks, and a home that all punters can call their own.

Q: What are some aspects of the venue that you're most excited for people to see & experience?

S: First and foremost is sound; it was very important to us to deliver the best we can. We were luckily able to secure the only pair of Funktion-One Evolution 2s in the country.

Second to that is the multi-levels - with each floor serving a different function. For instance, the DJ booth next to the bar downstairs transforms your standard club 'side room' into an intimate listening space to compliment the dance floor. During the week, Solace is a space to connect over a cocktail or wine while some of Naarm's best selectors do their thing.

Q: There's a very clear focus on programming already, with a series of massive takeovers and nights run by some of Naarm's most trusted communities & promoters. How important is this extended community in making Solace what it is?

S: We would be nothing without the community around us. Our supporters, loyal dancers, artists, patrons, scene-heads; they're all integral parts of our scene, and we wanted to build a space that was as much a home for them as it was for us. We've been very fortunate to connect and build relationships with some of Naarm's best and brightest, as they ship in new sounds and crowds, and in the future, we're hoping to only crystalise this connection further, sharing our space and our in-house parties with newcomers across the city.

Q: To someone not familiar with Naarm's more 'underground' leaning dance, how would you describe what Solace will offer?

S: Our music curation and programming pays homage to classic sounds of techno, house and deep house, breakbeat, jungle, DnB, and more, but conversely, we're also offering a platform to cutting-edge, boundary-breaking artists who are really pushing the envelope with electronic music.

Whenever you arrive at Solace, you're guaranteed to hear the finest electronic music that the city and the world has to offer.

Q: How do you think Solace fits into Naarm's broader musical & nightlife offerings?

S: We hope, and have already experienced, Solace dovetailing into the wider nightlife offering in Naarm, which is one of the best in the globe in our opinion. We never want to work against other spaces or venues, but working with them to uplift the artists and dancers here.

Q: What are your hopes for the venue & what has the reception to it been like so far?

S: The reception to the venue has been nothing short of heartwarming thus far. The city had an enormous hunger for a space like this, and we hope to have satiated that hunger. Our next couple of months are going to be focused on optimising the space, and really dialling in those fine details; all of which we hope will enable us to really solidify our place in this beautiful city.

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This coming weekend sees Solace play host to Dutch luminary Woody92, among a slew of fantastic local talent. Stay informed via their social channels.

Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Managing Editor, find him on Instagram.