hile the Mothership (Purgatory) folded under the unrelenting pressure of the nightclub wars, this little offspring chugs along fruitfully. Machine Head is a rock bar in the truest sense, so don't shampoo.

With a name that connotes biker gangs, skull tattoos and back alley shenanigans, you’d think you were approaching one of those biker bars you see in beer commercials. Or perhaps Lemmy from Motorhead - or Thom from Radiohead - opened a namesake bar. Wrong on all counts. Machine Head is Toronto’s latest rock bar, which has come to fruition with one simple mandate: Party!

And party they do. SD + R – which consists of Tyler Scherer, Teddy Lawson, Brennen Demelo, Karl Campbell and Kyle Deinstadt - has been throwing parties around the city for over five years and it was time to have a home for their feats. “We thought, why not bring a little rock and roll down to a major part of the city,” says Demelo. “We wanted to create a new buzz for Richmond Street. There are tons of people here all the time and we wanted to try something completely opposite of what’s here and just have a great party!”

To get to Machine Head, you enter through a back alley doorway, go down a small flight of stairs where you’re greeted by a classic '78 Triumph motorcycle and a custom-made Harley Davidson. The nostalgia continues onward with a DJ booth - with the legendary Johnny Rude from Brass Knuckle Therapy on the decks - with the front grill of a ‘80 Trans Am protruding from it.