the "hottest spots" thread in european group , made me think about this one :

What is , in your opinion, the best clubs you have been to see/play rock'n'roll music ?

in terms of crowd / fun / sound / atmosphere / decoration / originality / staffs ...

pics welcome !

RKCNDY - Seattle, WA (r.i.p.)

El Sol in Madrid is amazing...perfect size club (maybe 400 capacity) to see a great band, and the crowds are some of the most enthusiastic in Europe.

Great post, John.

What's the name of that place in New Orleans that looks like a Burlesque house on the inside? I'm told it was once a brothel. Great place. Warsaw in Brooklyn is a great place , too , if they still do shows. Joe "King" Carrasco's Nacho Daddy in Puerto Vallarta is pretty f'in cool , too . There's a small club in Berwyn , Illinois called Cigars 'n' Bars. I loathe cigars , but they keep that separate. The whole place is decked out in Biker , Horror and Wrestling memorabilia. There's even a mannequin dressed up like The Bride of Frankenstein. After I had five empty cabs pass me , in February , I asked the owner , an ex- Wrestling Promoter , if he knew of a more reputable cab company than the one that was turning down my business. He personally got on the horn and called the company , demanding that they have a cab for me in 10 minutes. It was more like 8. That would NOT happen in Chicago , and , probably not where you live , either....When I first went to New York , in '84 , I checked out as many venues as I could. Danceteria was actually pretty cool , when they were'nt playing House Music , or whatever Disco was called that year. They had a pavillion on the roof , with a bar , and a view of The Empire State Building. Peppermint Lounge was cool , but , it was "Rap Night" , and I was already tired of that. I did go to CBGB , but , it was too late for Punk , or anything interesting , and too early for The Punk Revival. It was'nt nearly as nasty as you've been told. The bathrooms were , but , they were downstairs . At the recently closed Ronnie's , in Chicago , the stank was in your face ! That goes double for the Fireside Bowl "Choking in The Boy's Room !!!".  CBGB's looked like an old , worn out , Western movie set , to me. It was kind of depressing , because I figured Kristal could've afforded to give it a paintjob and some minor touchups. Met some cool people there , though. I just remember the jukebox was terrible. No Punk or Protopunk 45s . All I could find to play was "Walk , Don't Run" by The Ventures and "Sittin' in The Balcony" by Eddie Cochran.

The 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA, of course.

Been a looong time since I went clubbing, but I nominate Emo's in Austin, TX. Killer Jukebox, 2  stages, and even the bouncers are nice. It's also close to a great watering hole, Casino El Camino.

Haven't been to Europe, but I always hear nice things about Spain and the Netherlands, re band treatment, rabid fans, and cool scenes.

Definitely going to have to say The Funhouse here in Seattle. It has an evil clown motif! And though I haven't touched a basketball in almost 15 years, they've got a hoop in the back! Always a lot of energy, always great garage/punk shows - stiff and cheap drinks and just an overall fun atmosphere. 

I might add , too , The Hideout  , partly , lost it's sheen (Just for me.), because it's next to impossible to order a drink there , unless you're sitting at the bar , and , even that's no guarantee. I almost got into a fight there once , because some big hardass guy left his barstool , so I moved up to the bar , just long enough to get a drink and go. After all , he said nothing about coming back , but when he did , he opened a tallboy can of testosterone. I merely told him the truth , that he was acting like a dick , and then ,I realized it was'nt a real good idea to stay. I normally don't say stuff like that , but , he worked my last good nerve. Another guy was giving me a lot of crap for no good reason while we were still waiting to get into the show. His buddy actually intervened , telling him  , " Look , if this guy wanted to insult YOU , he's got a lot of material to work with.".    I said , "Nah , it's OK. I used to have a beard , too , and I'll probably go bald , eventually.". Shut HIS ass up , anyway , but , I DON'T GO TO A SHOW OR A CLUB FOR THAT , ESPECIALLY A PLACE WITH A REP AS THE HAPPY GOODTIME FUN COTTON CANDY PALACE of Chicago.
 
