Richard Hell and The Voidoids Blank Generation (1977)
In 2008, John Varvatos, a Greek-American fashion designer who used to work for Polo Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, opened a flagship store for his own brand at the former location of the legendary New York punk club CBGB. He left part of the interior—for example a wall full of stickers—in its original state. Therefore not only fashion lovers but also punk fans from all over the world continue to visit the Manhattan store to this day. One of the bands these nostalgic tourists probably like to listen to is Television, one of the first punk bands to play at CBGB in 1974, which was originally intended to be a country, bluegrass and blues club. Television's bassist was Richard Hell, a heroin-addicted intellectual. Legend has it that a certain Malcolm McLaren wanted to hire him for his new project, the Sex Pistols, but that failed. Meanwhile, Hell didn't see a future for himself at Television either and eventually founded his own band in 1976 called Richard Hell and The Voidoids. According to James Henke, the late chief curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the title song of the first album Blank Generation is one of 500 songs that shaped rock music.
Start the conversation
Become a paid member of The Rest to gain access to the comments section.