Nightclubs at risk of ‘disappearing forever’ in aftermath of crime wave

Along the Yarra River, the row of hospitality venues is finally starting to show signs of life.

Left Bank, a restaurant and bar in Southbank, is abuzz with the Friday night pre-match footy crowd. Food and drink are half-price until 6pm. There’s a DJ in the corner playing lounge tunes.

Only a month ago, two teenagers were arrested allegedly moments before trying to set this venue alight. The business escaped unscathed – but its next-door neighbour didn’t fare as well.

Soho Bar and Restaurant was closed for weeks after an arson attack on April 17. Tables and chairs were stacked haphazardly, and the building was pitch black. Scorch marks remained on the metal pillars outside. The bar was only able to reopen on Saturday.

Almost 20 venues within the Melbourne’s CBD and its immediate surrounds have been targeted in the unpredictable slew of crimes that began targeting hospitality venues in late March.

The incidents – including firebombings, drive-by shootings, kidnappings and burglaries – rose in frequency before halting suddenly in mid-May. Reports of fresh blazes have slowly dropped away from the daily news cycle, but those embedded in the industry have been left to pick up the pieces.

Workers within Melbourne’s nightlife scene say that their industry is in desperate need of support, after the highly publicised crime spree placed added pressure on an already struggling community.

DJ Flexi J, real name Jordan, has performed at clubs for almost a decade. He regularly plays at Left Bank, as well as other targeted venues like The Emerson and Bar Bambi.

He says that Melbourne’s bar and club scene is in a perpetual state of struggle – and the crime spree to which they’ve most recently been victim is just the latest in a line of tribulations for performers like him.

“A lot of us have had hours cut back … due to what’s been happening at the moment. A lot of us are on edge too. We don’t know [if] we’re going to be targeted next. If we’re in danger,” he says.

The DJ is particularly frustrated with the state government and local council, who he says haven’t done their part in supporting entertainment venues. High liquor licensing fees and rising insurance costs are among his biggest gripes.

Paired with the cost-of-living crisis, which is pushing patrons to spend less at venues, he says that many businesses are struggling financially. Even a club that appears to be bursting at the seams might be actually paddling like a duck under the surface.

“It doesn’t matter how many people go in … a lot of venues are at risk of disappearing forever,” Jordan says.

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