Revolver Upstairs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Revs, Revolver | |
 | |
| Address | 229 Chapel Street, Prahran Melbourne Australia |
|---|---|
| Website | |
| https://revolverupstairs.com.au | |
Revolver Upstairs, known locally as 'Revs' or 'Revolver', is a live music bar and nightclub located on Chapel Street, Melbourne, Australia.
The venue regularly hosts performances from electronic music artists, especially the techno scene.[1]
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.[2][3] Ordinarily, the music is interrupted during Saturday midday to operate as a Thai restaurant; after which it operates continuously until Monday morning.[4]
Revs is a somewhat notorious venue in popular culture, in part due to rumours surrounding what occurs inside the club.[3] Some of these rumours are disputed by the venue's managers as urban myth, and Vice has reported that the rumours are inaccurate.[2][3]
The interior of the venue has been described as 'eclectic', and is fitted with vintage furniture. It 'lacks conventional dance floor space'.[2]
The interior features several original Banksy stencils—some still preserved behind Perspex or framed to protect them.[5]
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".[2]
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][3]
During the week, and during Saturday afternoons, the venue is converted into a Thai restaurant called Colonel Tan's. The restaurant has received moderately favourable reviews from The Age.[7]