John Battles said:

Hey , Joe ! Sorry I missed you at that Fleshtones show...Long , boring story behind that. Being that I live in Chicago , sometimes my take on things , clubwise , does'nt always keep up with popular opinion....OK , frequently. I'm not as into The Hideout as a lot of people are .... It's a really cool LOOKING place , for anybody that has'nt been there. And , yes , I have seen some really good shows there (Not even that many , as Insurgent Country , and some of the other music they showcase , is'nt my scene.). The first few years they were open , I liked 'em better than I do , now , but , again , that's just me.

Similarly with The Bottle , loved 'em the first 5 or 6 years they were open , but , they were booking a lot more bands that I'm personally interested in. People I meet , now , talk about them like they just opened last month. That's actually GOOD , But , being as how they opened about (Exactly?) 20 years ago , it does'nt seem so new to me. I liked it , best , when Lounge Ax was still open and both clubs gave each other healthy competition , and both venues were coughing up the shows. I still like 'em just fine , but I really only go there maybe 3 times a year , only because that's how often there's a show I feel like making the trek out there to see. I do want to say , tho' , I've played there maybe 5 times , mostly Roctober - related reviews where I only did short sets , 10 minutes on average (But , I was very glad to do them.). You know , all of those things went fine , low pressure gigs , where my Editor , Jake Austen , handled most of the arrangements. But , the first BIG show I played on there was with The Gories , last October , and I do have to say , everything about the way everybody there treated me , and handled the situation as a whole , was 100 % top notch , from a performer's point of view. I was blown away by how professional everything was being run , so , of course , I'd love to play there again  , especially if I'm lucky enough to be in a situation like that.
 
Joe Bonomo said:

The old 9:30 Club in Washington DC, Empty Bottle and the Hideout in Chicago.

By "Dance Club" , BTW , I just mean a BARN where DJs played Rock and Pop music of the day ('82 or '83.)....Already too square for me , but there is'nt much to do in a town so small
 , that for years you had to buy your records at WAL-MART (They did have The Fleshtones' First LP.). I was accosted , and told to get off the floor , for dancing with myself (Uh - huh - huh - ho.).
John Battles said:

I guess I forgot to say what else I liked about The Hot Klub. There was a remarkable energy about the place , when the band would come on , you'd instantly have a packed dance floor , or , at least , a respectable showing. Now , it is'nt cool to dance to Rock'n'Roll .You can get people dancing like their nads are on fire , but , usually , only with totally UNdanceable music.But , The Hot Klub was the kind of place where people just wanted to rock out , and it did'nt matter if you were a very good dancer , or if you did'nt have a partner , or if you danced with a member of the same gender (None of these things would bat an eye , today , but , 30 years ago , sheesh !).  I was told to stop dancing at a "Dance" club one time , why? Because I was'nt dancing with a partner. That , and the decor was kind of low rent , but artistically pleasing enough. Above the stage , the club's name was written in spraypaint (The spraypaint "Mural " , mostly of band logos , by the bands themselves, at the front entrance was priceless. Bands like X, Big Boys , Circle Jerks , Misfits , and others , sprayed their name in big "Fonts" on the wall. In fact , Black Flag spraypainted their own name (During guess which song?) below the "Hot Klub" logo . One witty individual painted out the "l" in "Flag". The walls , mostly black , with artistically arranged mirror glass shards , looked down on a cool black and white tile dance floor (Very 50's looking , tho the floor itself was probably laid out before talking pictures.). It had an atmosphere that was seedy but arty , too. Art should have a seedy quality , anyway.
 
John Battles said:

Some of my faves , in this life , include The Hot Klub in Dallas. Not the first , but the second Punk/NewWave WHATEVER venue in Dallas (ca. 80 - 83.), and the first real club I got to go to , tho' nowhere nearly as often as I wish I had , because I was still underage.

The Purple Onion in San Francisco. This venue has undergone MANY changes , in terms of location and theme , and Many LONG gaps between different versions of the club.

But , I went there , once , in 1999 (I think.) while visiting friends and family in The Bay area.

