The Quadra and Windmill, remembered by Tony Bardach
September 30, 2010 in Quadra Club, The Windmill, Tony Bardach
Pointed Sticks bassist Tony Bardach eulogizes former punk rock hangouts The Quadra, and The Windmill. (Note: Webisodes are not scenes from the Bloodied But Unbowed documentary film; they consist of extended interviews, outtakes, and material shot specifically for thepunkmovie.com)
BOOKING THE QUADRA CLUB
I had so much fun booking the Quadra Club in it's day. When I started working there, it was a dying out Lesbian bar, and they asked me to try to turn the bar around, so I started booking shows. It was great while it lasted huh? Syd Morozoff helped me get the calendar and Newsletter going and away we went. That show you're talking about with DOA was wild!!!! People falling down drunk all over the place, stage broken...oh what fun...and I ended up getting fired for turning the club into a wild PUNK Club. What d'ya know, they didn't appreciate noise after all> ha ha ha. Love ya. Mimi Nelson
Stylin' Threads
Mr. Magoo should be in Hollywood. Don't know if he's a punker but he's stylin.
I'm like Tony
Can't recall exactly where The Windmill was whenever I go by that stretch of Granville St.
I seem to remember it had some sort of gawd-awful sheet-metal type of floor on at least part of the space.
A little historical tidbit about the Quadra. It had one of the first three liquor licenses granted by the province after prohibition was repealed. The Railway Club is one of the other two. The third one was the Arctic Club (on Pender St.) which was destroyed by fire in 1961. Apparently the Quadra Club was more like a supper club at one time and hosted big bands in the 30's and 40's.
Windmill location
I recall it being closer to Smythe, opposite the Vogue but a bit south...
Windmill
The Windmill was located at 1047 Granville, between Nelson and Helmcken.
PUNK?
Who is the man in the trenchcoat. A punker?
Tony Bardach
As the caption to the video says, it's Pointed Sticks bassist Tony Bardach (and before that, he was in Private School, and before that, he was in Victorian Pork), one of the originals!
Windmill
We had some cool times at the Windmill. Anyone remember the cigarette machine trick? That was a good one.. The Windmill had the perfect, cozy yet sleazy feel we needed at the time.
Great idea Tony! I wonder if Ian would do a greasy spoon tour of the downtown eastside?? A nice companion piece!