The Gasworks was an iconic Toronto bar that helped launch the careers of many a band. The name of the bar was also in the movie Wayne’s World!
Just a side note here folks, the trivia of Wayne’s World is something that everyone will find quite funny and familiar to all of us who grew up in the area!
Credit Dan McLaughlin
The bar was at 585 Yonge St. and man that bar rocked! Back in it’s hey day, it was considered Toronto’s entertainment district, man has that changed!
The thing that I remember the most was the beer bottles that they served there, they were HUGE! They were called Quarts if memory serves me correctly?
Information about this Toronto institution on line is quite limited. I did find a neat blog post that talks about this person’s wildest time at the Gasworks! It talks about the ambiance of the place right down to the red and white vinyl table cloths.
Credit Burlap Jacket
Has anyone out there been inside the hallowed halls of the Gasworks in it’s heyday? We’d love to hear some wild stories!
Keep on Jammin’ at the Gasworks!
I started going in 1989 when I turned 19. I enjoyed the bands I saw there which were usually tribute and cover bands. I saw a Judas Priest/Guns and Roses tribute called Enchanter a few times, I really liked their JP covers. Saw a few AC/DC tributes which were also great. On a Sat Fro or Sat night the place was always packed. During the end of the Gas Works reign I saw a Queen tribute which were great. Unfortunately the tide had started to turn with regards to metal and classic rock and grunge was becoming popular. As a result, the Queen tribute and other shows after weren’t attended very well.
And yes, the beer was huge. The first time i ordered and was told it was $7.00 I couldn’t believe it and thought i was being ripped off. Then I saw the bottle and understood. I was great because the sets would go from 10 to 11, hour break, then 12 to 1am, back when last call was at 1am.
Over all it was a great place to listen and get nostalgia about ones favorite rock and metal.
Wilton
It sounds like ya had a blast way back in 1989! That was the year I met my wife, of 20 years now, and we always wanted to go there together. We went inside this fine establishment separately but unfortunately not together.
The beers there were really HUGE! I don’t know if they still sell quarts of beer anywhere these days! I vividly recall that they were a little bit warmer when I finished them but it was one of those weird things that I remember the most!
Thanx as always for your comment Wilton and …
Keep on Jammin’ brother!
That place looks amazing! Be good to hear from more people who have been there… we have no where cool like that in the UK 🙁
Ah come on Music Guide! You’ve got to be kiddin’ us here;)
I practically used to live @ The Gasworks. One of the manager’s used to manage my old band, Thunder Circus. I also did FOH sound there as well and watched the place die a slow death. It was sad, but happens to most places like that. I saw some really cool things happen there and some really bad things go down.
BUT, it was where I really got my start in Toronto and helped launch me to the next level, where I became the touring lead guitarist for the Killer Dwarfs. I think my last gig with them was April Fools Day, 1995 @ The Gasworks!
Lots of memories from that place and just no other venue in Toronto that has the same vibe The Gasworks did!
Wow, the lead guitarist for the Killer Dwarfs! You guys were great. So many people love your music, including myself.
It Doesn’t Matter Anymore, Dirty weapons were just a few of the great tunes that you guys played.
I really appreciate the great guitarists that comment on this blog and you are certainly one of them Steve. I hope that this blog helps to keep all those memories alive!
Keep on Jammin’ Steve Skull!
Oh, yeah. I remember The Gasworks. I’ll never forget being pelted by beer bottles and eggs from the roof on Pride Day! Well…it’s a Dollar Store now.
That’s too bad that you have such bad and offensive memories about the place jugomono. My memories are much nicer my friend! What year was that?
That was a great place to play back in the mid 80’s. I was in a band out of Detroit, Savage Grace, and we played there a lot.
We did warm up for Lee Aaron, Platinum Blonde but mostly we were the main act when we played there. We recorded in Toronto at United Media Studios and while we were laying tracks with Michael Wagener producing us, Udo from Accept and I hung out at Gasworks almost every night for a month in ’84.
I remember before we recorded and were “shopping” for a producer, Roy Thomas Baker flew in to see us at The Gasworks and he was dressed all in pink…glasses, shoes..the whole 9 yards. He set us up with Michael Wagener and we “thought” we were on our way to graduation day and being signed. Never happened and I left the band in ’87 to come back to Ohio and make another go of it, haven’t been back to Toronto or Canada since.
Very fond memories of that town, country and people. We toured a lot in Ontario, London, Sarnia, Kitchener, Barrie, Owen Sound, Hull…all back in the mid 80’s, anybody remember us?
I did not live in Toronto but when I was there in the 80’s I saw few bands here and there. I do recall the name though, Savage Grace.
Some of your tunes on Youtube bring back a real feeling for the 80’s and for that I thank you!
Keep on Jammin’ Savage Grace!
Went there alot in the 70’s before the “Hair bands” took over…lol Saw bands like Saga, Frank Soda and the Imps,David Bendith, The Hunt, Cinema Face, Harbinger, PHD, The Madcats and Nightwinds just to name a few, it was a great place with a great staff and oh yeah the babes!!
Holy crap, someone actually remembers Cinema Face! I recall seeing them in Brantford @ the Alexanders Tavern in the mid 80’s. Those guys were great!