I saw The Loons , Dukes of Hamburg and Tee and The Crumpets , great show all around , and yes , the club at that time was very cool - looking , but , the bottom line was , people came there to have fun , I mean a LOT of fun. Women were coming up to me and asking me to dance. That used to happen all the time in  the early 80's , but , rarely today. I'm just as guilty , I generally don't ask ladies I don't know to dance anymore , tho' it's been known to happen.... The whole atmosphere was like being on the set of "Riot on Sunset Strip". The barmaid was go - go dancing up on the bar  . Russell Quan was eating a banana and an orange , leaving the peels on the floor , pissing himself laughing whenever someone stepped on the banana peel , meeting Dominic Priore , and my good friends , Mike and Anja Stax (It was the first time we'd met in person , tho' we'd been in touch for a while.).

Anja looked stunning , of course , but also stunningly familiar , I could'nt place it , where I would have seen her or her picture before. She told me she had played in a band in England a couple of years previously , but , I misunderstood her when she told me the band's name. I thought "What's a nice girl like this doing in a band called DOG BOLLOCKS ?!". Twenty minutes into my ride back to my friend's house , it hit me. She said DIABOLIKS !!! No wonder I thought I recognized her , I have their records.  But , even stronger and stranger deja vu occured when I saw this older guy , brooding , but enjoying the show. It was kind of dark , but , he looked very familiar , like someone I think I met in the early 80's. Well , he should have , that's when I met Jello Biafra.

Best clubs for R´n´R shows?? Hafenklang,Grosse Freiheit in Hamburg or Paradiso(Amsterdam).Wild at Heart and SO36 in Berlin.

I guess I forgot to say what else I liked about The Hot Klub. There was a remarkable energy about the place , when the band would come on , you'd instantly have a packed dance floor , or , at least , a respectable showing. Now , it is'nt cool to dance to Rock'n'Roll .You can get people dancing like their nads are on fire , but , usually , only with totally UNdanceable music.But , The Hot Klub was the kind of place where people just wanted to rock out , and it did'nt matter if you were a very good dancer , or if you did'nt have a partner , or if you danced with a member of the same gender (None of these things would bat an eye , today , but , 30 years ago , sheesh !).  I was told to stop dancing at a "Dance" club one time , why? Because I was'nt dancing with a partner. That , and the decor was kind of low rent , but artistically pleasing enough. Above the stage , the club's name was written in spraypaint (The spraypaint "Mural " , mostly of band logos , by the bands themselves, at the front entrance was priceless. Bands like X, Big Boys , Circle Jerks , Misfits , and others , sprayed their name in big "Fonts" on the wall. In fact , Black Flag spraypainted their own name (During guess which song?) below the "Hot Klub" logo . One witty individual painted out the "l" in "Flag". The walls , mostly black , with artistically arranged mirror glass shards , looked down on a cool black and white tile dance floor (Very 50's looking , tho the floor itself was probably laid out before talking pictures.). It had an atmosphere that was seedy but arty , too. Art should have a seedy quality , anyway.
 
John Battles said:

Some of my faves , in this life , include The Hot Klub in Dallas. Not the first , but the second Punk/NewWave WHATEVER venue in Dallas (ca. 80 - 83.), and the first real club I got to go to , tho' nowhere nearly as often as I wish I had , because I was still underage.

The Purple Onion in San Francisco. This venue has undergone MANY changes , in terms of location and theme , and Many LONG gaps between different versions of the club.

But , I went there , once , in 1999 (I think.) while visiting friends and family in The Bay area.

I saw The Loons , Dukes of Hamburg and Tee and The Crumpets , great show all around , and yes , the club at that time was very cool - looking , but , the bottom line was , people came there to have fun , I mean a LOT of fun. Women were coming up to me and asking me to dance. That used to happen all the time in  the early 80's , but , rarely today. I'm just as guilty , I generally don't ask ladies I don't know to dance anymore , tho' it's been known to happen.... The whole atmosphere was like being on the set of "Riot on Sunset Strip". The barmaid was go - go dancing up on the bar  . Russell Quan was eating a banana and an orange , leaving the peels on the floor , pissing himself laughing whenever someone stepped on the banana peel , meeting Dominic Priore , and my good friends , Mike and Anja Stax (It was the first time we'd met in person , tho' we'd been in touch for a while.).

