The owner of legendary New York club CBGB has admitted he is considering relocating to Las Vegas in a bid to find a new home.
As previously reported, Hilly Kristal last year lost a long running fight with the landlords of the venue he has run since the early seventies. The building's owners, a homeless charity, wanted to push up his rent considerably, making the site unviable for operating the club. Despite a campaign supported by numerous New York artists to make the landlords rethink, no agreement could be reached and CBGB will now have to vacate the premises at the end of October.
Kristal has been looking for new viable properties in which to base the club - a key venue in the history of New York punk and hardcore. A number of alternative New York locations are being considered, though one offered by the city required a $5 million advance which, Kristal says, "was a bit of a shock to me". While about eight other New York properties are still possibilities, Kristal has admitted that the mayor of Las Vegas "has been very helpful" in exploring the possibilities of moving the club to his city.
There is no word as yet as to when Kristal plans to make a decision regarding the future of the club.