Raji's
Encyclopedia
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.
It was one of the great sweaty, smoke-filled 'dives' of rock. It featured performances by bands such as Guns N' Roses
, Redd Kross
, Hole
, Jane's Addiction
, Arab and The Suburban Turbans, Dream Syndicate
, The Lonesome Strangers, Snake Farm, The Billy Bremner Band, The Shades, Tex & the Horseheads
, Lock-Up, Mary's Danish
, The Miracle Workers
, Social Distortion
, The Electric Ferrets, the Mentors, GG Allin
, The Nymphs
, and Los Lobos
, as well as out-of-town acts like Nirvana
(as seen on the cover of Nirvana's 7" single, "Sliver
"), Pink Fairies
, Pussy Galore
, Mod Fun
and Kyuss
. Top-draw local acts like Thelonious Monster
, The Muffs
, the Red Aunts
, The Lazy Cowgirls, Beck
, Trash Can School, Oiler, Kryptonite Nixon, Butt Trumpet, Kill Buddha
, the Sacred Hearts, the Creamers, The Humpers, and many others found enthusiastic crowds as well.
The club was also a hot spot for musicians, who would often come to watch bands and have drinks. Notable customers included Jonathan Richman
, members of R.E.M.
, Top Jimmy, Gil T, and Carlos Guitarlos (of Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs
), Billy Bremner
of Rockpile
, Nino Del Pesco (The Lonesome Strangers), Viki Peterson (of The Bangles
), Texacala Jones or Mike Martt (of Tex & the Horseheads), Bernie Bernstein (The Little Kings), Flea
(of Red Hot Chili Peppers
), Pope, Beck, Mike Savage (of Pigmy Love Circus
), Texas Terri, and more with an inside few often invited to stay after hours to party with the infamous Danny "Dobbs" Wilson, founder and booker of the club, and his regular cast of characters which included Bernie the doorman, Dirty Ed, and The Pope.
Around 1991, poor management and poor treatment of local talent resulted in a sort of "blackout" for Raji's by many bands. The employees who had helped Raji's become the club that it had once been dispersed.
At the instigation of local bands, however, a new booker named K.C. opened "Club Gidgit" at Raji's. It opened on March 17, 1992 (St. Patrick's Day), at 3:00 in the afternoon, with a $5 entry fee. Raji's rocked once again, with Firehose, DC-3
, and the Alleycats/Zarkons, among others.
After the success of "Club Gidgit," K.C. went into negotiations with the owners and was able to get complete control of the club, except the bar, and was able to run Raji's on his terms. This resulted in musicians receiving 80% of the net and the rehiring of ex-employees, such as the infamous "Dirty Ed" as the back door man, once again. Raji's briefly recaptured its former glory. One could see the likes of Dwarves
, Spoon
, Fishbone
, My Other Side, Meat Puppets
, Backbiter
, Suplex Slam, The Red Devils/Blue Shadows
, DC-3
, Rage Against the Machine
, Dumpster, Dead, White, and Blue, White Zombie
, Haunted Garage, Pennywise
, Green Day
, The Reverend Horton Heat
, Top Jimmy, X, The Muffs
, Wetherbell, Texorcist, Circle One, The Gears, The D.I.'s, Adolescents, Dogstar
, The Uninvited
, The Superkools, Claw Hammer
, Two Free Stooges, The Flesh Eaters
, The Continental Drifters, Kyuss
, Buglamp, Cake
, Two Bass Hit, The Marigolds, The Jack Brewer Band, The Melodiacs, and The Skulls, among countless others. Bands that had previously deserted Raji's, such as Tex & the Horseheads and Thelonious Monster, returned at this time. However, with K.C.'s departure at the end of the year, the club returned to the owners who had previously mismanaged it, and the decline continued.
In 1991, the owners of the building decided to take over the booking and operation of the club. The quality of acts slowly declined, and attendance dropped off accordingly. K.C.'s brief management of the club only temporarily arrested this decline. In 1994, following the Northridge earthquake which damaged the hotel building, Raji's closed.
A bar called Raji's existed a few blocks away from the club's former location, run by the same family that ran the club in its last two years, until 2007, when it closed due to the gentrification
of central Hollywood.
Danny "Dobbs" Wilson died in 2010.
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
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.
It was one of the great sweaty, smoke-filled 'dives' of rock. It featured performances by bands such as Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Redd Kross
Redd Kross
Redd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school...
, Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
, Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, Arab and The Suburban Turbans, Dream Syndicate
Dream Syndicate
The Dream Syndicate was an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California active from 1981 to 1989. The band was associated with the Paisley Underground music movement.-History:...
