Bar/fly: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Despite its unassuming decor, Cherry Bar is at the heart of Melbourne's music scene. Illustration / Rod Emmerson

Top rated among Melbourne's music venues is the cool Cherry Bar, writes Julia Hollingsworth.

In the dim, daytime lighting, Cherry Bar is grungy and gloomy - unremarkable even. There's a Black Sabbath flag strung from the ceiling and the brick-walled bar smells as if it's soaked up a fair few spilled drinks in its time.

It's hard to imagine that in August last year Lady Gaga danced across this bar top in her underwear until the early hours.

Despite its unassuming decor, Cherry Bar is at the heart of Melbourne's music scene - as was the battle to keep it alive.

When strict liquor licensing forced venues to shut early in 2010, owner James Young was one of the key players in a 20,000-strong protest demanding a law change.

When an apartment building popped up next to Cherry Bar, he helped push through new rules forcing future developers to foot the soundproofing bill.

It's no coincidence, then, that Cherry Bar's home in AC/DC Lane is graffitied with large, golden army tanks carrying giant, flowering record players - an artist's impression of the fight.

"World-class cities are noisy cities, that's just the nature of the beast," Young says, the very picture of a dedicated rock 'n' roll fan in his loud, Western-inspired shirt.

But Young's not the only one passionate about Melbourne music. It was a major issue in last year's state elections - even the Liberal Party promised to fork out $1 million to boost the region's music. Not content to leave the politicking to the politicians, Gotye's band the Basics formed a political party and Cruel Sea singer Tex Perkins threw his hat in the ring.

Meanwhile, the City of Melbourne is focused on lifting the city from being Australia's capital of live music to an international music hub, joining the likes of Berlin and Austin.

Really, though, music in whatever shape it takes is only the tip of the city's cultural iceberg.

"Sydney has style, Melbourne has substance," the locals keep telling me, before proudly detailing how there are so many cultural events on, so many restaurants opening up down little laneways, and so many bars on top of high-rise buildings, you'd be hard pressed to make it to all of them.

During my flying visit to Melbourne, I managed to try duck waffles with fois gras, fairy bread icecream, a modern take on Indian food and moreish Philly cheese steaks with chilli fries.

After numerous plates of Greek-inspired food at Gazi, I wandered around the excellent National Gallery of Victoria, which is a far cry from the grungy darkness of Cherry Bar but is still part of a city that prides itself on its cultural experiences.

It's a city where you'll find everything: rock 'n' roll, rap, musicals, fashion and food.

No wonder so many people are fighting to keep the culture of their city flourishing.

CHECKLIST

Getting there: Qantas fly to Melbourne three times daily.

Further information: See cherrybar.com.au.

The writer was a guest of Tourism Victoria.

- AAP