TRUE ROCK AND ROLL TALES: Exploring The Ugly Side of New York In The 80’s
by Ted Cantu



NEW YORK, NEW YORK - It’s fun to immerse yourself in pop culture classics like Hunter S Thompson, William Burroughs and Bukowski and then somehow con yourself that you have lived their lives. It’s another thing to go way off the map and change your immediate surrounds with unfamiliar faces, places and danger
. In my earlier days I seemed to thrive on that and in 1988 that meant New York City. Today the Big Apple is somewhat cleaned up and Disneyfied but back in the late 80’s things weren’t so smooth and if you weren’t careful you could end up in a lot of trouble or close to it.

 

New York True Rock and Roll Stories| CBGB's New York City Bowery | Punk Rock New York City | The Ritz New York City | CBGB Hilly Kristal | New York The 1980's | Hot Metro Finds New York City | Ted Cantu

Back in the late 80's New York was a very dangerous place. It still is. But back then it was REALLY out of control.

New York True Rock and Roll Stories| CBGB's New York City Bowery | Punk Rock New York City | The Ritz New York City | CBGB Hilly Kristal | New York The 1980's | Hot Metro Finds New York City | Ted Cantu

I looked up and saw the six framed pictures of celebrities. They had autographed their own portraits and I knew immediately who they were. These pictures were the original cast members of Saturday Night Live. I could see Gilda Radner, John Belushi and Garrett Morris. This was very surreal and the sound of the pinball machines and mechanical score counters were getting to be loud. This only made my heart race and heightened my anxiety. On top of that the fluorescent lighting was starting to get to me and I wanted to get out in the dark street and get moving.

All I knew was that CBGB’s was somewhere near the Bowery. But I had no idea at the time how to get down there for myself.

This is the story when someone tried to sell us a milk truck that was riddled with bullet holes. The same night we also found the author of the 1950's classic Naked Lunch - Mr.William Burroughs. He is somewhat of a lunatic and my buddies dared me to go knock on his door but I chickened out. There was no gate to go to his apartment and it was street level. .

New York True Rock and Roll Stories| CBGB's New York City Bowery | Punk Rock New York City | The Ritz New York City | CBGB Hilly Kristal | New York The 1980's | Hot Metro Finds New York City | Ted Cantu

 

Shortly after we arrived in the neighborhood we heard this.....



“Hey you guys!  Are any of you interested in buying this ****** milk truck?..... How much money do you got between the three of you?”

New York True Rock and Roll Stories| CBGB's New York City Bowery | Punk Rock New York City | The Ritz New York City | CBGB Hilly Kristal | New York The 1980's | Hot Metro Finds New York City | Ted Cantu


I spoke up because my friends were too tongue tied, “No that’s okay… I wouldn’t know what to do with it” I answered. “ Aw come on!” the driver said, “I can let you have this thing really cheap, I can let you have it for a song.” And he just sort of sat there and looked over at me. There was tension there and he wasn’t going to leave then he cleared his throat and began to speak, “Well, if you know anyone who wants this thing tell him I am in the neighborhood and I need to get rid of it. I’m selling this thing really cheap.”

 

New York True Rock and Roll Stories| CBGB's New York City Bowery | Punk Rock New York City | The Ritz New York City | CBGB Hilly Kristal | New York The 1980's | Hot Metro Finds New York City | Ted Cantu

From this position I could see, “The Bunker” and that is 222 Bowery, the one time home of William Burroughs, (one of the original Beat poets who wrote Naked Lunch). He was a well known heroin addict and madman. Now we were rubbing elbows with the kinds of pop culture idols that most people only read about. The madness that they delved in was all around us.

New York True Rock and Roll Stories| CBGB's New York City Bowery | Punk Rock New York City | The Ritz New York City | CBGB Hilly Kristal | New York The 1980's | Hot Metro Finds New York City | Ted Cantu


LIVE AT THE BOWERY ---- CBGB'S BAR with Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys

 

AT THE BOWERY ---- CBGB'S BAR with The Swans

 

AT THE BOWERY ---- CBGB'S BAR with The Dirty Rotten Imbeciles

 


TRUE ROCK AND ROLL STORIES !!   

 

New York True Rock and Roll Stories| CBGB's New York City Bowery | Punk Rock New York City | The Ritz New York City | CBGB Hilly Kristal | New York The 1980's | Hot Metro Finds New York City | Ted Cantu

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