I'm Just Going For A Smoke

New York

Saturday night in New York City and I went to the venerable CBGBs to see some local bands show their paces. It's more than twenty years since the place had its heyday but with its sticker-covered walls and beer-covered floor it's still an endearing spot to watch music. The city's now firmly in the grip of the smoking ban introduced by Mayor Bloomberg which has led to a very strange phenomenon. Every time a band finishes half the crowd rushes outside to light up. Conversations are abruptly cut off so the other person can go and crash a cigarette, which is the preferred way of putting it here. I'm told you get very strange looks if you ask to 'bum a fag.' Going around the city on a Saturday night you see often large groups huddling together against the cold on street corners, which looks very odd indeed, as if they're all part of some cult.

As for the music last night, it was interesting to see how the plates in American music have shifted over the last 12 months. A year ago when I went to CBGBs it was all shouty punk, but now it's pretty boy emo bands singing songs about their girlfriends and vulnerability. I can handle one band like that but three was more than enough, so I left early, pushing my way through the hordes of smokers on my way out.