The Phoenix and the Bootleg Sessions: A Canberra Venue for Local Music

Abstract

The Phoenix and generations of music lovers have flocked there. In particular, the Monday night Bootleg Sessions have been supporting live music, particularly local musicians, and nurturing local audiences since 2003. The Phoenix was shut down due to a fire on 17 January 2014. Its closure was deeply felt by many of its customers and the musicians who played there. The Phoenix partially rose from the ashes in March 2014, re-opening in the recent extension, a section that lacked the iconic charm of the original venue. The Phoenix is first and foremost a pub. It is regarded as a comfortable "melting pot" of diverse people and held with much affection because of its "non-judgemental tendency". The Phoenix caters to a cross section of the local arts community which includes musicians, poets, trivia nerds and visual artists. An important difference, however, is that The Phoenix is a locally owned and operated venue that fundamentally maintains a local, grassroots image.