"It Was Just Too Hard to Keep People from Drinking"

"It was just too hard to keep people from drinking."

Nicholas Lynch explains why he had to pull the plug on Hellfire House, the punk venue that he ran out of his Vista carpentry shop.

The seventh and last show at the end of February drew over 300 who paid $10 each to see the Weirdos and Duane Peters' Gunfight.

"It was the bands who were sneaking it in.... They couldn't quite grasp the fact that this wasn't a bar."

Lynch has been offered, for free, the use of the 450-capacity Beach Recreation Center next to the Oceanside pier to throw a show every other week.

"They said DJ dances weren't hip anymore. Their attendance was dropping off." So the City of Oceanside pays for staff, security, and cleaning up. The bands play for free. Proceeds from the door, said Oceanside Parks and Recreation administrator Shannon Mertz, "will go to a charitable organization."

Even though it's a city-sponsored event, Lynch said moshing will be tolerated.

Locals Pink Robots and Hellfire Trigger appear 7 p.m. along with two other bands tomorrow, Friday, at the Beach Recreation Center next to the Oceanside Pier, all ages, admission $5.