Anja looked stunning , of course , but also stunningly familiar , I could'nt place it , where I would have seen her or her picture before. She told me she had played in a band in England a couple of years previously , but , I misunderstood her when she told me the band's name. I thought "What's a nice girl like this doing in a band called DOG BOLLOCKS ?!". Twenty minutes into my ride back to my friend's house , it hit me. She said DIABOLIKS !!! No wonder I thought I recognized her , I have their records.  But , even stronger and stranger deja vu occured when I saw this older guy , brooding , but enjoying the show. It was kind of dark , but , he looked very familiar , like someone I think I met in the early 80's. Well , he should have , that's when I met Jello Biafra.

The Bowery Electric is a really cool place.

 
MikeL said:

I like the Bowery Electric in NYC, along with the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH, and Skully's in Columbus, OH.  Here in Pittsburgh, I like the 31st Street Pub and Gooski's.

 

I like the Bowery Electric because it's just a couple doors down from where CBGB used to be, and it has something of a CBGB vibe.  

 

I saw two of the three Rolling Rock tours at the Beachland Ballroom, and I saw Manda and the Marbles during their CD release party for "Angels with Dirty Faces" at Skully's (One of my all time favorite gigs).  I also saw MATM for the last time at Skully's.

 

I like the Pub because it is like a home grown version of CBGB, without any of the history or prestige.  Gooski's has a great jukebox, full of garage, glam, punk, and post punk bands.

le Mondo Bizarro in Rennes, France is one cool club too !

Southgate House here in Newport Kentucky is beyond amazing. Unfortunately, they announced this past week that after 30 years, they will be shutting down and moving to a new location. Turns out its family legal drama. What better place than the mansion where the inventor of the Tommy Gun was born? Check out their website www.southgatehouse.com

You'd have to define 'club' but one of the best venues was the old Skrappy's in Tucson. Rad green room completely open for doing stencils and graffitti backstage, they had a snack bar (all ages no alcohol kinda place, which was the only downside) smoking area, etc. 

The thing that made it cool though was that it was open as a youth center all day every day, and it was all volunteer, or rather user-run, so it had a really cool vibe. The people are what made it, tons of kids would show up to see ANY kind of band, and they'd get into it. One of those rare, open-to-new-stuff islands, know what I mean? The sound was great and the stage was great too. And it was right by the hotel Congress, so you could just walk across the street and have a drink at the bar of the hotel where Dillinger got caught.

For sheer atmosphere/decoration, AND with a bar, CIA in North Hollywood. You can search for pictures online but you don't get 1/100th of what it actually looks and feels like. It's the creepiest, weirdest, most rad little spot ever. It's like a circus sideshow on acid.

Ok I live in middle of nowhere. But so far is Loppen in Chistania in Cobenhagen in Denmark is the best live bar i have been in. And one BIG plus is you can smoke gringo inside and nobody gives a shit.

Some of my faves , in this life , include The Hot Klub in Dallas. Not the first , but the second Punk/NewWave WHATEVER venue in Dallas (ca. 80 - 83.), and the first real club I got to go to , tho' nowhere nearly as often as I wish I had , because I was still underage.

The Purple Onion in San Francisco. This venue has undergone MANY changes , in terms of location and theme , and Many LONG gaps between different versions of the club.

But , I went there , once , in 1999 (I think.) while visiting friends and family in The Bay area.

I saw The Loons , Dukes of Hamburg and Tee and The Crumpets , great show all around , and yes , the club at that time was very cool - looking , but , the bottom line was , people came there to have fun , I mean a LOT of fun. Women were coming up to me and asking me to dance. That used to happen all the time in  the early 80's , but , rarely today. I'm just as guilty , I generally don't ask ladies I don't know to dance anymore , tho' it's been known to happen.... The whole atmosphere was like being on the set of "Riot on Sunset Strip". The barmaid was go - go dancing up on the bar  . Russell Quan was eating a banana and an orange , leaving the peels on the floor , pissing himself laughing whenever someone stepped on the banana peel , meeting Dominic Priore , and my good friends , Mike and Anja Stax (It was the first time we'd met in person , tho' we'd been in touch for a while.).

