Basement · 141 Murray Street · Perth
The Velvet Hour
Fourteen steps below the street, the night keeps its own time.
This Week
On the Stand
Four nights, two sets a night, one piano that has heard everything.
Cover twenty dollars at the stairs. Musicians carrying a case get in free.
Quiet, not silence. The difference is the room.
The Room
Ninety seats and no two of them face the same way. Candles in amber glass, a ceiling low enough to keep the sound honest, and a 1962 Steinway B that came down the stairs in five pieces and will never leave.
We opened in 1998 under a barber shop. The barber is gone; his chair is still bolted down by the cloakroom, and it is the worst seat in the house, which is to say it is still very good.
Phones sleep in pockets. Applause is welcome mid-solo — this isn't church.
The Pour
Short List, Long Pours
Named for the songs. Built for the third listen.
Visit
Finding the Stairs
Look for the amber lamp between the florist and the old arcade entrance. There is no sign — the lamp is the sign. If the lamp is lit, the band is on or about to be.
Bookings by phone after four. Walk-ins stand at the bar, and honestly do better.
Basement, 141 Murray Street, PerthThursday – Sunday, from 9pm
(08) 9227 0141
House Rules
- No photography during sets. Between them, be quick.
- Coats checked. Hats welcome.
- Quiet during ballads. Loud after them.
- The kitchen closes when the band decides.