Sunday, August 21, 2005

FENDER'S you don't stroke a ballroom










NOTE: please see my first story
on the SCENE- "PUNK ROCK SAVED MY LIFE"


FENDER'S...you don't stroke a ballroom
D O Y O U ?
a guitar is a guitar
a ballroom is a ballroom
TRUE OR NOT
unless you are FENDER'S BALLROOM
in DownTown Long Beach

Favorite haunt out of the
Hollywood and L.A. SCENE *
The story is John Fender the
Guitar Guy
owned this hall, it must be true
since its logo is the same FENDER'S logo.

Cavernous ballroom
small band dressing room
right off the stage
and a nice wide stage yet not so deep.
low ceiling with large wood rafters
Ample areas to sit on floor, stand or slam.

Host to a variety of functions I'm sure
but as far as we were concerned,
meeting outside on a brisk oceanside night,
we were here for
going inside
to a bevy of punk music

I saw D.I. so many times there...
one time Casey was, well he WAS THERE
but there was a substitution
with other band members singing
because he was there,
but not at the right time

the show must go on...

We did a great interview
with British
TOY DOLLS
after the gig on stage
we also interviewed
Canadian
VOIVOD right
in the dressing before they played

Many great nights-
45 GRAVE on Halloween
the MENTORS, ADOLESCENTS
CIRCLE ONE
they all played there.

fights gang fights
blood splatters us
as we watch over too closely
I remember Mike of SUICIDAL
ranking one of his guys,
there were
gangs always
beating up someone trying
to defile someone's girlfriend
good punk rock
comoradery, seriously

FENDER'S was a lively punk venue
with really few problems....
it is not there anymore
I think there was a fire a while back.

NEXT: 80'sPUNK Islam on CRENSHAW
video louis 2005 http://www.punkslam.rocks.it/

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well your forgetting Carla and Dream that did the first Bad Brains show in Hollywood at the Ukraine Cultural Center in 1982!!! Geez that was packed out show!! Also shows at Bobs Place with THE MISFITS in 1982~~also BAD BRAINS there!! What about SIR!! MENDIOLAS BALLROOM riot with THE EXPLOITED!! or Godzillas!!! Sun Valley..Shit i could go on!!

AngryFrank..
80's punk promoter and Garys old right hand man!! xxxx old Goldenvoice

Hurtin Bro said...

Won tickets to see the mINUtEMen there...But I lived in Pasadena at the time with no ride..So I got some of my band together and on bicycles we set off down Atlantic blvd towards Long Beach.26 miles and a sore ass later we are there!Fenders Ballroom & the Minutemen!Only a month or two later the accident happened and D.Boon was gone...PUNK RocK saved my life!