, The Lonesome Strangers, Snake Farm, The Billy Bremner Band, The Shades, Tex & the Horseheads
Tex & the Horseheads
Tex & the Horseheads is an American punk rock band, which emerged in the Los Angeles punk subculture of the early-1980s. Their original run was from 1980 to 1986, and during this time they enjoyed a sizeable cult following...
, Lock-Up, Mary's Danish
Mary's Danish
Mary's Danish were an alternative rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in the late 1980s and released a series of albums until 1992. The band creatively blended of rock, funk, country and soul elements....
, The Miracle Workers
The Miracle Workers
The Miracle Workers were a rock and roll band in the 1980s, who began as a garage rock revival band in Portland, Oregon.-Background:The Miracle Workers were formed in January 1982 by Gerry Mohr , and Joel Barnett . The original guitarist and drummer, who were friends of Gerry's, but weren't...
, Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, The Electric Ferrets, the Mentors, GG Allin
GG Allin
Kevin Michael "GG" Allin was an American punk rock singer-songwriter, who performed and recorded with many groups during his career. GG Allin is perhaps best remembered for his notorious live performances, which often featured transgressive acts, including coprophagia, self-mutilation, and...
, The Nymphs
The Nymphs
The Nymphs were an alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s with lead singer Inger Lorre. The band was signed to Geffen Records, and released their only album in 1991. The Nymphs were known for their wild stage shows and their rebellious attitude towards record companies...
, and Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
, as well as out-of-town acts like Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
(as seen on the cover of Nirvana's 7" single, "Sliver
Sliver (song)
"Sliver" is a song by American grunge band Nirvana. It was originally released as a non-album single in 1990 by Sub Pop. DGC re-released the song to radio to support the release of the rarities compilation album Incesticide in 1992....
"), Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies were an English rock band active in the London underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as playing for free outside the gates at the Bath and Isle of Wight...
, Pussy Galore
Pussy Galore (band)
Pussy Galore was an American garage rock band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1985. They had a constantly fluid line-up until their demise in 1990. Like many garage rock outfits, they were dogged by substance abuse problems...
, Mod Fun
Mod Fun
Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from the New York City area. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid 1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene of the time. By mid 1986 they were widely regarded as one the best known...
and Kyuss
Kyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
. Top-draw local acts like Thelonious Monster
Thelonious Monster
Thelonious Monster is a post-punk rock band from Los Angeles, led by singer-songwriter Bob Forrest. Active from 1983 to 1994, and again since 2004, the band has released five original studio albums...
, The Muffs
The Muffs
The Muffs are a rock band based in Southern California, formed in 1991 and led by Kim Shattuck.-History:The Muffs' leader is singer-songwriter Kim Shattuck...
, the Red Aunts
Red Aunts
The Red Aunts were an all-female punk band that formed in 1991 in Long Beach, California when Terri Wahl recruited friends Kerry Davis and Debi Martini . Wahl would become the guitarist, sharing vocal duties with Davis who also played rhythm guitar and Martini as bassist...
, The Lazy Cowgirls, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Trash Can School, Oiler, Kryptonite Nixon, Butt Trumpet, Kill Buddha
Kill Buddha
Kill Buddha were an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, active in 1992 – 1995. Kill Buddha toured around Southern California mainly playing in West Hollywood, Hollywood and Santa Monica clubs like The Roxy Theatre , Raji's, and Alligator Lounge...
, the Sacred Hearts, the Creamers, The Humpers, and many others found enthusiastic crowds as well.
The club was also a hot spot for musicians, who would often come to watch bands and have drinks. Notable customers included Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Michael Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
, members of R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Top Jimmy, Gil T, and Carlos Guitarlos (of 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...
), Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner
William John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
of Rockpile
Rockpile
Rockpile were a British rock and roll group of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave...
, Nino Del Pesco (The Lonesome Strangers), Viki Peterson (of The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
), Texacala Jones or Mike Martt (of Tex & the Horseheads), Bernie Bernstein (The Little Kings), Flea
Flea (musician)
Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
(of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
), Pope, Beck, Mike Savage (of Pigmy Love Circus
Pigmy Love Circus
Pigmy Love Circus is a Los Angeles rock band that has existed since the late 1980s era of the Hollywood underground rock scene.Pigmy Love Circus originally consisted of Shepherd Stevenson on bass, Mike Savage on vocals, Anthony Martinez on drums, with Rand "Pig" Walters and Peter Fletcher on guitars...
