Ah, the good ole days!
I was barely a mere teen during the height of the NY punk explosion, so I missed out on the height of it after places like the Mudd Club had closed, but I did jump on the tale end in the late 70's and caught some great bands in my weekly excursions to NYC buying records. NYC was a special place at that time: True grit, filth, danger, etc. - all pre-requisites for a blossoming movement, IMO. (Got mugged at the Fascination arcade on 45th). My first ever concert was Squeeze at the Diplomat Hotel. Was supposed to see the Clash at Bonds, but they canceled the rest of the gigs there due to overselling tix so the fire warden shut it down in the now infamous battle with greedy promoters. Also saw Stiff Little Fingers, James Chance, and Suicide - 2 popular NYC acts at the time. The Peppermint Lounge was my favorite hangout, where I saw Romeo Void, The Waitresses, and The Cramps. Other haunts were the Pyramid Club (though you'd easily get outnumbered by transvestites) and CBGB's.
