I saw GG Allin in New York City in 1988. Well... kinda.
It was a Saturday night in November of that year and I was just hopping around the East Village by myself, feeling rather bored, when I was informed that GG happened to be playing in town that night. The gig was at the Lismar Lounge on First Avenue, and believe it or not, it was his second of two appearances there! It could very well be that the Lismar was the only club in NYC brave enough to actually have him back a second time. GG's first gig there, unbeknownst to me then, had been a full year earlier, in November 1987. Years later, I was rather shocked to learn of this, and for good reason: I played my very first gig in that very same bar just three months later, not knowing at the time who had taken that small, dingy stage before me (though honestly, it didn't make much difference in the end).
But anyway, I somehow found myself all by my lonesome at the Lismar, contemplating whether or not I should actually avail myself of this golden opportunity to see GG Allin. It was early and the doors to the downstairs band room wouldn't be open for maybe another hour. This gave me plenty of time to think about it, so I figured I'd do so over a drink. And as I sat there at the bar on the Lismar's main floor nursing my beverage, I looked over to my right... and there he was. Yes, it was GG himself, entertaining a tiny crowd of about 3 or 4 fans who looked just as slimey and decrepit as he was.
Oh, he was totally behaving himself. In fact, he seemed to be doing little more than just talking to this trusty, crusty little circle of followers while having a quiet drink himself. If I hadn't known who he was, I'd honestly have thought he was just another punk sitting at the bar with some friends. I certainly wasn't fearing for my life, but I just as certainly wasn't about to move over to the barstool next to his and introduce myself. So I just stayed where I was and watched GG out of the corner of my eye. There really isn't more I can say about my close encounter with GG because truthfully, nothing happened.
At any rate, I soon finished my drink and then made my way downstairs, still trying to decide whether I should stay for GG's show. And truth be told, I was this close to throwing all caution to the wind and going for it -- you only live once, right? But when I got downstairs, just as the doorman took his place at the entrance to the basement (which would, again, play host to my own very first live gig just months later), I was immediately informed admission would be a full ten bucks. Again, bear in mind that it was 1988, and ten dollars was then roughly equivalent to just over twice as much money in today's currency (about $22). I felt that was a bit too much more than I was willing to pay to see GG Allin, and that settled the issue for me once and for all. And so I made my excuses and headed to a quiet evening at home instead.
It turned out I'd made a very smart choice. For just a few days later I found out what I'd missed... or rather, didn't miss. It seems that sometime after our little "encounter" at the bar, GG shot up some very potent heroin a fan had slipped him, and by showtime he was completely incoherent and unable to even stand up. I'm told he stumbled down the stairs to the basement, mumbled his way through just two songs, and then collapsed, and that was the whole show. No pooping, no self-mutilation, no attacking the crowd, none of the things you'd have expected GG to do. He was simply too fucked up. With the doorman refusing to offer refunds, the crowd is said to have then turned on GG and given him a hearty dose of his own medicine, and that was that.
I wasn't sorry I missed it. Deciding against seeing GG Allin "perform live" on that night in November 1988 was the wisest decision I ever made in my entire four decades' worth of going to live shows. But at least I can say our paths crossed... and that's more than enough for me!
Anyhow, here's footage from Youtube of GG's set at the Lismar the previous year. I'm rather surprised that GG live videos are actually (presumably) allowed on YT, and even more surprised that this performance is actually pretty tame by GG standards -- he seems almost laid-back here! Perhaps it's not all that surprising that they allowed him back a second time...
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