"Mojo Powered"
Atlanta, Georgia's Premier Goth/Death Rock Band, 1985-1987
History of the Metroplex
Backstory
In the early '80s, former Athens music promoter Paul Cornwell envisioned a sanctuary for the spike-haired punk rockers and hardcore enthusiasts who scoured Atlanta's indie record bins. In 1983, without a license, he opened The Metroplex in the old blood bank at 300 Luckie St. After pressure from the city to comply with fire and club codes, Cornwell moved shop a year-and-a-half later to 388 Marietta St., now the site of a parking lot. He and cohort Jim Fleter did some remodeling and created a club that became synonymous with punk rock in Atlanta.
Cornwell went for an indestructible look, anticipating the venue would see its share of bumps and bruises as the crowd
slam-danced the night away. The front doors opened up to a brick-walled room with hardwood floors and several booths. A collection of 45 records hung from the ceiling.
The all-ages venue was able to find a way to work alcohol into the picture in '86. While one side of the club offered up soda and standard ballpark fare to teenagers, the other half, appropriately named The Other Side, featured a bar separated from the rest of the club by chicken wire. Facing both rooms was the stage and an open floor. A corner staircase led up to a balcony area where overexcited patrons would often dive off and onto the crowd below.
The Crowd
Suburban punks, skinheads and alternative music lovers found a haven at The Metroplex. Local and regional punk, Oi, and hardcore bands, including Moon Stomp, Anti-Heros, Rotten Gimmick, and The Tombstones, regularly performed. National acts such as GBH, Suicidal Tendencies and Bad Brains played there too, as did aging rock acts like Iron Butterfly and Nazareth.
Crowds would line up in front of the club, in all their studded, spiked, leathered and dyed glory. Many club regulars lived directly across the street in a warehouse that resembled something out of the cult film Suburbia.
"During the summer, it was the same routine every day," recalls photographer Russell King, a Metroplex regular. "If you were too drunk to drive home, you'd just stumble across the street and crash on the warehouse floor. You'd wake up in the afternoon the next day and that night's band would be arriving. You'd go over and meet them, and it would start all over again."
In the days when punk rock was still dangerous and accessories weren't readily available at the local mall, violence regularly reared its head. Whether instigated by unruly skinheads, drive-by rednecks, frat boy hecklers or drunken patrons, fights at or around The Metroplex were common. "You could probably count on a fight at least every other night," says Eric Snoddy, a former Metroplex security guard and doorman.
Celebrity Sightings
Most celebrities spotted at The Metroplex were on stage, and they ran the gamut of counterculture notoriety. Motorhead, Timothy Leary, Johnny Thunders and former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor all appeared. Before they hit the pop charts, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played with opening acts Fishbone and Thelonious Monster. The Butthole Surfers actually lived at the club for a week in 1988 before migrating to Athens.
Memorable Night
In November 1987, legendary Plasmatic Wendy O Williams performed with opening act Scream, which included drummer Dave Grohl, later of Nirvana/Foo Fighters fame. The crowd included the overly drunk Izzy Stradlin and Slash of Guns & Roses, who stopped by after opening up for Motley Crüe at the Omni.
The Demise
A seemingly endless battle over the club ensued between Cornwell and city officials. Squabbles over a liquor license and an ordinance requiring performers and employees to be fingerprinted caused an uproar. When Cornwell held his Alternative '88 festival at the club, the city had the surrounding streets closed for blocks to avoid interference with the Democratic National Convention. The event was a financial bust, and the club was hit hard. A few shows later, it was closed for good. Cornwell fought hard to reopen, but a 1990 fire gutted the structure, killing four homeless inhabitants, marking the end of The
Metroplex.
Source: Creative Loafing article, Ghosts of hotspots past: Reliving legendary times at Atlanta's long gone nightspots, by Jon Waterhouse
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