I glad to see the post brought back some neat memories Dwayne!
Does anybody remember a group called Mornington Drive that performed at the great Gasworks in the ’70’s? Not to be confused with a group by the same name that formed around 2004. The grp that I’m referring to did mostly covers but they were still phenomenal. The lead singer had alot of passion and energy. I wonder whatever happened to them. I also remember going from the Gasworks to the Abbey Road Pub on Queen St to watch Rush, who were only a pub band. Will never forget those nights! I knew they were bound for international success.
Around 1984 I used to record bands at the Gasworks and Larry’s Hideaway with my Beta max recorder.
So I’m at the Gasworks one night recording a show by a band “Clear Light “Floyd cover band from Dundas, Ont.
Great bunch of guys by the way.
Well on this one night this girl and guy come up to me and ask me if I did any p0rn shoots.
They wanted me to film them doing the nasty lol. Gave them my number but never heard back from them , i guess the alcohol wore off in the morning lol.
Man do I wish that I still had those tapes to put on you tube. Another really person was Tony Springer .
Caught him one night upstairs at the Gas, great memories.
Does anybody remember the Piccadilly Tube at Yonge and Dundas?
Hey Robert, I’ve never heard of Morning Drive and there is sparse info. on the internet about them. If you find anything else about the band, or anyone else out there reading this, PLEASE come on back and tell us!
Keep on Jammin’ everyone
Damn Doug, I wish that you had those old tapes as well. Old footage of vintage Toronto bars really catch my attention! Keep on searching.
My old band played there around ’94 or 95 not sure.
We had a tour bus full of friends we brought out with us from Cambridge.
Everyone got pretty hammered and by the end of the night ,shit hit the fan.
I think it was run by bikers then,as so I heard.Anyway,we were having a lot of fun,not being destructive at all,and they started throwing us out.I got a full pitcher of beer dumped on my head by some big dirt bag prick that used to work there and some real bitchy lady was screaming at us.
One of my buddies got his head stomped on the curb outside the bar by another dirt from the bar.
Other than that it was a fun gig to begin with,then the management got out of hand.I thought at a bar like this they would be used to people having a good time.
I also heard as we were leaving the cops came and busted the place for something or other then she was closed down for good.
Not too sure if that’s parts true though.
Didn’t the Gasworks close in 1993?
Sounds like an evening not to remember Jason! Did you ever go back?
Keep on Jammin’
It’s been over 20 years but I still *dream* about the Gasworks every so often lol. Played downstairs what seems like a thousand times between ’81 & ’89 as lead vocalist for Va Rouje. Lotsa good memories for sure, I certainly miss those days. Isn’t the building an army surplus store now?
I haven’t driven down there in ages Paul, I’ll take a look for ya next time we’re down there buddy!
Doug! Clearlight has re-united!!! They have been jamming and writing new songs. I imagine they would be very excited if you happened to find any of that old footage. If you search you tube you will find some new videos of them. 🙂 I hear they may be playing a festival this summer too..
Steve is right we did live there….(I’m the drummer for Thunder Circus…then..lol)…what a ride we had …when the band wasn’t playing across Canada..larry would have us as the “filler” to make alittle extra cash….O.P’s….(inside joke for the other motleys of the band..lol)….I remember one nite comming into the Gasworks..and at a table there was the bandmates and Lars from Metalica…we went upstairs…partied..then back downstairs…partied..till lars had to be escorted..back to his Hotel…feeling no pain …from the “Gasworks” days of no Fear…to living life the way all of us did….Cheers to everyone…-we made it-….We are knights of the OLD code
I have some of the best times ever there, remember the toilet lady, oh I' m really old , If you have some amazing memorios, post it and pictures.
Many great memories! My buddy Dudeman and I spent an entire summer on scaffolds painting that epic mural in the top shot. Even played upstairs many times with 2 different bar bands. Lots of memorable show’s witnessed too.
Fun times!
I keep meaning to recreate that mural in poster form. Maybe one day I’ll get my shit together and finally produce something for memory sake.
Cheers!
J.
Some good times there for sure!
Frequented th Works in the early 90s. Great place, but the end of the end of the evening could be painful. Still remember the original bar (on the right as you came in the door) and those damn red and white checked plastic table covers. The quarts were cold and the bands were loud. I believe Stilleto had me ejected one night. Good times!
That was an interesting blog entry. I don't have an anectdote like since I would have been underage when it closed. But the condition that the building is in now is absolutely obscene. 🙁
They should have kept it the way that they had it.
Would love to see the classic footage of Clearlight! Please find this and add it to youtube!
Kevin Briggs, who played guitar with them at the time was a friend of mine and guitar teacher. He lives in Australia now and you can hear some of his recent works here if interested: https://myspace.com/kevinbriggsmusic/music/songs
Partied at the Works many many times. Was there one night and partied with Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath. They were in town on their Mob Rules Tour. Cold quarts, great looking women – tough f*cking bar though…Only place to go in TO at the time.
Mark Holmes (Platinum Blonde) and I used to go the Gasworks almost every weekend in the late 70's. I was 14 and he was 16….!
How is it that no one has even commented about Freddie Mercury being there? Damn….I'm from Pittsburgh and the Gasworks is still brought up as one of the best clubs to have gone to "back in the day".