On 3 March 1968 the FOCO Club opened on the third floor of the Trades Hall building. Foco Club came about in March 1968 when the "Society for Democratic Action (initially the Students for Democratic Action) founded FOCO at Trades Hall as an independent, radical cultural centre. It involved music, poetry, film, theatre, a bookshop and a newsletter. FOCO was closed by the Trades and Labor Council in May 1969" -- excerpted from Guyatt, Joy and George, Greg. Publications of political organizations in Queensland p 266.

FOCO was once described as Australia's most evil nightspot.

The Trades and Labour Council building was located on Turbot Street looking down Edward Street, adjacent to Jacob's Ladder. In 1984 the property was sold. With the decision to demolish the Trades Hall, a group of people from Brisbane organised "The last Foco" or "Foco lives" event to be held on Saturday 16 February 1985.

FOCO, a Spanish word meaning focus or centre, connected to Che Guevara's Foco theory of revolutionary warfare. After being asked to leave the Trades Hall venue, and unable to find a suitable replacement, the decision to close FOCO was made in September 1969.