Punk Globe would like to pay respect to Ness Aquino, who recently passed away in his sleep in San Francisco. California... Ness owned and operated a thriving Filipino Restaurant called The Mabuhay Gardens at 433 Broadway. The restaurant had various cabaret acts along with Drag Performances playing there. Ness also co-hosted along with Amapola Cabase a weekly television program called "Amapola" on the now legendary TV 20... In 1976 Ness was approached by Jerry Paulsen of Psyclone Magazine about doing shows at The Mabuhay Gardens... Ness then entered an agreement with promoter and former TV producer Dirk Dirksen to book punk and new wave bands.. Early performers included Rick and Ruby, Leila and The Snakes, Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. Dirk was approached by Mary Monday about doing a show.. So she was the clubs' first introduction to punk. Crime was one of the other punk bands to play the Mabuhay Gardens and they aimed to shock.. The Nuns were another band who graced the stage.. At first Ness only gave Dirk a few nights to produce shows but soon it evolved in 6 to 7 nights a week.. Punk was officially alive and happening in San Francisco... The Mabuhay Gardens was the only club in the city to book punk on a regular basis.. There were lines down the block... Soon club took on a new name The Fab Mab.... Dirk eventually took over the lease on The On Broadway to get bigger touring acts... For quite some The On Broadway and The Fab Mab ruled Broadway playing hosts to all kinds of bands... Sadly, The On Broadway felt the pressure of the Police and ABC and closed it's doors.. Ness was able to stay open until 1986... Both Ness and Dirk were our extended family. We loved them.. Dirk passed away in 2006 and we showed our respect.. Now it is 2014 and Ness has left us... It indeed is an end of a fabulous era in our life. and San Francisco history..

We love you Ness Aquino!
~ Ginger Coyote

Ness Aquino's sense of humor and willingness to take a chance on all of us, how can we ever forget you. Ness and Dirk booked up to 7 bands, 7 nights a week at the Mabuhay Gardens. Ness and Dirk fed us spaghetti dinners, insulted us form the stage and gave many of us our first chance for our music to be heard.

Ness Aquino club owner of the Mabuhay Gardens and Fab Mab ringmaster and promoter Dirk Dirksen "The Pope of Punk" helped to launch so many careers in Punk Rock and beyond like The Dead Kennedy's, The Offs, Negative Trend, Avengers, The Dils, The Mutants, Mary Monday, Nickelettes, Crime, Faith No More, The Contractions, Vktms, Ginger Coyote, Punk Globe, Jayne County, The Readymades, The Jars, The Sleepers, Blowdryers, Nyna Crawford, Tuxedo Moon, Impatient Youth, Alley Cats, UXA, The Flesh Eaters, Verbal Abuse, Wall of Voodoo, Razz Band, The Circle Jerks, The Angry Samoans, Mentors, The Nuns, The Lewd, Flipper, Target Video, The Minute Men, The Housecoat Project, Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra, Jim Carroll Band, Fillmore Struts, Polkicide, Animal Things, Baby Buddha, Bad Religion, Beans, Berlin, The Pillage People, Toxic Reasons, Noh Mercy, The Dead Boys, Nico, 45 Grave, Catholic Discipline, Tex and the Horseheads, The Impostors, KGB, The Go Gos, The Dickies, The Units, Crucifix, Das Block, 84 Rooms, Naked Lady Wrestlers, Times 5, Voice Farm, Screamers, Social Unrest, Pearl Harbour And The Explosions, Varve, VS, Wilma, Pink Section, Rox, The Germs, Zev, Mark Pauline, The Outrageous Beauty Pageant with Frank, Regime, Laura Lorda, Psychotic Pineapples, Minus One, Inflatable Boy Clams, Ivy and the Eaters, Joe Allen and The Shapes, JJ180, Kid Courage, Lady Larue, Lelia and The Snakes, Levi and the Rockats, Lloyds, Los Illegales, SVT, Tim Yohannanm, Feederz, The Puds, DOG, The Plugz, The Black Dolls, The Invertebrates, Ultra Sheen, Bob, The Wasp Women, Vauxhall, Richard Mars, M.D.C., The Mau-Maus, The Mummers and The Poppers, MX80, Neutrinos, The Nubs, Nuclear Valdez, Nu Models, Oingo Boingo, Peter Bilt, Plimsouls, Snakefinger, Red Asphalt, The Residents, The Yanks, Seizure, Los Microwaves, GezaX, Exploding Pintos, The Hostages, The Dammed, Christian Death, Fibonaccis, Phranc, The Blasters, The Flesapoids, Jane Doe, Whoremones, Tom Ammiano, Whoopi Goldberg, Suburban Lawns, The Punts, No Sisters, Blondie, Romeo Void, Redd Kross, Nervous Gender, Fuck Ups, KUSF, X, TSOL, Rank and File, The Ghouls, Gun Club, Half Church, Toiling Midgets, The Urge, Fried Abortions, The Cramps, B People, Black Flag, The Buzzcocks, Pointed Sticks, The Dicks, The Cowboys, Cosmo Topper, The Bags, Magister Ludi, The Liars, Beat Farmers, EGO, The Weirdos, No Alternative, Black Randy, The Plugz, Zeros, Los Olvidados, The Sea Hags, The Symptoms, Eye Protections, Chris Isaac, Silvertone, Mondellos, The Anti Bodies, Free Beer, The Fuckettes, Translator, NOFX, The White Trash Debutantes, DOA, The Ramones, The Brotherhood Of Light, Devo, The Tubes, Sub Humans, Winston Smith, Psyclone Magazine, Jerry Paulsen, Suicidal Tendencies, The Dead Boys, Johnny Thunders, Richard Hell, Damage, The Sheets, Flamin Groovies, Roy Loney, Soul Rebels, The Dictators, Search and Destroy Magazine, Metallica and in the early years of Ness's Filipino Super Club acts like Eddie Mesa to name a few... San Francisco Counter Culture owes so much to Ness and Dirk.
~Kathy Peck