315, Bowery Street

New York, 1973, at 315 Bowery Street, Hilly Kristal opens the CBGB & OMFUG. The venue will become the landmark of overseas punk rock movement.

CBGB gains popularity in the New York underground scene thank to performances of groups like Ramones, Television and many others, more or less known, of the punk rock scene.

More than 55.000 bands will perform on this stage. Blondie, Talking Heads, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Elettric Chairs,Police, Cramps, Korn, Guns’n Roses, Green Day just to name a few.

The artworks series “315, Bowery Street” from Tabloud artists, wants to pay homage to the venue and the musicians that contribute to make it so.

Ramones

Ramones debut at CBGB in August of 1974 and their presence will be relevant to history of the club. From the first concerts with very few people, to sold out with the likes of Lou Reed in the audience.
The club is a highly creative meeting place, and not just in musical terms. The founders of PUNK magazine are at home and interviews and photo shoots for the magazine are made here. At the entrance of the club there is Roberta Bailey, photographer for PUNK and author of the shot used for the cover of the Ramones first album (where the group is portrayed with the wall behind it). We are talking of the most imitated cover in the history of music. Cover that we can admire in a very original representation of the artist Manuel Cossu (also author of the cover artwork) together with 2 other works dedicated to Dee Dee Ramone.

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Dead Boys

Considered as one of the first punk bands in history, they arrive in New York from Ohio thanks to the encouragement of Joey Ramone. They will often play at CBGB gaining notoriety for outrageous and wild performances. When on May 4 and 5, 1977, a concert is held in the venue to finance PUNK magazine, the Dead Boys and Blondie will perform both days.

This dreamlike artwork by Costanza Cataluddi is inspired from Not Anymore, the fourth track of their debut albumYoung, Loud and Snotty.

In this video of their concert at CBGB just in that year, the song starts at min 6:23.

Blondie

In August 1974, Angel & The Snake made their CBGB debut with the Ramones as support. Shortly thereafter the band will change the name to Blondie, Debbie Harry was called this way by the truck drivers when they met her on the street. Like the Ramones, Blondie also often perform at CBGB and Debbie often appears in the pages of PUNK magazine interpreting photo novels with Joey Ramone.

Debbie Harry, icon of rock history, an incredible mix of beauty and character, muse of great artists such as Warhol and Mick Rock, but also a great inspiration for generations of musicians such as Madonna and Annie Lennox. Her presence was decisive for women in the rock world. Debbie remains a great inspiration even today, Sara Malini and Abi pay tribute to her with 2 intense portraits.

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Lou Reed

In the early 1970s, Lou Reed has already recorded 4 studio albums with The Velvet Underground and 2 soloists, including Transformer produced by David Bowie. Lou loves New York, its hidden sides and its contradictions. He is often seen in the public at CBGB, it is precisely here that he is interviewed for the first issue of PUNK magazine of which he will end up on the cover contributing to the success of the magazine.

Dario Licata, with his always original style, reworks the image of the iconic Transformer cover. Image also taken by Rilievo which celebrates him in the context of his beloved New York.

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Green Day

We are now in the 2000s, after an evening at the California Music Awards, Green Day go to CBGB to attend a performance by a friend, Jesse Malin, formerly member of D Generation. Once in the club, the band decides to perform using the equipment of the last band on the program.

At 1:05 am on Friday 27 April 2001, Green Day took to the CBGB stage in front of a hundred people to perform in an unforgettable one hour and ten minute surprise concert.

In this Timeless Portrait, Dizetaenne Art represents the members of the band with the American flag in the background together with the spiral, a peculiar characteristic of his works as symbol of the transcendence of time.

CBGB, the venue symbol of overseas punk rock, shut down on October 27, 2006 but remains in history. 🖤