Manhattan's East Village : Three Decades of Madness by Wes Gottlock

Author:Wes Gottlock [Gottlock, Wes]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-24T23:00:00+00:00

The CBGB stage in the 80s saw groups like the Beastie Boys who first performed at the club in 1982 in full punk mode only to swing to a form of “white hip-hop” by mid-decade. Also complementing the hard edged performers were groups like the B-52s and Talking Heads with their new wave experimental slants and less slovenly appearances.

Adding to the menu Kristal experimented with “matinee” days where one could literally spend half the day at the club if one were so inclined.

In 1987 Kristal expanded the CBGB “empire” when he opened up the CBGB Record Canteen next door (313 Bowery) that housed avant-garde record collections. There was a café which, unlike its next door neighbor, served gentrification-like offerings of cappuccino, fresh brook trout, pizza, ice cream, brownies, and pecan pie. A small performance space was added featuring milder billings of folk and jazz acts with some experimental music peppered in. Additional space was converted to an art gallery, all signs that gentrification was seeping in.

But on October 30, 1987 the CBGB Record Canteen surprised everyone with a short set by an up-and-coming group called Guns n’ Roses. Not only short and surprising, it was acoustic. The band was just beginning to ride on the success of their first album Appetite for Destruction which got off to a slow start but would eventually top the Billboard Top 200 charts a year later. The six song set seemed almost impromptu highlighted by some microphone issues. They experimented with tracks that would eventually be included on their second album Lies. Axl Rose could be seen reading some lyrics off a piece of paper. Despite that, they put on a rollicking show playing off the vibe of the 100 or so raucous patrons.

Rose and guitarist Slash stayed behind for a mini-press conference. Labeled a heavy metal band, Rose responded by saying, “We’re not just a heavy metal band, we’re a rock n roll band.” As a fact the band recorded acoustically as well as with a heavier sound. After admitting he hadn’t slept in two days, he continued, “We’re like a family… we believe in each other. It’s almost like a family thing.” This was all said while Slash was casually swigging from a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Through the 1990s Kristal felt he had seen enough violence before, during, and after shows and began booking fewer hard core bands. But try as he might, years later in 2002, Mike Ski of Brothers Keeper was stabbed while trying to break up a fight among the crowd. He was hospitalized but not seriously injured.

The 90s saw not only the fledgling upstarts but also returning graduates. Tom Tom Club sold out the house two straight weeks in June of 1992. Some successes that returned occasionally came unannounced. David Byrne (Talking Heads) surprised with a performance in October of 1993. Debbie Harry frequently returned in pop-up performances around this time while Helmet and Living Colour returned to their roots as well. The rising Rollins Band, fronted by

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.