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In October 2006 CBGBs ended its long venerable run as the most famous New York Rock venue. I am not one for nostalgia but I really loved going there and I was seriously miffed that CBGBs closed for largely bat-shit stupid reasons. I loved going to shows there knowing that it was quite evident that not a single renovation had occurred since it opened in the early 70s. It was also just a great place to see a band, with elevated areas for shorties, side stage viewing, face melting loud PA, and the second-to-none ambiance and history.
In the months leading up to the final day, many bands old and new surfaced to play there one last time. I managed to go to quite a few of the shows and in the process saw: Flipper, Dead Boys (what is left of them anyway), Circle Jerks, The Vandals, The Offspring and The New York Dolls. Oddly, The New York Dolls, the band (other than The Ramones) most widely considered the fathers of Punk never played CBGBs. Evidently back in the early days bands were loyal to a particular venue with The New York Dolls playing Max Kansas City’s and The Dead Boys and The Ramones taking up residency at CBGBs. Here only David Johanson and Sylvain Sylvain are from the original lineup but the band is filled out nicely with Hanoi Rocks who together recorded the most recent New York Dolls record.
Dolls fun fact: Morrissey, who as a young lad was the President of the New York Dolls fan club, is largely credited for getting them together after setting up a New York Dolls reunion show in 2004.
Download: The New York Dolls – Trash (Live Video)
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