Barrington Hall
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Barrington Hall was a student housing cooperative in Berkeley, California. It was the property of the University Students' Cooperative Association (USCA). The co-op was the focus of numerous accusations regarding drugs and noise. It was also the headquarters of the anti-apartheid movement, and offered sanctuary and meals to the homeless. After three previous attempts to close the hall, all defeated within the USCA by campaigns organized by Barringtonians and former Barringtonians, it was closed in 1989 by a USCA referendum intended to stem the growing liability associated with Barrington's wild atmosphere. The closure was fought by the residents during the referendum campaign, in court and in the building by student squatters. The squat climaxed in a night-long riot involving Berkeley cops, off-duty police officers (hired by the USCA), and the residents.
Musical history
Before legal arbitration with the neighbors in 1984, Barrington was the launching pad/petri dish of Bay Area Punk, and bands played every weekend.
The song "Frizzle Fry" by the band Primus was inspired by a party, called a "Wine Dinner," held at Barrington at which punch laced with LSD was served. The pop group Camper Van Beethoven played at one such "Wine Dinner" in 1988-89, under the name Vampire Can Mating Oven. More memorable that evening was Acid Rain's timely rendition of "Jerry's In A Coma" to the tune of "Fire on the Mountain." Black Flag, X, and The Dead Kennedys played at Barrington in the 80s, along with hundreds of other punk rock bands. The song "Barrington Hall" by Primus is all about Barrington, and includes the lyrics "Just when I had thought I'd seen it ah ah all, I stumbled 'round the corner into Barrington Hall. Does anyone here remember Barrington Hall? They care not for wrong or right, they electrocute the night, the people that live in Barrington Hall..."
The legal arbitration restricted Barrington to three parties a semester with "amplified music," and so bands could only perform at Wine Dinners after that.
References
Thompson, Chris. "Tale of Two Animal Houses" East Bay Express. Pulbished 5/4/2005. Retrieved at EastBayExpress.com on 12.11.05[link]External links
- [Brief History of the USCA, founder and owner of Barrington Hall]
- [The Green Book, a collection of USCA history]
- [USCA picture gallery “Co-opers through the years”]
- [Colorful website with many pictures from the eighties]
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