Anja looked stunning , of course , but also stunningly familiar , I could'nt place it , where I would have seen her or her picture before. She told me she had played in a band in England a couple of years previously , but , I misunderstood her when she told me the band's name. I thought "What's a nice girl like this doing in a band called DOG BOLLOCKS ?!". Twenty minutes into my ride back to my friend's house , it hit me. She said DIABOLIKS !!! No wonder I thought I recognized her , I have their records.  But , even stronger and stranger deja vu occured when I saw this older guy , brooding , but enjoying the show. It was kind of dark , but , he looked very familiar , like someone I think I met in the early 80's. Well , he should have , that's when I met Jello Biafra.

Is this Sergio ? Even if not , hope you're well. I was just thinking about The Sick Rose's versions of "Come and Get It" (Blue Cheer) , and "My Own Time" (Golden Dawn) the other day.
 
The Sick Rose said:

In the USA:  definitely The Empty Bottle - Chicago

In London: The Dirty Water (but I think it's closed now…).

In Spain: Sala Beat - Tomelloso (you won't believe it's there in the middle of nowhere, and you won't believe how many garage rockers will show up!)

In Italy: Spazio211 - Torino (our home!)

Hey , Joe ! Sorry I missed you at that Fleshtones show...Long , boring story behind that. Being that I live in Chicago , sometimes my take on things , clubwise , does'nt always keep up with popular opinion....OK , frequently. I'm not as into The Hideout as a lot of people are .... It's a really cool LOOKING place , for anybody that has'nt been there. And , yes , I have seen some really good shows there (Not even that many , as Insurgent Country , and some of the other music they showcase , is'nt my scene.). The first few years they were open , I liked 'em better than I do , now , but , again , that's just me.

Similarly with The Bottle , loved 'em the first 5 or 6 years they were open , but , they were booking a lot more bands that I'm personally interested in. People I meet , now , talk about them like they just opened last month. That's actually GOOD , But , being as how they opened about (Exactly?) 20 years ago , it does'nt seem so new to me. I liked it , best , when Lounge Ax was still open and both clubs gave each other healthy competition , and both venues were coughing up the shows. I still like 'em just fine , but I really only go there maybe 3 times a year , only because that's how often there's a show I feel like making the trek out there to see. I do want to say , tho' , I've played there maybe 5 times , mostly Roctober - related reviews where I only did short sets , 10 minutes on average (But , I was very glad to do them.). You know , all of those things went fine , low pressure gigs , where my Editor , Jake Austen , handled most of the arrangements. But , the first BIG show I played on there was with The Gories , last October , and I do have to say , everything about the way everybody there treated me , and handled the situation as a whole , was 100 % top notch , from a performer's point of view. I was blown away by how professional everything was being run , so , of course , I'd love to play there again  , especially if I'm lucky enough to be in a situation like that.
 
Joe Bonomo said:

The old 9:30 Club in Washington DC, Empty Bottle and the Hideout in Chicago.

I'm really lucky to have The Bell House in Brooklyn NYC less than a 10 minute drive from my house. I've pretty much taken to using the place as my local hang and an excuse to catch a show on nearly any night of the week. 

The recent 4 day Norton 25th Anniversary Shindig followed by a Shonen Knife show less than a week later is just a small sample of what's been offered in the couple of years since the place opened.

In the USA:  definitely The Empty Bottle - Chicago

In London: The Dirty Water (but I think it's closed now…).

In Spain: Sala Beat - Tomelloso (you won't believe it's there in the middle of nowhere, and you won't believe how many garage rockers will show up!)

In Italy: Spazio211 - Torino (our home!)

The Dante"s seems great...

East End in Portland Oregon anyone?

has to be Lava Lounge don't it - occasionally in Leicester...