Dear friends,
We’d like to put paid to some rumours you may have been hearing around town. St Jerome’s is not re-opening. It can’t. The building got pulled down.
However, we’re opening up a venue named The Resurrection in Lygon Street East Brunswick, which pays homage to the glorious institution that was St Jerome’s in Caledonian Lane. Since the little venue that could opened in 2003, it’s paved the way for some of the best venues and events in not just Melbourne, but in Australia. As Jerome Borazio’s business partner Danny Rogers says:
The opening of The Resurrection is just one of those things that had to happen. Jerome fought tooth and comb to keep St Jerome’s alive, but deep down, he knew that his month-to-month lease of an old Swedish Meatball house at the back of a corporate giant would mean he’d eventually get the knock on the door.
The bar spawned a music festival which is now in seven cities and three countries. In some ways, it was simply a stroke of good luck and good timing, but like the bar and the enduring friendship I have with Jerome; we didn’t plan for this, and these days, nothing ever really surprises. Our ride has been bumpy and never boring, but watching Jerome fight some pretty ordinary humans to keep his favourite little bar open made me realise how lucky we were that St Jerome’s ever opened in the first place.
Despite our parents never, um, ‘encouraging’ our friendship, Jerome and I have been partners for eight years and friends for coming up to nineteen. The Resurrection pays homage to St Jerome’s but importantly, it’s also part of the Resurrection of us, our friendship and a continuation of the journey that we’ve been on…It won’t be dull and it definitely won’t overly thought (or decked) out. Like Laneway, it’s a reflection of us both and a fun project to work on together.
The Resurrection is not trying to be St Jerome’s, but we promise it will carry the spirit of that little hotbed of madness.
Indeed, The Resurrection won’t be the same. Alas, there will be none of the stinky bins and chicken carcasses that gave St Jerome’s its unique character; although we aim to maintain the high standards of bathroom hygiene patrons came to expect of the venue. We’re a bit too old to sit on milk crates these days – we’ve found a bunch of stools for us to park our bums on. The menu will offer an expanded offering but you can rest assured that varieties of cheese toasties will still remain the centrepiece. Sure, we’ll have longnecks, but we’ve also got the new 500ml cans of Melbourne which will be the coldest in town.
We’re going to be introducing you all to a new cocktail as well. Jerome has invented the finest cocktail since the snakebite! With St Jerome’s being resurrected, Jerome and Prince Fred of Denmark were out last Thursday guzzling an array of COCK-tails and Jerome came back inspired. “After smashing a few beverages with the Prince, I came up with this new drink that meshes my favourite herb, scattering thyme, and a secret white spirit only known to proper old school Danish royalty. I can only say that this will change everyone’s approach to late night drinking in Melbourne forever and ever”. The Prince, who refused to comment (presumably still recovering) was said to have had at least 9 of the concoctions himself. Jerome is said to be busy planting a thyme garden to cope with the expected demand.
We’re going to be calling back a few old faces to greet you from behind the bar, and we’ll be having guest DJs programming a playlist of local and international artists. There’s a deck out the back, but the views will be different. So what we’re saying is that it won’t be the same, but it will be similar. We’ve taken all the best bits to create another clubhouse for you to all hang out at. For anyone who’s ever talked , laughed, kissed, fought, shagged, loved and cried with someone they met and hung out with at St Jerome’s – we hope you will join us to carry on the spirit of the place.
The Resurrection
Built 2003 Destroyed 2009 Resurrected 2011
135 Lygon Street East Brunswick
Join us when we open in August.
