About the Author

James has been going to shows in Melbourne since he was sixteen and sneaking into venues in Fitzroy with a fake ID that fooled absolutely no one. The door guys just didn't care. That was twenty years ago. Now he writes about it professionally, which mostly means he's doing the same thing but getting paid and not having to lie about his age. He covers live music, comedy, festivals, food events—Melbourne's got a scene for basically everything, and James has opinions about all of it. He knows the laneways where the good bars hide. He knows which comedy rooms have actual good sightlines versus just atmosphere. He's been to Big Day Out (RIP), every iteration of Meredith, more rooftop parties than he can count, and approximately 400 shows at the Corner Hotel alone. For AllEvents, James documents what's happening across the city—from the obvious stuff in the CBD to the weird stuff in the northern suburbs that most guides ignore. He takes the tram everywhere, lives in Brunswick, and firmly believes Melbourne's coffee snobbery is completely justified. His weekend guides are detailed because Melbourne weekends require it. There's always too much on.