OPEN BARS (3)
Irving Plaza
New York, United States
A historic ballroom-style venue with capacity of ~1,200. Irving Plaza has served many identities: a 1940s ballroom, a Polish community center, and from the late '70s onward, a crucial rock concert hall. Known for hosting diverse genres – punk, new wave, metal, alternative, pop – over different eras.
Blondies
London, United Kingdom
An excellent rock'n'roll dive bar with live music founded by Australian sisters Verity, Sharmaine, and Rochelle Cox. A down-and-dirty Mecca for music-lovers with delightfully wonky furnishings reflecting a DIY spirit. Known for insane music and a cultural hub for good vibes, great drinks, and even better company.
The Fighting Cocks
London, United Kingdom
A rock 'n' roll bar and venue described as small in size but big in attitude. Proudly independent. A haven for the inked, the pierced and the damned. Has a rich musical history dating back to the 1930s (jazz, then rock 'n' roll jam sessions). Features a best jukebox ever, old school arcades, and pool. Offers a huge selection of draft and bottled beers, lavish cocktails, seductive real ales, troublesome shooters and the nuttiest drinks deals in town.
CLOSED BARS (4)
Coney Island High
New York, United States
A punk rock club on St. Marks Place in the East Village, active in the mid-1990s. Coney Island High was a two-level club (bar downstairs, stage upstairs) that became a center of the NYC punk revival, hosting everything from hardcore matinees to ska and rockabilly nights.
L'Amour
New York, United States
Bensonhurst warehouse turned 'Rock Capital of Brooklyn' and East-Coast thrash cradle. A storied rock/metal club that was the premier venue for heavy metal and hard rock in the NYC area throughout the 1980s.
Lismar Lounge
New York, United States
Notorious graffiti-covered punk-metal bar in the East Village.
Cathay de Grande
Los Angeles, United States
A subterranean punk/New Wave club that operated in the 1980s beneath a Chinese restaurant in Hollywood. The Cathay de Grande was a hotbed for the early hardcore punk scene and the burgeoning alternative rock movement in L.A. Its mix of musical styles and notorious reputation (it was in a sketchy basement) made it both beloved and infamous.