A bunch of US punk acts, young and old, are throwing their support behind New York's CBGB club, which is in danger of losing the lease on the building it currently occupies. Misfits, Thursday, Against Me, Liars, Dead Boys, Gorilla Biscuits and the Vandals are among the bands due to play benefit gigs at the club in the coming weeks to fund CBGB's legal efforts to fight eviction.
Meanwhile acts such as the Bangles, Elvis Costello and Sting have donated memorabilia for a fundraising auction, and David Byrne and E Street Band's Steven Van Zandt have offered to mediate between CBGB and the building's owner - the Bowery Residents Committee, a not-for-profit organisation that provides services and shelter to homeless and disabled New Yorkers.
CBGB owner Hilly Kristal claims that the BRC have been slowly increasing the rent payments on the venue without proper consultation, and then initiating legal action when those rent increases aren't met. More recently, Kristal says, they called off lease renegotiation talks over allegations the venue was violating fire regulations - something Kristal strongly denies.
It remains to be seen if Kristal's punk-endorsed campaign secures him a new lease. In a bid to win the upper hand, Kristal says that if the BRC come forward with a new lease sooner rather than later he will donate any money raised from the up coming benefit events to their charitable ventures.