The Last Pogo

1978 · 25 min · ★ 7.0 · Music, Documentary

THE LAST POGO documents the raucous 1978 punk concert held in Toronto's legendary Horseshoe Tavern, a night of unhinged music and unbridled mayhem. On December 1, 1978, legendary Toronto concert promoters Gary Topp and Gary Cormier, known as The Garys, presented The Last Pogo, a rollicking, riotous concert at the venerable Horseshoe Tavern. On the bill were seminal bands from Toronto's thriving punk rock scene: The Scenics, The Cardboard Brains, The Secrets, The Mods, The Ugly, The Viletones and Teenage Head. During the concert, the frenetic energy of 800+ thrashing fans in the club boiled over and a near-riot ensued. Filmmaker Colin Brunton was there with a camera crew to capture it all, from the irreverent punk musicians and the slam-dancing audience to the police who tried to stop the show and the firefighters called in to escort people from the premises.

Directed by Colin Brunton