Cathay de Grande
Encyclopedia
The Cathay de Grande was a nightclub
on the corner of Argyle Street
and Selma Avenue in central Hollywood
, which featured mostly punk rock
bands but also other styles of underground
/alternative rock
in the 1980s. It was almost as well known for rockabilly
, cowpunk
, the Paisley Underground
bands, and the beginning of the garage rock
revival.
It was owned by Michael Brennan. And, unknown to most anyone that wasn't a regular, that unforgettable smile, and deeply barritoned voice that greeted the often loaded (yet lovable) LA Punkers as they sloshed through the doors, belonged to non other than... a then aspiring young film star to be...Laurence Fishburne
... punk rock's most beloved doorman. Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs
played every Monday night for 3 years. Violent Psychosis joined every Thursday. The Minutemen
also played the Cathay from time to time as well as The WILD. Bands who frequently played the Cathay included Bad Religion, Tex and the Horseheads, Dr. Know along with regulars from Orange County Social Distortion, T.S.O.L., The Vandals, Agent Orange, Love Canal and many more. The Cathay was dubbed by one newspaper in 1984 as "The most dangerous club in America".
Due to problems with neighbors, violence caused in part by punk gangs such as the LADS
gang, FFF, HRP and others, and legal problems related to business conflicts, the Cathay de Grande closed in 1985 With Violent Psychosis, The Mentors
with El Duce and Circle Jerks performing the farewell show. Shortly before, Dobbs
, the booker at the Cathay de Grande, started Raji's
a block to the north on Hollywood Boulevard
.
In 1983 The Mentors
released an album entitled, "Live at the Whisky A Go-Go/Cathay De Grande" which consisted of 2 live shows. One recorded at the Whisky A Go-Go and the other recorded at the Cathay de Grande.
In the song "The Desperation´s Gone" from the NOFX's album So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes, Fat Mike sings "Cathay de I miss your smell"
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
on the corner of Argyle Street
Argyle Street
Argyle Street is the name of a street in many cities and towns. Notable among these are:Australia*Argyle Street, the Rocks, Sydney*Argyle Street, Hobart, Tasmania*Argyle Street, Fitzroy, MelbourneCanada*Argyll Road, Edmonton...
and Selma Avenue in central Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, which featured mostly punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands but also other styles of underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
/alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
in the 1980s. It was almost as well known for rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, cowpunk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
, the Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
bands, and the beginning of the garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
revival.
It was owned by Michael Brennan. And, unknown to most anyone that wasn't a regular, that unforgettable smile, and deeply barritoned voice that greeted the often loaded (yet lovable) LA Punkers as they sloshed through the doors, belonged to non other than... a then aspiring young film star to be...Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
... punk rock's most beloved doorman. Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs
Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs
Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs were a rock and rhythm and blues band that emerged out of the Los Angeles punk/roots music scene of the late 1970s and early-mid 1980s...
played every Monday night for 3 years. Violent Psychosis joined every Thursday. The Minutemen
Minutemen (band)
Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
also played the Cathay from time to time as well as The WILD. Bands who frequently played the Cathay included Bad Religion, Tex and the Horseheads, Dr. Know along with regulars from Orange County Social Distortion, T.S.O.L., The Vandals, Agent Orange, Love Canal and many more. The Cathay was dubbed by one newspaper in 1984 as "The most dangerous club in America".
Due to problems with neighbors, violence caused in part by punk gangs such as the LADS
The Lads
The Lads are a New Zealand Christian rock/pop group that was formed in 1993. In early 2005 the band moved from New Zealand to Nashville, Tennessee.-History:...
gang, FFF, HRP and others, and legal problems related to business conflicts, the Cathay de Grande closed in 1985 With Violent Psychosis, The Mentors
The Mentors
The Mentors are an American heavy metal band noted for its deliberately sexist shock rock lyrics.They formed in 1977 in Seattle, Washington and relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1979, where their irreverent attitude aligned them with the city's punk rock scene. Their music has developed...
with El Duce and Circle Jerks performing the farewell show. Shortly before, Dobbs
Dobbs
Dobbs may refer to:*Dobbs People*Alfred Dobbs*Arthur Dobbs*Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs*Farrell Dobbs*Harold Dobbs*John Wesley Dobbs*J. R. "Bob" Dobbs*Lou Dobbs*Mattiwilda Dobbs*Michael Dobbs*Tyrone Dobbs*Matthew A. Dobbs*Laci D. DobbsPlace...
, the booker at the Cathay de Grande, started Raji's
Raji's
Raji's was a rock and roll nightclub in central Hollywood, open in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was located in the Hastings Hotel building. The space had previously been a Greek restaurant called The King's Palace....
a block to the north on Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
.
In 1983 The Mentors
The Mentors
The Mentors are an American heavy metal band noted for its deliberately sexist shock rock lyrics.They formed in 1977 in Seattle, Washington and relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1979, where their irreverent attitude aligned them with the city's punk rock scene. Their music has developed...
released an album entitled, "Live at the Whisky A Go-Go/Cathay De Grande" which consisted of 2 live shows. One recorded at the Whisky A Go-Go and the other recorded at the Cathay de Grande.
In the song "The Desperation´s Gone" from the NOFX's album So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes, Fat Mike sings "Cathay de I miss your smell"