Legendary Rock Club CBGB (at 315 Bowery) at the close of a long night of Slam-Dancing on Valentine's Day 1983, New York City.
CBGB: 10 Classic Moments That Helped Define the Birthplace of Punk
12/23/2014 by Leslie Richin
42 years have passed since iconic music club CBGB (aka the undisputed birthplace of punk) opened its doors. And even though only a handful of artifacts remain at the site of the club that once hosted music legends including the Ramones, Patti Smith, Guns N’ Roses and Talking Heads, history will forever remain at 315 Bowery in New York City.
Let’s salute the past with 10 classic moments that rocked CBGB:
The Ramones “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” (1977)
In October of 1977, Joey Ramone announced, “We got a brand new album coming out in about two weeks.” That album was Rocket to Russia. With acts like this on the bill, “New York City really had it all. Punk punk a punkrocker…” With punk then rising as an outlier format, the song peaked at a modest No. 81 on the Hot 100.
Talking Heads "Psycho Killer" (1975)
Footage courtesy of the film "Talking Heads: Chronology"
Following a Summer gig, opening for the Ramones, the Talking Heads, fronted by a then 23-year-old David Byrne, took the stage to play the band's “signature debut hit,” which also surprisingly didn’t chart high; peaking at No. 92 on the Hot 100. Not to mention, “Psycho Killer” was the only song from their album Talking Heads: 77 to appear on the charts.
Guns N' Roses “Patience” (1987)
Following “Used To Love Her,” GnR takes a sip of beer before Axel, wearing his signature bandana and glasses, asks the band, “You guys wanna try Patience?” followed by a disclaimer “I’ve sang this song once, we’ve played it together twice.” Cue Slash taking a swig of Jack Daniels followed by Axel admitting, “I have to read the f---ing words.” Cue whistling. Everyone begins swaying at the 22:15 mark, around the time Axel takes the track, that would peak at No. 4 on the Hot 100 in 1989, to another level.
Patti Smith "Elegie" (2006)
Often called the "Godmother of Punk," Patti Smith’s performances at CBGB were so legendary, she played the final song before the club closed its doors in 2006.
Patti sings the fitting lyrics “I think it's sad, it's much too bad, that our friends can't be with us today” and at 3 minutes in, lists off names of those who had passed away over 33 years of CBGB, including The Clash’s Joe Strummer. She then signed off, “Farewell CBGB.”
The song is from her debut album Horses, which peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1976.
Hole “Garbadge Man” (1991)
No one can deny the powerhouse that is Courtney Love. It was the early ‘90s and Hole was playing gigs to support their critically acclaimed debut album, Pretty on the Inside. "Thank you, we're the Red Hot Chili Peppers," Love jokes. The intentionally misspelled “Garbadge Man” was the band’s first song to have a music video.
Green Day “Longview” (2000)
What’s bigger than Green Day playing their debut single “Longview” at CBGB, is the fact that apparently they weren’t scheduled to perform that night. “When all else fails, pull out the hits,” Joe joked. And a hit it was. The song that describes intense boredom peaked at No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart in 1994.
Blondie “Youth Nabbed As Sniper” (1977)
Picture this: In between song, Blondie faced the crowd and casually opened up the July 15, 1977 issue of the New York Post (with colossal headline) “24 Hours of Terror.” The headline refers to the New York City blackout; a fitting intro into a song about infamous serial killer “Son of Sam,” who was on a killing spree in New York City at that time.
Joan Jett “I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (1977)
In 1977, Joan Jett and The Runaways performed the infamous rock anthem "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," which held the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 for seven straight weeks in 1982. “So put another dime in the jukebox, baby.”
Television “Blank Generation” (1974)
Social Distortion “Ball and Chain” (1992)
Before belting out their concert staple, Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion reminisced about the early days as a garage band and not giving a f--- what anybody thought. “This song may not sound like a hardcore song, but the lyrics are about reality. That’s about as hardcore as it gets.” The track, off their self-titled album released in 1990, peaked at No. 13 on the Alternative Songs chart.
‘Every night there was a different group at CBGB – it became like a second home’
New York club CBGB was the stuff of punk legend, spawning such bands as Blondie and Talking Heads. Bettie Ringma was there as it happened
Interview by Kathryn Bromwich
Sun 1 Nov 2015 12.00 GMT Last modified on Sat 2 Dec 2017 16.06 GMT
I moved to New York from Holland via Washington DC in August 1976, after I completed my art therapy master’s degree. One day I was trying to park my Super Beetle on the Bowery, where I lived with my then-boyfriend Marc Miller, and I saw a bunch of people standing in front of this building. So I ran back home and told Marc: “I think there’s something happening in this place.”
Every night there was a different group at CBGB, and it became like a second home; we were going four or five times a week. It was a very small space, like someone’s living room. There was a bookcase, a bar, and in the back there was a teeny-weeny little stage. It was very rarely not packed, but it wasn’t hard to get in: there was an open-door policy. They charged three dollars for admission; later five.
For me, everything was new, everything was fascinating. So it was natural for me to walk over after the gig and ask, “Would you mind if my boyfriend takes a picture of you and me together?” I very rarely had people refuse; it was very sociable. A lot of these pictures, like with the Ramones and Talking Heads, were taken before the bands even had their first record out. We have over 100 in total.
You had two different art scenes at that time: the slick galleries in Soho just a few blocks west, and then the more alternative art scene, who hung around in rock shows at CBGB. Fashion-wise, the musicians were very punk: leather jackets, black and safety pins and studs. Otherwise it was just anything you could get, torn T-shirts, whatever. I had my own little style. I wasn’t really trying to be a punk: I liked colours and being pretty.Marc and I were both very limited financially then, but CBGB was at our level, so we could relate to the people there. But the area was not safe: there were about 3,000 homeless people living in the Bowery, sleeping in flophouses. I had friends uptown who had a hard time visiting me.
At the time, I didn’t get the impression that something musically and culturally important was happening – we were just living. CBGB closed in 2006 over a lease dispute; now there’s a store where it used to be, some type of men’s fashion business. Like most of downtown Manhattan, the Bowery has been cleaned up and gentrified over the last two or three decades. But just round the corner there’s a new little place called Pinks where they play the same kind of punk music. So it’s not dead yet.
It is perfectly conceived, achieved and produced. We still can't quiet believe it. Bettie Visits CBGB is a self-published collection of photographs from 1976 by the artist duo Bettie Ringma and Marc H. Miller.
David Byrne, Jerry Harrison and... Bettie Ringma.
Yes, Bettie Ringma with the band. The photograph taken by Marc Miller. Not sure we have ever seen anything as good as this before.
Perhaps this! Two outstanding tops it should be noted. Along with Bettie's actually outstanding collars.
That's the reverse of the above picture. See a few more pictures from the folder on this link. It is an incredible slideshow. Ringma and Miller's collaboration is well documented here
Floral blouse meets MC5 shirt in snapshot nirvana. Can not be beat that picture. Go for it. Be brave. Hit the button below to buy.
