The Channel Rock Club in Boston

Damn I miss this place, and the good times.

1985 Ads from The Boston Phoenix - just look at the post punk, reaggae & blues lineup!
AND FREE PARKING!

The location now. G.E., "we bring good things to life" - they also made neutron bombs, true story.

Upon entering the club, the patron faced a large raised wooden corral that provided a view of the stage from the far end. The stage faced a square sunken dance floor, called "the pit", which was surrounded by drink rails and tables with padded stools. For punk rock and metal shows, the management locked this furniture up in the coat room. When the bands were playing and the crowd was jumping, the entire wooden floor bounced up and down, causing the 15' high PA system, to sway precariously back and forth.

There was also a back bar area that had the ability to be closed off during all-ages shows by lowering metal grates over the window openings. All ingress/egress was restricted to a single door that was manned by a bouncer who checked for hand stamps to allow the over 21 crowds to enter for a drink, as well as prevent them from bringing alcoholic beverages out into the rest of the club with the underage crowd.

Depending on who was playing, the pit would become a mass of sweaty skinheads, punks, metalheads, goth kids and the occasional hippie slamming into each other. In the late 1980s, shows would be stopped because kids were getting too violent. The bouncers had a notorious reputation of brutality, and there certainly were a number of incidents where this was the case.