Bloody Mary in full flight at Space Fish Credit: Courtesy

Because I was underage during its run, my personal memories of Club Space Fish are few but vivid. The first time I tried to go there was for an all-ages (I think) show, where I spent all night on the streets of a pre-gentrification Parramore waiting in a line of punks and skaters to see 7Seconds. We did not blend. Sadly, my curfew kicked in before doors even opened, which I later heard finally happened after midnight. 

Another time when I actually made it into the club, I went to see Pigface, where I remember watching a girl lick En Esch’s boot onstage right in front of me. And of course, there was that infamous GG Allin show in 1991. Unfortunately — but also fortunately — I was not at that one. Due to the actual shitshow and the expected official backlash to mixing rock music with feces, that was the Waterloo of Club Space Fish, which was shut down shortly thereafter. 

But it was a wild place where wild things happened, the kind of stuff that was already crazy in the moment but would later blossom into legend. The product of an era when “alternative” was an ethos and not a commodity, Club Space Fish — which ran from the late 1980s to the early 1990s — was a true outpost of counterculture in Orlando. More than just a spot for touring acts though, it was an incubator for local artists. In fact, Space Fish was more than just a nightclub, even. It was a tent that covered the creative capers of Mike Brown (of synth-punk pioneers Damage) and Michael Bales (of Love Gods in Leisure Suits and Rocket 88), which included a music label (Space Fish Records) and a zine (Splash Magazine). Space Fish was essentially a micro-scene unto itself.

Love Gods in Leisure Suits Credit: Courtesy

Now, 35 years later, Club Space Fish comes back to life this weekend for one historic night at Conduit (6 p.m. Saturday, May 16, $15-$20). This won’t be just another basic reunion with DJs. No, it’ll be a total blowout event that’s practically a mini-festival. The concert bill is studded with reunion sets by five classic Space Fish acts: Love Gods in Leisure Suits, Damage, Target Earth, The Riddlers and Bloody Mary. Current local bands Stiletto and Deficit of Dreams will also be featured. In addition to all that, there’ll be the “Wheel of Fish” trivia game hosted by the original Quiz Master Al, themed “Kiss the Cook” cookout, Punk Rock Flea Market and some surprises. The two Michaels might wrestle, wieners may get tossed, who the fuck knows? What’s certain, though, is that it’ll be nuts.

But as stacked as that evening’s bill is, there’s simply no way to pay proper tribute to this amount of Orlando legacy in just one night of music alone. That’s why the Club Space Fish Super Fantastic Story Hour will happen the day after at Will’s Pub (2 p.m. Sunday, May 17, free). Both a continuation and a finale to the celebration, it’ll be an afternoon social featuring a panel discussion and Q&A with key Space Fish figures like its founders, DJ Skeeter, Quiz Master Al and advice columnist Girth Rimway, among others. It’ll be moderated by Jeremy Hileman of the Orange County Regional History Center, which will officially add Space Fish memorabilia to its collection.

Beyond the weekend festivities, however, there’s some big, forward-looking news behind the Space Fish revival. While the reunion will be but a fleeting weekend, Space Fish Records is officially relaunching with a clutch of fresh releases including a brand-new EP from Damage, reissues by both Love Gods in Leisure Suits and Target Earth, and a Club Space Fish live album that’ll be recorded at this weekend’s event. All these, save for the upcoming live album, will be available at the shows.

Damage Credit: Courtesy

It all adds up to a grand fete for a colorful, daring and groundbreaking chapter of Orlando music history that deservedly lives on in both fame and infamy. Go see the iconic Space Fish spirit leap from lore to life all weekend long. No shit!

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This article appears in May 13-19, 2026.

Music columnist.