You might recall last week that ex-Triple J hombres Alex Dyson and Kyran Wheatley announced the launch of a brand new podcast called Mirth that would be recording an episode daily during the upcoming Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Alongside that announcement came the claim that the duo was also opening some sort of bar. Of some description. Somewhere. At some point.
Now, straight from the horse’s mouth, we have the exclusive scoop. And for those Comedy Festival veterans among you, it’s gonna be music to your ears.
As it turns out, it’s true. Dyson and Wheatley are actually opening a very real bar in Melbourne that you can go to.
For a bit.
Then it’ll be gone again.
[jwplayer 7ITt9Ari]
From March 27th the duo will open the doors on BOB Bar, a pop-up bar in the heart of the Melbourne CBD that will also serve as the venue for the daily Mirth recordings.
BOB, you should know, stands for Balding Older Brother. And if that sounds vaguely familiar, let us explain.
Dyson and Wheatley are temporarily taking over the space at 240 Little Collins St formerly occupied by collapsed inner-city bar Hairy Little Sista. Balding Older Brother? Hairy Little Sista? Top banter.
The previous business on the premises collapsed spectacularly amid enormous claims of wage theft and a $200k Federal Court fine stemming from unpaid APRA licensing fees.
From those somewhat unseemly ashes BOB rises; a much, much better bar run by competent legends.
Previously, Hairy Little Sista served as the late night haunt of choice for Comedy Festival performers and punters of all shapes and sizes; some knocking back a post show drink, some settling in for a few more, some patiently waiting for Festival Club at Max Watt’s across the road to open its very late night doors.
In a statement confirming the bar’s opening, Wheatley asserted that the closed sign on Sista’s door impelled him and Dyson to take immediate action.
We would hang out there every year, so when I walked past and saw the CLOSED sign, I was shocked. This wasn’t a GONE FISHIN’ sign; this looked serious. A phone call to Alex and a few flat white’s later the master plan for BOB bar was in place.
The suddenly-bar-owners sought help from Bellingen Brewery operator Benji Mayes, and partnered with Melbourne brewery Stomping Ground to put together the pop-up bar, which includes an exclusive Laughing Matter super pale ale from Stomping Ground that’ll be available exclusively at BOB.
The bar will be open from midday until 1am every day of the Comedy Festival, which runs from March 27th until April 21st. A taping of Mirth will take place at the venue daily at 5pm, featuring a rotating roster of high-profile comedy festival figures, which Wheatley confirmed thusly:
All Melburnians are invited to come and watch MIRTH live each day from 5pm. We’ll have comedians popping in, special guest hosts at times, and would love to get audience interaction happening too. Provided it fits within the confines of our Public Liability Insurance.
So there you go. Kyran and The Rat Dog. Running a bar together.
Sounds like a recipe for a bloody good time.
