Thank god for Ballarat’s Karova Lounge. Nestled on the corner of Field and Camp streets, it’s the hangout that’s kept the flame at the heart of Ballarat’s music scene burning brightly over many years. It’s a venue that I’ve visited on many occasions to catch the best local, national and international musicians and artists around. I love its modestly sized stage, occasionally sticky floors, collection of rock n’ roll memorabilia and the diverse range of live music enthusiasts it attracts, from spiky haired punk and metal types to skinny-jean clad hipsters.

This month the iconic live music venue turns seven. In recognition of this milestone – and for being short-listed in the national Australian Hotel Association awards, having won the Best Entertainment Venue in Victoria 2010 – Karova is opening its doors for a birthday weekend bash from 22 – 23 rd July. Taking to the stage will be a selection of Ballarat’s finest, including The Dead Salesmen and Matheson on Friday, and Hunting Grounds and Fierse on Saturday.

Reflecting on this upcoming landmark for my favourite live music venue has left me feeling a little nostalgic and sentimental, so it’s for this reason that I’d like to share with you some of my favourite experiences and memories of Karova Lounge.

In 2009, I was doing work experience at The Ballarat Courier newspaper as a reporter. One day, one of the senior journalists asked me if I’d like to do an interview and subsequent feature on a musician who was soon to be passing through Ballarat as part of a solo tour. It turned out that musician was Paul Dempsey, of Something For Kate fame, touring on the back of his solo album, Everything Is True. I jumped at the opportunity, having been a fan of his music for many years. Although it was a phone interview, I was still so nervous yet incredibly excited. I bumbled my way through the first couple of questions with Paul but eventually relaxed and settled into a casual chat with the talented musician. He was really nice and very open about his opinions. Later that week my feature on Paul Dempsey was printed in the newspaper. I was absolutely stoked, so I celebrated by going to see him perform at Karova Lounge. It was a great gig in which Paul mixed his solo material in with some Something For Kate classics.

Last year I headed to Karova one evening to see Children Collide. I arrived at the gig fairly early because I didn’t want to miss the support band, local lads Howl (who later changed their name to Hunting Grounds). I paid for my ticket at the door and wandered down the stairs as I usually would. I brought a beer at the bar and jostled for a spot from which to view the stage. However, this evening I was in for one hell of a surprise. Beer in hand, I almost spluttered a mouthful of my beverage upon the people in front of me when I realised that The Living End were playing a surprise support show that evening. I was totally shocked and a little confused at first. I remember thinking I was such an idiot for overlooking their name on the lineup. However, my self-doubt was later put to rest when I ran into my friend Meg Rayner, who was working for the newspaper at the time, and who assured me the show was intended to be a surprise to fans and an opportunity for the band to road test some new material. Although I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs The Living End played that evening, I remember being blown away by just how tight the band sounded live and the charisma they exuded. They are true Australian rock n’ roll veterans and I feel privileged to have seen them perform in such an intimate setting. ( I also wrote a feature on Children Collide that week which was pretty cool too).

Finally, in May this year I saw Ben Ottewell from UK alternative rockers Gomez play at Karova in support of his solo album, Shapes and Shadows. I’ve been a fan of Gomez for years and seeing Ben play some of their hits, along with his own solo material, was an absolute treat. Ben has a brilliant voice that’s both husky and soothing at the same time. For me, it’s the secret ingredient in Gomez’s sound. As an added bonus, I was so overwhelmed by the performance that I hung around afterwards and ended up meeting Ben and getting an autograph and photo too. It was one of those experiences that could only happen at a smaller show like this, and for that I’m grateful.

So, these are just some of my favourite Karova Lounge memories. What are yours? Have you visited the venue before? Are you going to attend the birthday celebrations? I’d like to know.

Anyways, thank you Karova Lounge and happy birthday.

www.karovalounge.com