The Last Resort was a cafe and music venue on Courtenay Place that operated from 1978 – 1981. Originally opened by musician Clinton Brown the Last Resort was one of the few venues at this time that supported bands in the emerging punk scene with regular gigs by bands such as Condemned Sector and Shoes This High alongside out of town legends Toy Love and others. The Last Resort opened to strong business provided by the growing number of bands sparked by the punk craze. However, by the time it was taken over by a young 24 year old Sue Barlow the increasing violence in the Wellington scene had made the venue increasingly difficult to run.  The rising boot-boy culture and the increasingly nihilistic atmosphere within the scene echoed a country on the verge of widespread social conflict with the Springbok tour scheduled for later that year. Faced with falling attendances the Last Resort closed in May 1981.

https://www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/the-last-resort

Timeline

1978

• June 15, Last Resort opens, Rockinghorse
• Nov 16-18, The Dudes
• Dec 20-24, Rough Justice

1979

• Jan 19, The Whizz Kids
• Jan 24-28, Alastair Riddell Band
• March 1-3, The Dudes
• March 8-10, The Dudes
• May, Toy Love
• May 8, Phil Manning Band, Midge Marsden
• June 11-16, Toy Love
• Sept 21-22, Terrorways
• Sept 23, The Plague
• Sept 27-30, Toy Love
• Nov 3, The Plague
• Nov 4, The Snipes
• Nov 15-18, The Whizz Kids
• Nov 22-25, The Snipes
• Dec, 1-2, Flight X-7
• Dec 6-9, Sheerlux

1980

• Jan 19, Whizz Kids, Steroids
• Feb 8, Toy Love, The Spies
• Feb 9, Toy Love, Shoes This High
• Feb 28 – March 2, Flight X-7, Ambitious Vegetables
• April 25, Pop Mechanix
• May 8-9, The Androidss, Condemned Sector
• May 11-14, Spelling Mistakes
• May 22-25?, Spelling Mistakes, Shoes This High
• May 22-24?, Vapour and The Trails
• May 29, The Swingers
• June 12-15, Steamshack
• June 26-29, Domestic Blitz, Pop Mechanix
• Aug, Steroids
• Aug 28-31, Lip Service
• Aug 31, Top Scientists
• Sept, The Knobz
• Sept 19-21, A-Front, Protons, Condemned Sector
• Sept 26-28, Wallsockets, Naked Spots Dance, Janet & John, Condemned Sector
• Nov, The Knobz
• Dec, Subjects, Condemned Sector
• Dec 4, The Screaming Meemees, Shoes This High
• Dec 6-7, The Screaming Meemees, Shoes This High, The Mockers
• Dec 16-17, The Crocodiles, Pop Mechanix
• Dec 18, (In Touch party) Protons, The Mockers, + more
• Dec 19-21, Valentinos
• Dec 26-28, Wallsockets
• Dec 31, Blam Blam Blam ?

1981

• Jan 1-3, Blam Blam Blam
• Jan 8-11, Lip Service
• Jan 21-22, Eberhard Weber Band
• Jan 19, Whizz Kids
• Jan 29-Feb 1, Taste Of Bounty
• Feb 4-5, The Reels (Aus)
• Feb 6-8, Penknife Glides
• Feb 20-22, Lip Service
• Feb 13-14, Airstrike
• Feb 25, Te Aroha
• Feb 26-28, Crocodiles
• March, The Gordons, Penknife Glides
• March 1, Local Heroes
• March 2, Top Twins, Slick Stage
• March 15, Who Slapped John, Naked Spots Dance
• March 16 > closed for renovations
• April 2-4, Hammond Gamble
• April 9, The Screaming Meemees, Blam Blam Blam
• April 10-11, Techtones
• April 12, Kevin Borlich
• April 18-19, The Knobz (Sudden Exposure tour)
• April 23-26, The Newmatics, The Preservatives
• April 29-May 2, The Screaming Meemees, Blam Blam Blam, Ainsworths, NSD
• May 23-24, Snakefinger, Ol’55 (AUS)
• May 28-30, Coup D’Etat
• June 4-6, The Screaming Meemees
• July, Last Resort closed “Wellington live music stumbles from one crisis to another. The loss of the Last Resort means there is no longer a regular venue for fans under pub age, and a shortage of support gigs for new bands.” Rip It Up, Issue 49, 1 August 1981, Page 2

1982

• January 21-22, Eberhard Weber
• January 23-26, Closed for Sweetwaters
• January 29-Feb 1, Taste Of Bounty
• February 4-5, The Reels
• February 6-8, Penknife Glides
• February 13-14, Lip Service
• February 26-28, Crocodiles