Punk lives! Well, sort of. At least CBGB, the New York dive where American punk made its name back in the ‘70s, is still going strong, as is owner Hilly Kristal (who wheezes his way through a 30-minute “tour” of the joint). As for the music, well…let's just say that if there's a second coming of the Ramones, Television, Blondie or Talking Heads (or any of the other bands that made their names at CBGB) lurking out there, they're not evident on this deadly document, recorded at the club sometime in the recent past. What we get instead is a truly numbing parade--15 bands, a total of 28 songs--of acts who wouldn't know a good tune if it crawled off one of the tattoos that cover seemingly every centimeter of the members' bare-chested bodies. Not being able to play your instrument is a hallmark of punk, but while most of these guys proudly carry on that standard, what's missing is any sense of fun or genuine protest that inspired the punk movement in the first place. Sure, there's a lot of sound and fury, and occasionally some real energy, but with the exception of one or two bands (UK Subs, Molotov Cocktail), it all signifies nothing. Listening to this irredeemably godawful noise is torture (it's horribly recorded and poorly filmed to boot--no doubt part and parcel of the so-called punk ethos); one can only imagine how hellish it was to have actually been there in person. Not recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)
CBGB: Punk from the Bowery
(2003) 97 min. DVD: $9.95. Music Video Distributors (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 18, Issue 4
CBGB: Punk from the Bowery
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