"St Kilda beckoned as an entertainment destination in my little world. Driving past The George with its lights flashing and advertising music inside. There was Luna Park, St Moritz Ice skating, Acland Street cake shops and my elder sister bought a house in Elwood in the 1980’s. Everybody knew where Toppolino’s was, and Sylvio who ran Toppos was an ex-student of my mothers’.

My mum had an ongoing relationship with her students and the ones that liked her remembered to give her kids discounts on pizzas."

Fiona Lee Maynard, 15 years old, 1982 - Source: Fiona Lee Maynard

"St Kilda felt like my fun home away from home, where I could engage in exciting musical activities with colourful and liberated young adults. Be experimental and yet mostly safe, encouraged and not judged.

The venues welcomed my first band, booking us early on multi band bills as well as for smaller shows the venue owners were mostly supportive and encouraging."

Earwigs U.P, Grosvenor Hotel, 1985 - Source: Fiona Lee Maynard

"I’ve experienced many of my favourite lifetime experiences in and around St Kilda. My second band H.A.N.D drew a lot of attention from playing venues in St Kilda, Mick Newton from Premier Artists Agency scoped us playing at The Prince of Wales and soon he and Gerard Schlaghecke were booking us as a Premier Artist including at The Palace where we opened for Faith No More and Michael Gudinski came and encouraged us to sign with Mushroom." 

H.A.N.D, The Palace, 1990 - Source: Fiona Lee Maynard

"So many after gig and industry parties happened in and around St Kilda, many musicians and sound engineers and creative types used to be able to afford to live there and many bars used to be affordable. Pizzas then later salads on Fitzroy Street, (Toppos and Toppolinos) after gigs were often en route home.

My relationship with St Kilda is that it provides the conditions to nourish and nurture my soul and creative spirit and provides opportunities to network beyond the scope of my home suburb and feel a sense of belonging within St Kilda music loving community. I often call St Kilda, 'My Spiritual Home.'"

Fiona Lee Maynard, Circus Bar, 1994 - Source: Fiona Lee Maynard

"I loved The Fyrefly when Heather Para was booking it. I loved performing at The Palais Theatre. I used to really love the old Espy, of the early nineties it was a much more convivial space for bands with very live music-oriented, clientele, management and staff. Trish from The Espy in later 90’s was great at ensuring In Vivo appeared regularly in the Front Bar and occasionally, Gershwin Room and Star Wars Bar.

The Venue was awesome and the old POW as well. Both of these venues had tiered levels, so you could be a start-up band in a smaller room and gradually work your way to the big room via the other rooms. The Palace was like that as well and the opportunities to open for bigger bands were more abundant, which also gave your band a chance to be exposed to potential new fans."

In Vivo, Greyhound Hotel, 1999 - Source: Fiona Lee Maynard

"These days - I love MEMO Music Hall. The production values are excellent. I love a good sized and safe stage, great front of house and stage sound, lights and seats for the audience and clean toilets.

MEMO also takes part of the promotional responsibility on for their gigs, which means the bands are well supported by a professional marketing strategy and established data base. I also love performing at The Bowlo, it’s such a relaxed space and Lofty knows the rooms and gets a great FOH sound."

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Femme Royale, Greyhound Hotel, 2006 - Source: Fiona Lee Maynard

"In St Kilda, audiences have always been appreciative and thoughtful. Listening intently to songs and revelling in a beat and groove you can move to also inclined to sing along with a catchy melody or hook line. Over the years St Kilda audiences have embraced and been excited by my music, in all it’s varying genres. With the exception maybe of whoever it was wrote on the Ladies toilet wall at The Venue...under my ‘Earwigs U.P’ graffiti – ‘Girls can’t play music’...

I was shocked and remember that from almost 40 years ago. Mostly the St Kilda audiences include culturally forward thinking and diverse individuals, who would never yell out “Show us your tits!” ...unlike the outer suburbs of Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide back in the eighties and nineties. “Show us your Art!” would be the St Kilda cry."

Dalicados, backstage at The Fyrefly, 2019 - Photo by Tameika Brumby - Source: Fiona Lee Maynard

"I love playing in St Kilda and it seems to be where I get the most gig offers and have the most loyal audience in Melbourne, Naarm. There are still music venues and I believe there always will be music venues in St Kilda, it’s part of the soul of St Kilda. The Palais is open more often than in recent years attracting international acts as well.

The flow of musicians from all over Australia and the world as well as local talent is what keeps St Kilda so vibrant. St Kilda always benefits from running more music venues with varying capacities."

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Fiona Lee Maynard, Espy Basement, 2020 - Photo by Tameika Brumby