Go-Go's Play the Hong Kong Cafe

1979

• July 4, 1979 w/ Flyboys and Fear
  
• July 20, 1979 (w/ the Plugz, Human Hands)
  
• September 29, 1979
  
• October 19-20, 1979
  
• December 7, 1979 (w/ B-People, the Dish Rags, the Falcons)
  

1980

• January 18-19, 1980

LMU/LA photo archive

Same site today

2008 photo:tlc

The Hong Kong Cafe was located in the former Joy Yuen Low restaurant.

The site today

2008 photo: tlc

In 1979 the club scene was once again alive and well in Los Angeles. It was through the small clubs that a vibrant local live music scene in Los Angeles was brought back.

In 1979, the Whisky and the Starwood were the primary venues for unsigned rock bands to play. However, two other venues located in Chinatown were instrumental in providing a platform for local bands. The Hong Kong Cafe and Madame Wong's were located just across a courtyard from each other. Bands would play here before graduating up to the higher tier clubs.

The Hong Kong Cafe began presenting rock music in early June of 1979. The first bands to play here were Daily Planet and Elton Duck. The Go-Go's played here several times.  

Typical Hong Kong Cafe bands included; the Alley Cats and the Bags, X, Black Flag, the Plugz, the Germs, Middle Class,  the Controllers, Bates Motel,  Human Hands, B-People, Mutants, Fly Boys, Nervous Gender, Fear, the Last, Suburban Lawns and the Crowd. 

Madame Wong's was located at the former Rice Bowl restaurant. 

She and her husband George opened Madame Wong's restaurant in 1970. Madame Wong's started presenting rock music in October of 1978.

UCLA photo archive

Madame Wong's had some trouble with some of the more aggressive punk bands. She started to reject bands she thought were too rowdy. She also started an age limit of 21 years. She preferred to book new wave bands with more melodic tunes. She did not like bands that included female members.

Typical Madame Wong bands at the time included: the Naughty Sweeties Motels, the Police, the Plimsouls, Scooters, Twisters, the Know, the Zippers, and Oingo Boingo. She would split the entire door take with the bands. 

2008 photo: tlc

2008 photo: tlc

2008 photo: tlc

2008 photo: tlc

2008 photo: tlc

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