Cam Walter Shares Some Favourite Blues Venues
Sandy Guy The West Australian
Tue, 18 August 2026 1:39PM
Hidden away in the back streets of Melbourne’s oldest suburb Fitzroy, the Rainbow Hotel is a classic inner-city watering hole.
Dating from 1869, this 157-year-old pub was once at the heart of one of Melbourne’s most crowded and seediest suburbs. In the late 1900s anything was the go here, from sly grog to underground gambling.
Over recent decades, musicians and fans have gathered here to celebrate live music at what has become a popular blues venue.
Although spruced up a few years ago by brothers, publicans Jason and Adam King, the Rainbow has retained the intimate ambience that many old pubs have lost with slick 21st century renovations.
It retains its nooks and crannies, an old wooden staircase, and decorated plaster ceilings. The original 1860s dining room is still a dining room.
Cam Walter Blues, one of Melbourne’s favourite blues trios, enjoy playing here. And the locals who frequent this wonderful old pub love it when they do.
The bar and adjoining beer garden are packed on a recent Sunday afternoon as Cam Walter, Grant Cummerford and Tim Burnham set up their gear in a corner of the bar.
The small bar is warm and cosy, far from the Art Deco splendour and bright lights of the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee, where in January this year Cam Walter Blues, representing the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, played their hearts out in the grand final of the International Blues Challenge.
From hundreds of artists and bands worldwide, Cam — vocals and guitar — Grant on bass and Tim on drums, finished top five worldwide for their electrifying performances, which range from classic and original blues, boogie and old school rock ‘n’ roll to the influences of John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.
For those visiting Melbourne, you can see bands of this calibre at an array of venues for free, and Cam has suggested some of his favourites.
While it’s a cloudy, wintry Melbourne day outside, inside the Rainbow the buzz of conversation is endless as punters enjoy the hotel’s fare — seafood chowder; gnocchi with slow-cooked beef ragu; pork, cider and apple pie. The big Sunday roasts ($27) are legendary.
On the beer front, there’s ten taps and around 100 beers from Australia and beyond in the fridge.
Sound check, beat starts — away we go. This is not melancholy, slow beat blues, it’s high-voltage — the audience is riveted and rocking, as they always are when Cam Walter plays.
“The Rainbow has been committed to live music for about 40 years. It’s an institution,” said Cam, 52, during a break. “You’re so close to the audience here, it’s like playing with friends; like they’re in your loungeroom.”
Cam, Grant and Tim have played countless gigs together over the past 20-odd years, and it shows.
“Grant and Tim make it easy — they really do,” said Cam. “They are the foundation — with a great rhythm section they make my part easier.”
Cam started playing guitar when he was seven. He is a wizard on the strings. From the moment the band starts playing and Cam starts singing, the joint starts jumping and everyone is focused on the trio.
Cam lives in the Dandenong Ranges, and the town of Belgrave, 36kms east of Melbourne’s CBD in the foothills of the Dandenongs, is the band’s base, where they’ve played for more than two decades.
Belgrave’s 12 Bar, owned by respected blues musician Sammy Owen, is a good reason for visitors to Melbourne to head for the hills for some great live music at another of Cam’s favourite venues.
The bar, popular with locals, is cosy and relaxed, has comfy seating and free entry. A creative drink menu includes an impressive range of cocktails and a wide selection of beers at this hub for blues music enthusiasts.
“It’s a great room to play,” said Cam.
Melbourne’s famous laneways are home to another of Cam’s favourites — Beneath Driver Lane, located in the former bank vault of the old GPO’s Money Order Office.
From a narrow laneway off Little Bourke Street, you descend a flight of stairs to the bar, still complete with original brick archways, raw brick walls and domed ceilings.
Dim lighting, intimate booths and small tables make you feel like you’re on the set of a Humphrey Bogart movie.
“It’s like a 1930s speakeasy,” said Cam.
The venue pairs live blues every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night with an extensive drinks list and a menu featuring dishes such as baked camembert with whisky, honey and herbs; chicken croquettes, and quail egg wrapped in Morcilla sausage.
Many of Australia’s finest blues acts perform at the atmospheric Beneath Driver Lane, including Cam Walter Blues.
The Flemington/Kensington Bowling Club is minutes from Flemington Racecourse, home to the Melbourne Cup.
While lawn bowlers roll a bowl (ball) along the green at the club, established in 1892 and fondly known locally as the Flem-Ken, this inner-city club is also home to the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society.
On any Tuesday night, MBAS at Flem-Ken has a free House of Blues event — a blues band or solo artist followed by a jam session with some of the city’s finest musos.
July heralds the start of the annual MBAS Blues Challenge, when bands and solo artists begin to compete to jet to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge the following January, as Cam Walter Blues did last year.
Over the next two months, anyone fortunate enough to be in Melbourne can see some of the State’s finest performers for free as they battle for a ticket to Tennessee.
The volunteer-run, not-for-profit, MBAS has been sending winning performers to Memphis since 1984, and the funds to do this are raised entirely through raffles.
“Flem-Ken, MBAS — all the people involved — they’re amazing,” said Cam as we dine on reasonably-priced fare from the kitchen, which ranges from parmas and steaks to very good Asian dishes cooked by the Thai chef.
“The annual MBAS Challenge is an incredible opportunity for Australian performers to take their music to the world,” said Cam.
“That we, and several other MBAS Challenge winners, have made it to the finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis — the city considered the home of blues music — says a lot about the quality of Australian musicians.”
For anyone wanting to experience Melbourne beyond its cafes and sporting arenas, Cam’s recommendations provide an ideal soundtrack.
From historic pubs and hidden basement bars to cosy mountain venues and community clubs, these are the places where Melbourne’s blues scene continues to thrive — and where some of Australia’s finest musicians can still be heard, often for nothing more than the price of a drink.
Sandy Guy 