Revolver Upstairs: an institution among institutions.

Twenty Years in the Belly of the Beast is a lightning-in-bottle screengrab of the disaffected, the fringe, the fucked-off and fucked-up of late-night nightlife. A homage to the wildest venues you’ll ever step into. A microcosm of the edges of Melbourne.

This un-official, independently published book captures the expressions, the stories, the lies and the rumours that make up the cult of ‘Revs’. Twenty years of history. The bands, the DJs, the bartenders; the bizarre characters that have made up a cornerstone of Melbourne culture. 

Detailed here in incredibly vibrant photos, accompanied by stories boasted, bragged and scrawled on the walls, photographer Melissa Butters has spent four years assembling one of the best damn looking photo books you’ll ever see. 

Coming in at a massive 212 pages and locally printed on high-quality uncoated paper, In the Belly of the Beast aims to capture what Revs has meant for the patrons, staff, musicians and artists who have trod the tack-covered floors for the last twenty years. 

It’s equal parts poignant, beautiful, absurd and hilarious. 

It’s like a little bit of Revs to sit in your living room.

Special thanks to Camillo for giving us his blessing on the project; Linc Hasler, Gus Braidotti and the countless others who have helped with along the way. 

We’ve been sitting with our fingers on the trigger of this project for a while now, waiting for a reason to launch this labour of love into the public sphere. 

The last few weeks have been devastating for Australia, with millions of acres of land burning and so many lives lost. Rather than just posting about it all on social media, we’ve decided to do something practical; donate 100% of the profits of this four-year project to help some causes that are close to our hearts.

We’ll split it 50/50. Half will go to Firesticks, a charity that can help protect and recover our country through cultural fire and land management practices. Half will go to Wildlife Victoria, helping our furry little mates get back hopping and squawking.

Funds will cover printing and binding of this first edition: 250 hard-cover copies of Twenty Years in the Belly of the Beast (212 pages) produced locally in Melbourne. Publishing and campaign costs are also included.  And 100% of our profits will be donated to Firesticks and Wildlife Victoria.