MAX MOOSE Melbourne Review:

Saturdays

@

21 Arms
21 Armstrong St, Ballarat
It has such a huge variety for bands to djs to 4 bars. What more could you ask
for?
AnonyMoose, Sat Jan 13 14:15:09 2007
hot guys there
Sexy, Ballarat, Wed Dec 20 19:31:12 2006
it's got something for everybody
Mark, Ballarat, Tue Sep 5 17:15:42 2006
i like the atmosphere it provides and the engry always packed and the bands are
good althoe i love them alot... i wish that they would atleast 1 a month get a
new band just to give us something and fresh!
Nicolle, Ballarat, Thu Mar 23 22:53:09 2006
A good place to get very drunk and rock out to bands, or dance the night away
Nat, Ballarat, Fri Feb 17 03:53:48 2006
Headed west last Saturday night. The Arms was the place to be (although I hear
The Regent was good on Friday - special mention to Dave F and his Mum).
The Arms was great on Saturday. Big venue, big crowd. Its like two venues glued
together. The first venue is the front bar and band room. The band room features
band Noxy Snood and a retro DJ. The second venue is out the back. Its a huge
dance room with two levels playing current dance tunes. There's a shed type area
with seating linking the two.
The crowd is based on the uni students. Ballarat is a uni town these days. It
was a pretty normal, okay looking sort of a crowd.
Noxy Snood are interesting. They have a good following, but frankly, they are
stuck in the late 1990s, which may work for them. They are still playing the
best stuff from the Seattle era. Its great to hear a band playing band music
rather than dance tunes, but the tunes are dated.
The DJs are good. A decent range of retro out the front (including some great
90s stuff), and an impressive dance combination out the back.
Its a long way, but its worth it. Get your friends together for a road trip. Its
a really good night out.
Max Moose, MaxMoose, Sat Oct 15 00:32:07 2005
awsome people, and when noxy snood play, they kick arse!
jodi, Ballarat, Fri Oct 14 19:57:04 2005
its the best spot to go on a satdy night up in cold beautiful ballarat
kim, Delacombe, Mon Oct 3 17:44:10 2005
i love the enviroment. not many fights and reasonably equal gendered, not many
sleazes.
corinna, melton, Wed Sep 28 15:07:22 2005
Drive
As always it was awesome seeing these boys rock it out on our stage. They're not
just about covers - they own the songs and thus their audience.
Tara D, Redan, Mon Aug 8 21:13:14 2005
Drive
These boys are admired in ballarat, and rightly so. Any band who can keep the
country-farming folk of ballarat happy is definitely doing something right!
Rock out boys!
shaun, West Melton, Wed Jul 27 01:36:56 2005
Drive
the DJ plays the best music, both in the front and in the shed, different
variety and one of the best bands in Victoria play there and that is DRIVE. You
guys rock!!!!!
Matthew, Ballarat, Sat Apr 2 00:57:01 2005
Drive
these guys are awesome. they rock out with rad tunes every few saturdays.
they're awesome.
beatrix, ballarat, Tue Mar 22 00:00:38 2005
ive seen drive a few times, those guys are pretty good. they give off a great
vibe whilst they play. as do ns. i was talking to them last satursday night
between sets and they said theyve just started at depot in melb. that's ing
awesome on their behalf. the depot is one of the biggest nightspots in
melbourne. just in case you losers didnt know. give them some credit morons,
cause they can play music and id like to see you all get up there and do what
they do every week. it takes a fair bit of guts to be in a cover band and there
is a very thin line between a one and one that goes off!
ralph, ballarat, Mon Mar 21 21:17:22 2005
It goes off. Luv goin to the arms. they play all kinds of music and the people r
real friendly....Im always there. Luv it and there is this real HOT guy there
every saturday. OMG he is a g8 kisser 2. hehe :P
Bianca, Sunbury, Thu Mar 3 02:34:06 2005
Okay guys. Enough of the bagging of Drive.
I've seen them and they're okay. You can't expect a young band to be Crazy Haus
or Adam12 from day one, but you have to give them a chance to get there. Anyway,
new topic please...
Max Moose, MaxMoose, Mon Nov 8 01:37:49 2004
hey i read the whole argument between jess and monty, but what you have to
understand jess, is that bands like slumberyard and adam 12 have been in this
industry for 7-8 years. in my opinion i really like drive cause they jump around
on stage and don't really care too much what people think and play like the
original artists play their own songs live, if you've ever spoken to these guys
they're unreal blokes, and love havin a laugh just have a chat with them, and
let them know what you don't like, anyway let me know what you think.
danny, ballarat, Wed Nov 3 15:31:34 2004
nah man there a bit lame i think the others hav got a point we need somethin new
i reacko. i dunno looks to me that monty is one of em or his freakily obsessed.
marty, ballarat, Tue Nov 2 19:51:31 2004
Drive are the best band ever!!!!
fox, ballarat, Tue Nov 2 17:18:49 2004
OK Jess and S.. I see your opinion and your entitled to it.. Nerd.. nah.. In
fact if you went to see any Gigs at STARBAR.. HEard of that place??? yeah thats
the one.. they play there every public holiday with Slumberyard.. Thats cool.. i
hope to see you there.. and I'm sure i'll see you in ballarat on the 6th..
Matty, Monty, Thu Oct 28 13:41:45 2004
Jess, i think you hav a fair point.. That's wat this site is for OPINIONS!! So
Matty leave her alone, im sure you've got beta things to do with ur time.
S, Thu Oct 28 08:46:05 2004
What are you president of thier fan club or something, your creepily
passionate??? My friends live in Melb and when i've been out there i've noticed
that there are much better bands around than what we are subjected to in
Ballarat ie. adam 12, slumberyard and heaps more. Sorry to sink your boat but
drive just aint any where near them, performance wise and in thier general stage
presence- it's cheesy and not funny, besides i've never heard of them in Melb
any way. You dont even come from Ballarat so why are you so obsessed? Are you in
the band or what? I'm loosing interest in this and i feel like a nerd for
participating, so this is my last reply. sorry you don't understand my oppinion.
Jess , Ballarat, Wed Oct 27 23:43:24 2004
Jess, If you didn't already know.. Drive are actually from Melbourne and are
kicking butt there.. I could hardly call them amatuers.. How many times have you
actually seen them?? What melb band did you have in mind.. I live here and i
know you either get rock bands or party bands that play kylie minogue.. When i
was at 21 arms many ppl were going off to Drive still.. so why do you say its
grown thin.. don't you thionk any band there would grow thin??
matty, Monty, Tue Oct 26 23:57:03 2004
Your point is taken dont get me wrong drive and ns are ok but thats just it, i
still feel that these bands have worn thin. It's not what they play they just
seem so amatuer. The Arms needs a really good melb band to play to give us the
rokin sat nights us ballarat people want.
jess thomas, ballarat, Tue Oct 26 21:13:27 2004
Well i hope this message gets to Jess From Ballarat..and also Brad. If your over
Drive so much and Noxy Snood then talk to them and let them know what you want
more of.. why are you over them? THey both rock. I guess ppl like you can never
be pleased!
MATTY, MONTY, Mon Oct 25 16:15:13 2004
I agree with brad, definatly need some new bands!!! We are so over Drive and
Noxy Snood!! Get some real bands!! Otherwise it's a great night out.
Jess Thomas, ballarat, Mon Aug 30 22:03:59 2004
Young crowd and live bands, although they need some fresh talent - 'Drive' and
'Noxy Snood' wore thin long ago.
Bradley, Ballarat, Thu Aug 26 16:29:07 2004
It's off it's guts, it goes off!!! There are people everywhere all willing for
a drink and a dance, lots of hot guys and great music! haha
BeLLa, Nunawading, Tue Jul 20 03:28:45 2004
Huge queue for both members and public outside the Arms at 1.45 (can't enter
some Ballarat venues after 2), but it looked like it was happening. Apparently
it was a bit quiet around the traps in Melbourne.
Max Moose, MaxMoose, Thu Sep 18 05:54:04 2003
Ballarat was a bit quiet at the weekend because its a uni town, and uni holidays
are on, so the students are back in Melbourne.
21 Arms was much quieter than normal. Pretty disappointing really, because we've
had some great nights there. It's a large venue, so if they were all in the
front rooms it might have been better. We made our own fun at the bar and on the
dancefloor.
Missed the band, but the front DJ was all over the place, and the back DJ was
okay, especially if you like a mix from the past five years. Hope its back to
normal next time.
Max Moose, MaxMoose, Mon Apr 21 21:09:38 2003
June 16, 2001
A very adventurous Young Liberal weekend in Ballarat delivered us, eventually, to the notorious 21 Arms. It is the best known club in Ballarat, a town with 53 pubs. A pub on every corner, except on corners where there is a bottle shop.

