Cam E.
Yelp
Standing tall on the Esplanade of St.Kilda, the hallowed white building that is The Espy has been delivering live music of all styles for over 100 years. With 3 separate rooms to catch bands, on any night you can spend your time wandering around the place soaking up the atmosphere. The Gershwin Room, situated at the back of the venue, is the only room where you'll need to buy a ticket, as this room is commonly hired out for gigs by bands and thus has ticket sales. The Front Bar and basement however, are free.
With such a diverse range of music at The Espy, the clientele is also a mix of St.Kilda trendy's to rockers. The latter once held pride of place as The Espy's main customers, however these days, depending on the act playing, you'll more often find a bumper to bumper room packed with people who really don't give a shit about who's playing. If you're into your music dirty and loud, your best bet is to head down to the basement, where the rocker and punks have now been cast out. It's a small, very loud room, however it sums up the values that the Espy once held dear upstairs.
With international acts stopping by frequently, and a range of local flavour also hitting the stages, the Espy remains one of the only free music venues in Melbourne. That said, sometimes its better to pay to be surrounded by more like-minded punters.
The kitchen is open from noon til late during the week, even later on Fri and Sat and also does brekkie from 8am on weekends. Each night has its own theme, from burgers to pizza. In the past the kitchen was primarily dishing up burgers and chips, and even had a tap at the counter so you could grab a pot while you waited. These days with St.Kilda getting all fancy on us, the cooks serve up a mix of good old pub grub to dishes with more 'flair'. Check the websites pictures for an idea.
