The Go-Go's played their first concert at the Masque
May 31, 1978
(then again - June 1, 1978)
The Masque
1655 N. Cherokee Avenue
Hollywood, Calif
- the Masque
- Brendan Mullen
The Masque
The Masque opened on 18 August 1977. It was located in the basement of a building located on the southwest corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Cherokee (Hollywood Center Building) . The Pussycat theater was next door.
2008 photo: tlc
The address to the Masque was 1655 N. Cherokee Avenue, Hollywood, CA. The entrance was from an alley behind that ran between Cherokee and Las Palmas.
Brendan Mullen
The Masque was owned and operated by Scottish expat Brendan Mullen. It was originally intended to be a cheap rehearsal spot for Brendan (who liked to play drums) and a place for him to live. However, to help pay the rent, Brendan began to advertise cheap band rehearsal facilities in the local Recycler. After all, the place was plenty big. There was 10,000 sq. ft. of underground squaller.
Brendan Mullen standing in Masque alley.
1978 photo by Jimmy Towns
The Masque quickly developed into a local Hollywood underground clubhouse. Here, 24/7 - about a hundred punks would come and play their music, party and just hang out. Brendan was the leader to every kind of street urchin and ragamuffin that walked the streets of Hollywood Boulevard.
These Hollywood street kids consisted primarily of; geeks, freaks, gays, ex glam rockers, social outsiders, misfits, abused teenagers, outcast, runaways, artist and musicians. Kids came to the Masque 'cause they didn't fit in anywhere else.
Tip Top Club House
It didn't take long for Belinda and her new friends to become regulars at the Masque. After all, several of her friends were in bands, including Terry Ryan (Lorna Doom). Lorna's band, the Germs, needed a place to perform. No one else would book them.
Her friends, Alice Bags and drummer Nicky Beat were also in bands. They could play there too!
Exene Cervenka was in the band X. They would be local favorites. Almost everyone she know now was somehow connected to a band. These local bands included: the Screamers, the Skulls, the Weirdos, the Berlin Brats, the Alley Cats and pre-GoGo Charlotte Caffey in the band, the Eyes.
At the Masque, anyone can be in a band
Some of Belinda's friends were working for local Fanzines. Writers and photographers working for Slash, Flipside and Lobotomy fanzines would hang out at the Masque and report on the latest scoop about the local music scene happening.
Some of Belinda's friends were just DIY scenseters who were 100% committed to the new music scene and just wanted to be around others like themselves.
We can put on a show and get dressed up...it will be so much fun!
Tip Top Club House
Compared to the old glamour and bright lights of the Sunset Strip, the Masque was in a neighborhood considerably rougher and dangerous. This part of Hollywood was particularly on the skids. It was sleazy and full of dirty pan-handlers, junkies, dumpster diving homeless types.
The Masque was located in the basement of this building at
the southwest corner of Hollywood Blvd and Cherokee
the southwest corner of Hollywood Blvd and Cherokee
SW corner Hollywood and Cherokee
2008 Photo by tlc
Early Masque flyer from 1978
1977 flyer
One entered the Masque from an alley off Cherokee.
View looking north from Cherokee
The Masque was located in the basement of this green 6-story building.
The Masque was located in the basement of this green 6-story building.
2008 photo:tlc
Looking east down Masque alley off Cherokee
2008 photo:tlc
Steps and door to what was once the underground club the Masque
2008 photo:tlc
The door to the Masque as it looks today
2008 photo:tlc
Stairs leading down into the club
Hanging out before a show
Looking east across Cherokee is Boardner's Bar
photo by Alain Saint-Alix
Looking east from Masque alley across Cherokee is Boardners Bar
photo:tlc
Boardner's on Cherokee across from Masque alley
2008 photo:tlc
Looking east across Cherokee is Boardner's Bar
photo by Alain Saint-Alix
Looking east from Masque alley across Cherokee is Boardners Bar
photo:tlc
Boardner's on Cherokee across from Masque alley
2008 photo:tlc
photo:JennyLens
Jane Wiedlin at the Masque
photo: Jules Bates
Belinda at the Masque
Pre-GoGo Margo Olavarria
photo: Al Flipside
The Eyes played at the Masque regularly.
photo: Michael Yampolsky
photo: JennyLens
photo: Jules Bates
The Masque was closed by the L.A. Police Department in 1978. Something about no fire escape exit. It continued as a rehearsal facility with occasional private parties 'til July 14, 1979 - when it shut down for good.
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3 comments:
Hello, intrepid Webmistress! Thank you so much for the great Masque pictures, which I'm sure you know are very rare on the Internet. Having recently educated myself on the history of the club, I took a walk down Cherokee, and after being unable to guess which building once held "the basement project", pondered it more over a pineapple juice at Boardner's for the first time. Great room! From your pictures, I realized this morning I was looking on the wrong side of the street! Great job on the informative page.
Yes, I too checked out the location in summer 2010 after learning the history. The production company World Of Wonder is now in the building, and has gated off the alley on the Cherokee side. It IS open during business hours, and one can sneak down it and peek at The Masque basement door and feel quite punk rock doing so without permission. Heh heh. Thanks for info!
I was down in the basement a couple years ago and it is a total trip! A lost of the walls have been torn down, but the outside walls are still covered in artwork.
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