Introduction

Across the world, a range of tourist sites have developed that allow popular music fans to commemorate, celebrate and pay tribute to their heroes. In some cases, these sites have tangible links to these performers' life stories or music. Examples of such tourist attractions include Matthew Street in Liverpool (which was the location of the Cavern Club where The Beatles rose to prominence in the early 1960s), the Abbey Road pedestrian crossing in London (which featured on the cover of The Beatles' album Abbey Road) and the grave of The Doors' Jim Morrison at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. In other cases, tourist sites have been invented, with the main connection to performers being that they are situated in a relevant city, rather than to the specific location of the site. Examples of this type of musical tourism site include Joey Ramone Place in New York City, the Joe Strummer Subway in London, the U2 Wall in Dublin and AC/DC Lane and Chrissy Amphlett Lane, both in Melbourne. The common feature of all these invented attractions is that they are a place that has been named and signposted in tribute to a performer and the sign has taken on an iconic status among fans and has become a key focus for photography, particularly selfies. In this chapter, our aim is to explore these fan phenomena through case studies of the two Australian instances of AC/DC Lane and Chrissy Amphlett Lane in Melbourne.

Both laneways were created as focal points for fans within Melbourne's system of urban laneways. In the 21st century, these laneways have shifted from being merely service infrastructure to becoming the foci for leisure and hospitality and, accordingly, have become a central component of the destination marketing of Melbourne. Variously portrayed as funky, grungy, hip and edgy, they provide an intimate setting for cafes, restaurants, bars and boutique shops.