Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Cuckoo's Nest Club Punk Shows Apr - Jun 1981 (Part 4)

 

Cuckoo's Nest Club Punk Shows (Part 4 of 6)
Apr - Jun 1981



by Hanson Meyer (hansonmeyer@yahoo.com) 

Please understand that this is a work in progress as there is so much to add. So bear with me and check back regularly as I'm constantly adding to this blog. (Last revision 3/14/2021)

This article is the Fourth Part of a Six part series and details the chronological history of shows that occurred month by month at the Cuckoo's Nest from April through June of 1981. The rest of the history is in the next article (Part 5) and chronicles the shows from July 1981 through September 1981.

This part starts with a very bleak month of April. The City had first Suspended Jerry Roach's entertainment license for the Cuckoo's Nest on February 16th, and then on February 23rd they Revoked it until further notice. Jerry fought the closure of his club all the way to the California State Supreme Court and won his case there. He was allowed to open on May 1, 1981. 

Patrons wait outside the Cuckoo's Nest in Costa Mesa California



APRIL

No shows were booked the entire month of April. Jerry had a court date on April 13th to see if he could reopen the club later in the month. At first he was hopeful to open on April 29th, but the date was pushed back to May 1st.


Jerry Roach's Booking Calendar - April 1981



Cuckoo's Nest License/Permit "REINSTATED" on May 1st


MAY

Jerry Roach won his battle in court and the Cuckoo's Nest was allowed to open again on May 1st. The first item entered into the uppermost left square of the Calendar was that the Club was closed a total of 73 days. He was upset over the whole ordeal, including the fact that the city had robbed him of two and a half months of income, and now that he had won, he vowed to "shove punk rock right up their asses". On the Calendar, he listed all the punk bands he wanted by "Headliner", "2nd Band" and then "Opener". He came out of the corner swinging with a healthy serving of punk rock that first night, but it appears by the number of bands written in and then crossed off that it was all happening last minute and rushed as bands he wanted already had prior commitments. Eventually, things stabilized as the captain of the ship sped things up to a insane pace and raced toward the edge of the world. He constantly tested the local law enforcement riding a fine with the city council and their rules and restrictions. He knew they wouldn't tolerate it for very long and he pushed it until it couldn't go any further later in the year. This is the time period in the life of the Club that Jerry said was the most intense.

Jerry Roach's Booking Calendar - May 1981

May 1, 1981: Agent Orange, TSOL and The Hated played for the "Re-Opening" of the Cuckoo's Nest. The club was packed all night long. The Crowd and Social Distortion were on the calendar but then scratched off and didn't play.

May 1, 1981. Flyer for the Re-Opening of the Cuckoo's Nest with Agent Orange, TSOL and The Hated.


May 1, 1981. Flyer for TSOL, Agent Orange and the Crowd

May 2, 1981. Local Newspaper "The Daily Pilot" was quick to report on the re-opening of the Cuckoo's Nest

May 1, 1981. Even though they didn't play, the Dischords were on hand
at the Cuckoo's Nest


May 1, 1981. Agent Orange at Cuckoo's Nest (Photo: Ed Colver)

May 1, 1981. TSOL at Cuckoo's Nest

May 1, 1981. Jack from TSOL at Cuckoo's Nest (Photo: Ed Colver)


May 1, 1981. The Hated at Cuckoo's Nest

May 2, 1981: Lobsters, Null & Void and the Box Boys. Videos by Beateo. This was supposed to by a punk rock night, but with Jerry Roach not sure of the exact date that the club would be open, he couldn't book things too far in advance. All the punk bands he wanted for the night including Black Flag, the Crowd and The Hated couldn't do it on short notice, so he was relegated to putting on more of a "subdued" night.

May 7, 1981: Tuxedo Dentist, Axcentric, Dash 501.

May 8, 1981: Friday night "Benefit for Flipside". China White was the headliner, the Chiefs played second and the Asthetics opened the show. 

May 9, 1981: Saturday night show. The Adolescents headlined and Social Distortion opened the show. Jerry tried to book the band "Dead Skin" as the first band, but they couldn't do it. The Adolescents had just released their self-titled album less than a month before this show. Rikk Agnew had just quit the band and Pat Smear took the job for a three month stint. Pat ultimately quit the next month because he didn't want to go on tour. Social Distortion had just finished recording their first single, "Mainliner" for Posh Boy records, but it hadn't been released yet. 

Rare photo of Pat Smear playing Guitar with the Adolescents at the Cuckoo's Nest

May 13, 1981: Wednesday night. The Vectors, the Lobsters and Incognito.

May 14, 1981: Thursday night in the order of headliner to opening band is Apple, P.O.W., Crystal Vision and Brian Beck.

May 15, 1981: The Weirdos, Agent Orange and the Hated

May 16, 1981: The Circle Jerks, Legal Weapon and Dead Skin  

May 19, 1981: Political Crap and Lost Cause were booked on this Tuesday night. Jerry also tried to book the band Civil Disobedience as the opener, but they couldn't do it.
 

May 19, 1981. Ticket for the band "Political Crap" with Duane Peters
at the Cuckoo's Nest


May 20, 1981: Rockabillly band "The Rockaholics" played with The Badgers. Jerry also tried to book the Mnemonic Devices but the show was cancelled for some reason.

May 20, 1981. Flyer for Mnemonic Devices at the Cuckoo's Nest (show cancelled)


May 21, 1981: Finesse and the Bumpers.

May 22, 1981: China White, the Chiefs and AKA

May 23, 1981: Adolescents headlined this show. The Detours played the 2nd slot and the opener may have been the Dead End Kids. Rikk Agnew had recently quit the Adolescents and re-joined the Detours who he had played with previously.

