Hmmm, it seems like Massachusetts is well represented here!
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Same for me here. I played some nasty-awful Philly basements during my time in a punk band. Leaky pipes that were probably dripping poo water, stains of every unimaginable type/color/odor/nastiness on the floors/walls... and some of the most awesome crowds I've ever played for.
Lots of really scummy places in the 70's. Maybe just for disgusting I'd vote the Varsity Grill Backroom in College Park, MD. The toilets perpetually overflowed and I remember them just putting picket fencing on the floor on more than one occasion so that you didn't have to walk in the urine. That was pretty disgusting.
I've never been lucky enough to play in an environment that I felt was dangerous like some of y'all, but I've played in plenty that were downright nasty. Jockey Club in the 80's (Newport KY) was pretty sketchy, but OMG I saw some fantastic punk shows there. We played one memorable show there. There was a place on short Vine on Cincinnati that I can't remember the name of (down the street from Dollar Bill's, across from Daniel's, someone help me out here-Nyswonger will remember!) that was just f'n gross, but it was a great place to play. I've got a board mix of a rippin' show we played there in about '83
The worst I did wasn't that bad actually. It was a hipster-type establishment full of grandma's finest furniture, absolutely no room to move anything in, and a crowd that just loved standing in your way when you were schlepping your 16 ton gear.
Back in the 80's - a hard rock bar called Ma's Place in Brighton, Colorado.
There was a Country & Western bar right across the street.
Most nights at closing time there would be rockers & cowboys brawling in the street.
It was always a challenge to get our gear packed up & get out of there without some sort of incident.
Good times...
There was a Country & Western bar right across the street.
Most nights at closing time there would be rockers & cowboys brawling in the street.
It was always a challenge to get our gear packed up & get out of there without some sort of incident.
Good times...
These are reminiscent of places I played as an innocent and callow youth that had me growing up way too fast, much faster than my parents might have liked for sure.
>Mic stands do indeed make good weapons, defensive and offensive.
>The Chain Link is to keep drunks off the stage and to keep your gear safe!
> Nice Doggie!
Little joint here is in North Florida that acts as a public clubhouse for a very prominent Motorcycle Club. I won’t use their name but they are very prominent here. The place wasn’t a dump really but is way sketchy. Dudes carrying guns openly. Laying them on the tables and comparing them ect. Few little scraps here and there but all in good fun. When we opened with some 80s stuff we got some dirty looks but luckily we were fronted by a fairly attractive woman and she worked the crowd well. We could have played Polka music and they would have dug it with her up there. By the 3rd set the whole bar was hammered drunk. Including us. We didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter. It was “Another shot for the bass player! He still looks sober!” The 3rd set was a blur. I loaded my van up after and moved it to safe place in the lot and took an Uber home. Picked it up the next morning. They did invite us back but we passed.
some dive on the lower east side nyc, i think across the street from tompkins sq. park, alphabet city somewhere......during the day, nobody there, but our crew....power cut-off mid set..."we were too loud"
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
Apparently this place is a franchise because I've played a nearly identical place in Texas even down to the leaking roof. Some local variations to the theme were plastic pitchers for the beer instead of glasses or cans, the toilet in one stall was just a hole in the floor (story was it was shattered with someones head and they never replaced it), and an intense dislike/suspicion of unfamiliar faces. When I walked in the door to set up, it was like a scene from a movie: everyone stopped what they were doing, guys playing pool turned with the sticks in a subtly offensive position and the bartender yelled out "Can I HELP YOU?!" I told him I was with the band for that night and had to name drop before he was satisfied and announced to everyone I was OK. They went back to what they were doing.
My favorite story from this place I wasn't personally present for but it came from someone who was: one night a biker club who were rivals to many of the regulars showed up and there was an argument which quickly escalated into the gang leaders and the bar owner in a standoff in the middle of the dance floor pointing guns at each others heads. After a few very tense silent moments, the singer said quietly "Y'all are f*@%ing up my act" on the mic...They turned and looked at him, apparently realized the absurdity of the whole situation and everyone slowly backed away and the rival members left without incident.
i've played in some real 
-holes but the 'danger quotient' was never high enough to really be afraid, IIRC...just an inconvenience....mostly funny. but i've played many human zoos. great stuff! 
-holes but the 'danger quotient' was never high enough to really be afraid, IIRC...just an inconvenience....mostly funny. but i've played many human zoos. great stuff! 
The Faultline in San Rafael 89-96 was filled with meth dealers, hookers, and paroled child molesters (gotta love meth attractants). Those were the nice people.
$1 Long Island's bring out the best people.
Any backyard party in Long Beach 92-94.
Any squat turned into a party in Hollywood 91-97.
There's really nothing like talking LAPD into battering down a door by saying "SFPD and Oakland PD would have been in there crushing skulls by now, who ate their Wheaties?"
$1 Long Island's bring out the best people.
Any backyard party in Long Beach 92-94.
Any squat turned into a party in Hollywood 91-97.
There's really nothing like talking LAPD into battering down a door by saying "SFPD and Oakland PD would have been in there crushing skulls by now, who ate their Wheaties?"
Clermont Lounge, Ponce, ATL. Home of Blondie. Imagine a David Lynch dive bar scene but without being mopped or dusted in 70 years. Now imagine a junkie flophouse hotel on top if it.
Look it up.
Look it up.
And before anyone else says it, the Best dive bar I ever played in was CBGB.
One of the worst places I've ever played wasn't exactly a dive bar but what made it bad was that there was a pillar right in the middle of the stage. The position of this pillar made it so you couldn't really put the drums behind it because the stage wasn't that deep and you couldn't really put any thing in front of it because there wasn't enough room, so everybody had to kind of set up around it. It was really awkward. The crowd was mostly older people who came early to eat dinner and then go home. They had us starting at 9pm but by that time there was hardly anybody there so we asked to start early to see if we could get the crowd to stick around. They did for a little while but by 10pm there was hardly anybody there.