), Texas Terri, and more with an inside few often invited to stay after hours to party with the infamous Danny "Dobbs" Wilson, founder and booker of the club, and his regular cast of characters which included Bernie the doorman, Dirty Ed, and The Pope.
Around 1991, poor management and poor treatment of local talent resulted in a sort of "blackout" for Raji's by many bands. The employees who had helped Raji's become the club that it had once been dispersed.
At the instigation of local bands, however, a new booker named K.C. opened "Club Gidgit" at Raji's. It opened on March 17, 1992 (St. Patrick's Day), at 3:00 in the afternoon, with a $5 entry fee. Raji's rocked once again, with Firehose, DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
, and the Alleycats/Zarkons, among others.
After the success of "Club Gidgit," K.C. went into negotiations with the owners and was able to get complete control of the club, except the bar, and was able to run Raji's on his terms. This resulted in musicians receiving 80% of the net and the rehiring of ex-employees, such as the infamous "Dirty Ed" as the back door man, once again. Raji's briefly recaptured its former glory. One could see the likes of Dwarves
Dwarves (band)
Dwarves is an American punk band formed in Chicago, Illinois, as The Suburban Nightmare, in the mid-1980s. They are currently based in San Francisco, California. Formed as a garage punk band, their career subsequently saw them move in a hardcore direction before settling into an eclectic punk rock...
, Spoon
Spoon (band)
Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
, Fishbone
Fishbone
Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s...
, My Other Side, Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
, Backbiter
Backbiter
Backbiter is a protopunk band from Los Angeles, California that has received national recognition. They played their first show October 23, 1991, at the Shamrock Bar in Hollywood, CA on a bill with Dicktit, the Jack Brewer Band and The Drills...
, Suplex Slam, The Red Devils/Blue Shadows
Lester Butler
Lester Butler was an American blues harmonica player and singer. He achieved fame as the singer and harmonica player for the Los Angeles, California, based blues roots band, The Red Devils-Biography:...
, DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
, Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
, Dumpster, Dead, White, and Blue, White Zombie
White Zombie
White Zombie was a Grammy Award-nominated American heavy metal band. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band. White Zombie are better-known for their later heavy metal-oriented sound...
, Haunted Garage, Pennywise
Pennywise
Pennywise or Penny Wise may refer to:* Pennywise , an American punk rock band* Jon Vitti, writer for The Simpsons, who has used the pseudonym Penny Wise* A monster that took on the disguise of a clown from Stephen King's novel It...
, Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician Jim Heath as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, Top Jimmy, X, The Muffs
The Muffs
The Muffs are a rock band based in Southern California, formed in 1991 and led by Kim Shattuck.-History:The Muffs' leader is singer-songwriter Kim Shattuck...
, Wetherbell, Texorcist, Circle One, The Gears, The D.I.'s, Adolescents, Dogstar
Dogstar (band)
Dogstar was an alternative rock group active from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. The band performed at the 1996 Zwemdokrock Festival and at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival , and it released an EP and two albums...
, The Uninvited
The Uninvited (band)
The Uninvited was a band from Los Angeles in the United States. They were formed in 1988.The Uninvited formed their own record company, released three CDs on their own, won MTV's Beach House Band contest, and garnered a local following...
, The Superkools, Claw Hammer
Claw Hammer
Claw Hammer was an American indie rock band from California. Claw Hammer formed in 1986 in Long Beach, California; its members were from several neighboring municipalities. Their name was taken from a Captain Beefheart song...
, Two Free Stooges, The Flesh Eaters
The Flesh Eaters (band)
The Flesh Eaters are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardins, known as...
, The Continental Drifters, Kyuss
Kyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
, Buglamp, Cake
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
, Two Bass Hit, The Marigolds, The Jack Brewer Band, The Melodiacs, and The Skulls, among countless others. Bands that had previously deserted Raji's, such as Tex & the Horseheads and Thelonious Monster, returned at this time. However, with K.C.'s departure at the end of the year, the club returned to the owners who had previously mismanaged it, and the decline continued.
In 1991, the owners of the building decided to take over the booking and operation of the club. The quality of acts slowly declined, and attendance dropped off accordingly. K.C.'s brief management of the club only temporarily arrested this decline. In 1994, following the Northridge earthquake which damaged the hotel building, Raji's closed.
A bar called Raji's existed a few blocks away from the club's former location, run by the same family that ran the club in its last two years, until 2007, when it closed due to the gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
of central Hollywood.
Danny "Dobbs" Wilson died in 2010.