Gordon Cox of the Detours on stage at the Cuckoo's Nest (Photo by Lyn Weber Boodman)
 

Rikk Agnew playing with the Detours at the Cuckoo's Nest. Photo by Lyn Weber Boodman.

Mike Koerber playing with the Detours at the Cuckoo's Nest. Photo by Lyn Weber Boodman.



May 26, 1981: The Suspects and Civil Disobedience from the "Public Service" Compilation record played together this night with a band called "The Start" headlining and "Confederate" was the opener.

May 27, 1981: Nu-Beams, Beat-E-O and Craig playing music videos. "Larry Laroo" is meant to be a cartoon caricature of Jerry Roach.


May 27, 1981. Flyer for the "Debmutant Ball" with the Nu-Beams and Beat-E-O
at the Cuckoo's Nest



May 28, 1981: Mike Knott's Rubber Band played with Europa and The Slider.

May 29, 1981: T.S.O.L., The Hated and Lost Cause.


May 29, 1981. Flyer for T.S.O.L. and the Hated
at the Cuckoo's Nest

May 30, 1981: This flyer for the show was made by the Stains when they opened for the headliner Circle Jerks. Other bands Jerry tried to get to be the first band included, Social Distortion and Wasted Youth, but neither of them could do it, so he settled on a lesser known band at the time to be the opener known as KAOS.

May 30, 1981. Flyer for the Circle Jerks and the Stains
at the Cuckoo's Nest





JUNE

In June, Jerry continued to shove Punk Rock up the Costa Mesa City Council's ass.

Jerry Roach's Booking Calendar - June 1981


June 2, 1981: Channel 3, Shattered Faith and the Mercenaries.

June 5, 1981: Middle Class, 45 Grave and the Detours
 
June 5, 1981. Flyer for Middle Class and 45 Grave
at the Cuckoo's Nest


June 6, 1981: Rik L Rik, Sacred Heart and Confederate

This is thought to be Rik L Rik of Negative Trend on stage at the Cuckoo's Nest (need to verify)


June 9, 1981: LA Cigarettes, The Squares, The Tweezers. Also on this day, Jerry Roach had a meeting with the Costa Mesa City Council to fight them against closing down the club.

June 10, 1981: The Means, Frantic Tech

June 11, 1981: The Rebel Rockers (Reggae Night)

June 12, 1981: Fear, Legal Weapon, Dead End Kids

Lee Ving of FEAR on stage at the Cuckoo's Nest. (Photo by Fer Youz)

Lee Ving of FEAR tumbles off the stage at the Cuckoo's Nest. (Photo by Fer Youz)

June 13, 1981: The Chiefs, AKA, The Suspects

June 13, 1981. Flyer for the Chiefs, AKA and the Suspects
at the Cuckoo's Nest


June 13, 1981. Flyer for the Chiefs, AKA and the Suspects
at the Cuckoo's Nest


June 16, 1981: The Vecters, Lost Cause, Red Brigade

June 17, 1981: Jimmy & The Mustangs, The Rockaholics (Rockabilly Night)

June 18, 1981: Dash 501, Crystal Vision, John Scott, Last Stand

June 19, 1981: Top Jimmy, The Rockaholics

June 20, 1981: TSOL, The Squares, Confederate

June 20, 1981. Flyer for TSOL and Confederate at the Cuckoo's Nest

 

June 23, 1981: The Vandals, Youth Gone Mad, Neuro Toxins, Shakey Jake. It is believed that this is the show that the Vandals spray painted a large upside down "V" on the back wall of the stage.

June 23, 1981. Ticket for the Vandals
at the Cuckoo's Nest
June 23, 1981. Vandals graffiti on the Stage Wall
at the Cuckoo's Nest

The Vandals at the Cuckoo's Nest

June 24, 1981: Red Alert, Soundtrack, LA Cigarettes

June 24, 1981 flyer for Red Alert at the Cuckoo's Nest

June 25, 1981: LA Sleeper, Axcentric, Ampage

June 26, 1981: Agent Orange, The Hated, CH3, Lost Cause. With exception of the opening act, each band made their own flyer for the show). It looks like Lost Cause was a late addition as they only appeared on one flyer and they started early at 8:30.

June 26, 1981. Flyer for Agent Orange, The Hated, Channel 3
at the Cuckoo's Nest


June 26, 1981. Flyer for Agent Orange, The Hated, Channel 3, Lost Cause
at the Cuckoo's Nest



June 26, 1981. Flyer for Agent Orange, The Hated, Channel 3
at the Cuckoo's Nest


June 27, 1981: The Adolescents, Social Distortion, Bad Religion

June 27, 1981. The Adolescents on stage at the Cuckoo's Nest


June 30, 1981: The Dischords, The Shuttle Cocks, Ionics, Citizen Fear

 

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 Click Here for the Next Part: 

JUL - SEP 1981 (PART5)


Thank you in advance for any comments, stories or additions for this historical archive of the shows at the Cuckoo's Nest. If you have any flyers, photos or other types of attachments to add to this archive, please email them to me directly at hansonmeyer@yahoo.com. If you have photos or know of photos or other content appearing in this blog without proper credit, please contact me at the email above so that I can add or modify that information to ensure proper credit. Thank You.


The other parts of the Cuckoo's Nest shows can be found at these links: 

PART 1: Cuckoo's Nest Club Shows 1977-1979

PART 2: Cuckoo's Nest Club Shows 1980

PART 3: Cuckoo's Nest Club Shows Jan-Mar 1981

PART 4: YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!

PART 5: Cuckoo's Nest Club Shows Jul-Sep 1981

PART 6: Cuckoo's Nest Club Shows Oct-Dec 1981