Lovers of live music have a new go-to in the city from the brain behind Live at the Polo. Dissent Cafe and Bar has opened on City Walk with a grand vision of the future of live music in Canberra.

Dave Howe is a familiar name to anyone in the local live music scene thanks to his many years booking acts at The Polo and behind the scenes at his sound system business Dirty Deeds. Now he’s turned his sights to the city with the recently opened Dissent. What prompted him to open a new venue?

“Well it seemed like a good idea at the time!” Dave said.

“There’s been a gap in the city with live music venues, probably ever since The Phoenix closed. We’re looking to be an accessible, walk-in destination. If you’re someone looking to see a band on a night out, you can just come by.”

Owner of Dissent Dave Howe. Photo: Lucy Ridge.

It’s a nice-sized venue; small enough to feel intimate, but with enough space to drum up an atmosphere. It will allow up-and-coming acts to fill out a room and give a better experience for smaller audiences.

Dave is open to pretty much any kind of act booking the space – “anything goes!” – but expects it will be mostly a similar demographic to the kinds of bands you might expect to see at The Polo. The venue recently hosted a packed gig for local folk and roots band Kopasetic which was launching its latest single Awake in the new space.

To pull in crowds over lunch, Dave is running a few Summer Lunchtime Showcase gigs with local solo acts. The day I visited, Canberra singer-songwriter Ben Drysdale was entertaining folks over lunch with his original tunes and there were plenty of folks walking past who took the time to poke their heads in and see what this new venue was all about.

Dissent is shaping up to be a popular live music venue in Canberra’s city centre. Photo: Lucy Ridge.

Local chef Jacqueline Leffner – formerly of Parlour – is heading the kitchen with a laid-back menu of mini pizzas, snacks and meals. I enjoyed a Sober Salad – ironically with a schooner of Capital Coast Ale – made of cold soba noodles, grilled lemongrass chicken, cucumber, herbs and a fragrant peanut dressing.

It’s not the kind of meal I’d expect to find in a scrappy live music venue but it was clean and delicious. There will be a limited menu available during evening gigs too. It’s not trying to be a restaurant, but if you turn up hungry for live music and something to eat then the team will have you well and truly covered.

The chicken Sober Salad makes a delicious casual lunch. Photo: Lucy Ridge.

The space is still very much a blank slate: the walls are waiting for local artists to come in and paint a few murals! Some plants are also planned around the space and a large pinboard awaits scribbles, set lists, fan art and band posters to fill it. Much like the venue, it’s full of potential and will be shaped by the people who visit.

“At the end of the day it’s really about the vibes. We want good vibes, people who are happy to be here, listening to live music and having a bit of a boogie,” Dave said.

“Watch this space!”

Dissent Cafe & Bar is located at 181 City Walk, Civic. Follow Dissent on Facebook or Instagram to see upcoming acts.