NY2: Dude, where's my rock scene?

Jump off the subway at West 4th st. Pass through New York University and down to Hudson st. Turn on East Houston and keep walking (past CBGB's on your right) through to the Lower East Side. You know you're there when you can see a Puerto Rican grandpa drinking a forty ounce on the street corner and all the kids are covered in tattoos - only two reasons why I liked this corner of Manhattan the best.

The Lower East Side seems to have changed a lot since Rudolph Guiliani was elected mayor in 1992. In an effort to combat rising crime in NY, he embarked on a relentless campaign to ´clean up´Manhattan. The new laws and greater powers to enforcement agencies saw homeless people driven off the streets and greater penalties for ´undesirables´(ie graffiti writers, hawkers, buskers). Arriving at the Lower East Side, I struggled to find the fertile and street culture that had attracted me here. Reducing the crime and ´edginess´of this area in a bohemian precinct makes it more attractive to investors, who, in buying up property also push up rents, forcing out the community that make the area what it is. Already Starbucks and GAP stores were springing up everywhere..

However, Guliani's legacy of establishing prohibition era liquor licensing laws made for some interesting nights out. During his time as NYC Mayor Rudolph Guiliani re-enacted a 1926 prohibition era regulation on nightclubs, a law originally passed to clamp down on the jazz clubs that were spreading across the city. Ambitiously designed to stop illegal activity in nightclubs, the law specifically requires a 'cabaret license' for dancing in establishments that:

" . . . sell to the public food or drink, except eating or drinking places, which provide musical entertainment, either by mechanical devices, or by not more than three persons."

In other words: No DJ's. No dancing.

As they did 60 years ago, bar owners now have to pay a premium for a 'caberet' licence - legally defined as a venue where alcohol is served and patrons engage in 'hip swaying movements to contemporary music'). To avoid this expense, many bars around NY have hidden entrances to nightclubs operated by the same venue. I went to a bar called 'Happy Ending' near Nolita which used to be an old Chinese massage parlour that has converted to become a late night hangout for hipsters. After trying to leave through a fire exit, I followed the stairs down to a basement where they had another bar and dancefloor to a bona fide prohibition-era style speakeasy. The joint was not only crammed full of people dancing *gasp* but also smoking *shock, horror*, something else that has been almost entirely outlawed in NY. Strangely enough, people were enjoying themselves in spite of these heinous crimes being committed. Another bar I visited had apparently had a policy that was strictly observed by regulars - When councilmen or police officers were observed approaching the bar from the street, a secret alarm would sound and the DJ panel would disappear, rotating into the wall. Dire Straits' 'Money for Nothing' would start playing over the soundsystem and the sweaty patrons would quickly stop their 'hip swaying movements.' How funny is that? Pretty funny.

While I was here, I came and saw End of the Century: The story of The Ramones. For those who don't know The Ramones, their albums were in the record collection of every US punk rock band that came after them. You may, unfortunately, also know them from the faux-punk Sportsgirl t-shirts being worn in the streets of your town or heard their legendary guitar riffs on a sports car commercial - both recent phenomena that are probably contributing to the premature deaths of the remaining band members. Seeing this film a stones throw from the legendary CGBG's rock venue where their (and Blondie, Patti Smith and Talking Heads) powerful shows catapulted them onto the world stage, was a special experience. This felt even more real with the scores of local aging rockers that had come to the film and were nodding heads to the soundtrack. The early rock scenes and soundtrack was punctuated with their nostalgic sighs and chuckles that seemed to suggest their own recollections bubbling to the surface.

RIP to Johnny Ramone, the latest to drop off just a month back. May you continue to powerchord on those funny little harps they give you in heaven.

At a rare performance by Suicide, an underground art-punk band in the same vintage as Blondie and Talking Heads, I met a 40ish English guy filming the show. I recognised from the (awesome) Trans Am gig the night before. I had a beer with him and enquired about the shows that he had filmed. He said that he had visited NY 15 years ago and, caught up in the fertile art and music scenes, had decided never to return to England. With a growing desire to stay in NY but restricted by visa laws, I was interested in how he had managed this. Easy, he said with a toothless smile. All one has to do is avoid the cops, don´t open a bank account or hold down a job, avoid a consistent place of residence and it´s entirely possible. In this particular case, it also meant not wearing shoes and growing waist length and matted hair that smelled like bovril. I believe the immigration department in NY has declared him dead or missing.

As admirable as his effort was, I reckon I´m going to hold out and try and get legitimate work instead.

He gave me some great bootlegs though and you can check them out at http://pinstand.com/vcd/vcdlist.html. Everything you buy keeps him one more step ahead of US Customs. He might put the Trans Am one up soon and you´ll see me, right up the front. I'm the guy with the big smile on his face...

So how did my camera get stolen? Well, i don't directly blame Joey Ramone's ghost. All I know is, that i entered the cinema room with the camera and it was gone when I left it. Coincidence? I don´t think so. With every chain fashion store and TV commercial cashing in on the Ramone´s punk authenticity to sell products, I guess Joey decided it was time to take something back. Starting with my camera. Also, with the media coverage and fame that contributed to the spiraling demise of the Ramones, it seems to make sense. Joey, if you´re reading this - just remember that you always have to manually adjust the exposure for outdoor photos.
<>I found Giuliani's 'clean up NY' legacy is something that seems to be a double-edged sword. While I felt safe walking around most parts of Manhattan, much of the 'edginess' and bohemia seemed to have moved on. By most accounts you can find it in Brooklyn, where the rents are cheaper and the artist population has just topped 5000.

There's too much in NY to talk about and I wish I could stay here but I can't, so Spain is next up..

-sammyd

Photo time!

Here is my father, happily wondering how a small tub of lobster chowder could taste so damn good.



Many pilgrims visit this important spiritual site every year..


This is a photo of Herman Israel, the inventer of the greatest donut of all time. His grandson, when cleaning out grandpa's attic found his traditional Jewish recipe for making donuts, which Herman had perfected as a cook during WW2. When he discovered that these particular donuts tasted better than anything else in the world, he opened Plant's Donuts south of Delancey st in the Lower East Side. I will never forget that Plant donut, it was like eating a squishy cloud that an angel had sat on. Thanks, grandpa donut.


Even the noodle shops in NY have attitude. I don't know what Momofuku means in Japanese, but it sure sounds like some other word I heard in this city an awful lot.


I came to Queens to see the Museum of Modern Art centre here and found this. A puddle of blood that trailed from this street pole more than 500 metres down the road. I guess people get hurt in Queens sometimes.


I didn't see nearly as much graffiti in NY as I hoped to, but there was some cracking street art like this piece in Soho.


This is a photo of a room full of people getting manicures on their way home from work. There's no real reason to include this photo, except to show how ridiculous men and women look when they're getting pampered like this. Yeesh.