It is mainly a hangout for the locals, after all, it is a fair way from anywhere except Ballarat. However, the locals come from all around, especially from the local uni campus. Then of course, there are the tourists, like us, simply there to run amuck.

As such, the dress standard is all over the place. I am not sure if there an official dress code, but it seemed very relaxed. Of course, we tourists tend to dress up a bit, so stood out like sore thumbs. The locals knew it, so it was a little uncomfortable, although they seemed friendly enough.

The fairly young crowd, mainly 18-21, arrived before we did, around 11.30. It actually was quite busy by around midnight, when the back room opens.

The venue kind of has five rooms. As you enter the club, to the right you have a pool room, with heaps of pool tables, and a bar. To the left of the entrance, is a room best described as a foyer, although it is more of a bar. It is attached to the main danceroom, and is really all the same room. The dance room has a very dark dancefloor, plays commercial and party tracks, a stage at the front for the band, and a ramp through to the quadrangle and back room.

The quadrangle area is very different. It is very reminiscent of a shelter shed back at school, except it is empty. Clearly, it was an empty area between a few buildings, including the one that is the back dance room. That room is the clubbiest there, with a large sunken dancefloor, pumping house and techno tunes, and an upper level with viewing deck.

As mentioned above, there are three styles of music. The main room plays commercial and party between band sets. The night we visited saw Superdudes, but various bands rotate up there from Melbourne. The back room gets into much more serious dance music, with a good combo of house and techno.

The venue is reasonable large, and very flexible, because of all those rooms. The dancefloors are large, but not overly well lit or anything like that. There is not a lot of seating around the place, but with large dancefloors, you do not need it. I do not remember the prices, which probably means they were about normal, and the bars were easy enough to access.

21 Arms was a pretty good spot to visit for a while. It is hard to know what to expect when you are that far from home, but it was certainly recommended to us by a lot of the locals. The strength of the venue is the number of rooms and variety. There is something for everyone. As a tourist, you have no idea what the options are, so a venue that offers pool, a band, and two DJs is a pretty good compromise.

Ben Clissold