The El Mocambo

There was a period of time in the mid-seventies when my friends and I would go see bands at the El Mocambo on a pretty regular basis. We'd always show up early enough to get ourselves great seats right up front. Although I didn't drink, I felt an obligation to order a beer so that the wait staff wouldn't bug me. I nursed those babies all night long.

I didn't see the Stones there but my friends did. Then there was the night that Cheap Trick played Toronto for the first time and Rick Neilsen stuck his guitar through the roof and left it hanging there. CHUM FM used to tape tons of shows in those days. If you can get your hands on the bootleg, it was a pretty amazing show. The band played three sets a night for two night and the way I remember it, "Hello There" was the only song they performed more than once.

I'm remembering the night The Runaways played two sets. Cherie Curry wasn't in the band anymore. Joan Jett sang lead. In between shows they took off for the CBC to appear on the Peter Gzowski show.

There's an infamous story about Elvis Costello's first Toronto show. The line-up went down the block and yet he was able to walk by the crowds and into the club without anyone noticing.

Judas Priest played the club with a full arsenal of amps set up against the back wall. How we never lost our hearing that night is a minor miracle.

My personal favourite was Starz. Everyone has a guilty pleasure to differentiate themselves from their friends. Mine was Starz. The band was in Toronto to record their fourth album (Coliseum Rock) and ended up heading over to the El Mo for their first and only Toronto shows. The night was bliss...for me.

The El Mocambo is booking bands again and the place still has a vibe though it probably will never regain the aura it once had.