I have been a DJ at the Hole in the Wall Saloon for almost 12 years, spinning several hundred nights of rock and roll music in a bar that I first entered because I walked by its open door one night and heard they were playing rock and roll. For gay bars in San Francisco around 1994 this was a very unusual circumstance, and one I had to investigate and almost instantly embrace. I had tried to create a small handful of one night a week clubs featuring rock and roll music at several different venues in the city over the years with varying degrees of success but most of them lasting 6 months or less. There seemed to be a core of gay people who definitely liked rock music but it never seemed to be enough to support an ongoing club. If a bar had a dance floor the proprietors generally wanted to see it full and Rock and Roll just didn’t fill a place up with dancers like disco and techno and rave type music did. Eventually I found myself dj-ing in a neighborhood bar at Fillmore and Fell called The Casa Loma which was basically a straight dive-bar with predictably shady owners. I went to work there one night and found the doors chained shut. I don’t think it ever re-opened. So the night that I stumbled into The Hole in The Wall and was met by unapologetic, undiluted rock music, I knew I had found a new home away from home, a place that played the music I had longed to hear in a gay bar for years. It was so refreshing and actually kind of emotionally fulfilling. The place radiated a certain warmth and excitement for all of those queers who craved a place to go out and hear something besides dance music. Quite naturally I wanted to work there and I lived near-by and quickly became a regular patron, so eventually it came to be and I started spinning there.
This aesthetically radical approach in creating a new gay drinking establishment quickly caught on. San Francisco seemed starved for something different and here was this high spirited rock and roll renegade biker bar with a clientele who were ecstatic to finally have a place to their liking. Soon the bar was packed, festive, a constant celebration of rock music and a definite new scene to be reckoned with. People who had tired of going out to bars suddenly found reason to return, lines started forming outside on the weekends. The place was a blast and a not-to-be-missed feature of SF’s nightlife and the most consistent element or inspiration has always been the music. DJ Crisco, owner Joe Banks, Eugene, Billy, Doug Hilsinger, Bryon Frye, Riley, Dennis, myself and a few others over the years have remained true to the original idea, respected the rock and built the soundtrack this bar thrives on. Since it has been nearly 12 years of working at the Hole, I started thinking about all of those shifts and all of those songs played, and the many that stuck out in my memory as defining specific moments or moods that were distinctly Hole in The Wall. Of course it would be impossible to name them all and there were many other DJ’s involved but here’s some of the songs most indelibly stamped by that dirty little biker bar that rocked some life into a dismal scene about 13 years ago.
“Faggot” by Korn: such a hard crunchy metal song written by a guy who was tired of people assuming he was gay. The word faggot is repeatedly screamed more times than any other song ever.
“I Just Wanna Have Something To Do Tonight” by The Ramones: best ramones song ever.
“Drown Soda” by Hole: The long live version—one of the most powerful Hole moments, lots of dirty guttural screaming about fucking entire states and cities.
“A Better Man” by Gary Floyd Band: Sexiest blues song about sucking off young dirty sailor boys you meet at the video arcades. Gary is a genius and the voice of experience.
“Coke Whore” by Stone Fox: in some ways this is one of the greatest rock songs of all time with Jorjee screaming “When was the last time you called me a whore?” I used to love it when this band would pay a visit to the bar. Four of the hottest girls alive.
“Personal Jesus” by Bomb: A great cover by an unforgettable dangerously talented local band. Two members were also employees of the bar. I may as well include the songs “Madness” “If I Were a Gurl” and “Healthfood and Heroin.” Bomb ruled and always holds a special place in the heart of the Hole.
“I’ll Keep On Holding On” by The Detroit Cobras: A great song by a great band fronted by Detroit’s finest vocalist. This one never fails to get people happy.
“Mildred Pierce” by Sonic Youth: Beauty builds, beauty explodes—its frightening.
“Prime Mover” by The Leather Nun: Often forgotten Swedish band—sexy thick guitar heaven.
“Rock and Roll Nigger” by Patti Smith: Got in a fight about this one once with an offended customer and decided to never play it again. Then she came out of retirement and I said fuck it, it plays again.
“In and Out of Grace” by Mudhoney: This song just rules—pure aggression and vocalist screaming, “Oh God how I love to hate.” Must include “Touch Me I’m Sick” and “Drinking For Two” Mudhoney was the definitive seattle band.
“Kerosene” by Big Black: “Theres kerosene around/set me on fire.”
“Stop Breaking Down” by The White Stripes: A Peel Session that proves beyond doubt that Jack White is a madman on guitar.
“White House Girls” by Ed Hall: Such a great mind bending psychedelic texas treasure. This song is hard and sexy and funny plus its about the butthole surfers.
“Sweat Loaf” by The Butthole Surfers: One of the bartenders told me that whenever I play this song people consume drinks double-time. I should also mention “22 going on 23” for its overwhelming psychotic bleakness.
“I’m Mad” by Butt Trumpet: Bands with butt in their name for $50, Alex. This one makes it in here less for their name and more for the lyrics. “You’re a motherfucker and I hate you/ fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you!”
“Too Bad About The Fire” by The Jesus Lizard: such a creepy manic lament about living in a crack house.
“Third Uncle” by Doug Hilsinger and Caroleen Beatty: brilliant cover of the Brian Eno song by one of our star employees. This cut earns immediate status. Eno himself loved it.
“Got the Time” by Anthrax: this is a cover of a Joe Jackson song treated in the pure metal thrash style you would expect.
“Nausea” by X: Lots of X songs would make it on here but this one uses the word retarded so I chose it.
“Mentally Retarded” by The Riverdales: “I’m not mentally retarded mentally retarded mentally retarded mentally!”
“The Final Stretch” by The Oblivians: Gospel influenced alcohol fueled raw and intense song about meeting your maker. The Oblivians have another song called “Big Black Hole” that works for its namesake.
“She’s A Ho” by Tragic Mulatto: Truly challenging musical insanity. This one scares people.
“Dirt” by The Stooges: When I first heard this song played at the Hole I knew beyond a doubt that this seven minutes of pure raw sex and hardcore sentiment was the definitive song for the bar. It’s the perfect fit—a moment that was meant to be—the perfect theme song. As I draw to a close for now I’m thinking of so many other songs that need to be included to reflect the proper legacy of brilliant rock and roll that built this bar from the ground up, and continues to evolve and change. It’s monumental. Music always is.