The Week In Review: Handsome Steve

FRIDAY 31 JANUARY, 2014

Handsome Steve Miller

Longtime Fitzroy resident, former owner of the Standard Hotel, member of 80s Melbourne band The Moodists, Geelong Cats fanatic and proprietor of cherished Abottsford Convent establishment Handsome Steve’s House of Refreshment, Steve Miller is a man who’s never short of a story to tell.

Handsome Steve’s closed down at the Abottsford Convent in late 2012, and the convent has never quite had the same pull. For those missing their fix of Steve’s inimitable style of hospitality, the good news is Handsome Steve’s is back. Out the back of Neuw Denim’s flagship store, the ‘Hippies Use Side Door’ plaque is on the front door, the Geelong memorabilia and general nuggets of Steve’s personal collection are hung on the walls, and even the actual bar itself are all back in action.

Tonight, Steve is hosting an party, complete with bands, including his own, 900 cans of Melbourne Bitter and a no doubt a few hundred locals. The Steve Miller band kicks things off at 6.30pm…

This week I’m…

Reading:

Tav Falco – Ghosts Behind the Sun: Splendor Enigma and Death. Tav Falvo is an incredible musician, his band was Panther Burns. It covers the incredible musical history of Memphis alongside the sinister side of Memphis, the Klu Klux Klan and the bikies and all. It’s a great, great book. He’s a great musician and a great writer. I bought a copy for every member of The Moodists.

Watching:

The Making of Nevermind the Bollocks, a DVD I bought for $2… Testimonials, the MC5 Story… and the weather, because I hate hot weather. It destroys your hair. And hair is everything to me. Except facial hair… I think men with beards look like dogs. Controversial?

Listening to:

The Carpenters. Suicide. The Coloured Balls: Ball Power.  The Flying Burrito Brothers. The New York Dolls. Louvin Brothers. Dolly Parton.

Talking about:

Myself.

Working on:

I’ve always wanted to make T-shirts with certain phrases from songs. I’ve been writing select utterances from Chris Bailey, Nancy Sinatra, Bon Scott, Rob Tyner, The Saints, The Dictators, The Shangri-las.  This year I’m going to do it.

And I’m just about to take delivery of 900 cans of beer… as I’m throwing a little a party tonight. It’s a party for disadvantaged Fitzroy people who aren’t fakes haha. I can’t stop taking the piss, you know me.

Didn’t get around to:

Ask me next week.

Handsome Steve’s House of Refreshment
Rear 397 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy, VIC 3065