Hi Jeremy, you co-own the Bridge Hotel, how did that come about?
My brother Pat and I used to run a little bar in Clifton Hill called Some Velvet Morning. We took over the Bridge in 2017 and have just bought the freehold for the building last year, which gives us security in the long term.
We love this clunky old country pub, were not striving for a high class gastro experience. We love running gigs outside when we can and we have lovely understanding neighbours.
I sometimes say having a pub is like having another kid, it’s noisy, messy and keeps you up at night.
Pat is the hospo guy; he’s into wine, the running of the kitchen and managing the staff and I’m the real business guy. Actually I find it strange to do an interview, I’ve always been the behind the scenes guy.
You also have a lot of other hats around town what are they?
I launched the Town Folk Festival with Shedshaker and Boomtown Wine last year and it went so well we’re running it again this year. It’s a big task, closing off Cornish Street and putting up the stage and if you ask anyone that knows your not going to make much doing gigs with 16 bands, but there are a lot of young folk musicians that need a place to be seen and it’s such a good feeling amongst the artists and the community and I just love being involved with live gigs.
Also for the past six years I’ve also managed bands, The Tesky Brothers are my main project.
Oh and I’m on the board of MainFM. I’d love to do a show but there’s just no time!
That is a lot of hats! Do you have time for any other interests?
Nicole and I moved to an 18 acre property, so were trying to set up a garden there and grow lots of vegetables, although the weather lately hasn’t helped.
And I like to play music myself, I play drums. Me and two other guys in Castlemaine set up Wafflepad, a recording studio at the Salvage Yard. It’s just a little rehearsal space for artists and sometimes we go and tinker.
What music do you enjoy listening to?
A new The Tesky Brothers album which will be coming out soon and a Melbourne artist Phoebe Go. Oh and Big Scary which is a Castlemaine duo and have a beautiful new album.
Are you reading anything at the moment?
A sci-fi I picked up on a whim at Stoneman’s Bookroom called Project Hail Mary about a guy who wakes up from a coma on a spaceship.
Are there any philosophies you live life by?
While music, gigs, festivals and bands are very exciting, valuing the family side of things is what matters.
What do you love most about the place you call home?
I love living here, we’ve built up friends and so have the kids. My wife Nicole grew up in Donald and I’m a Melbourne boy so Castlemaine seemed like a happy middle ground. Since moving here a lot of our siblings have moved here too.
And we’re lucky enough get to sit and eat breakfast every morning watching the neighbours’ horses wander around in the paddock next door.
