Plain Or Pan?
What the fuckdiddlyuck has happened to Colonel Gaddafi’s face? | Sep 23rd 2009
It looks like melted plastic, like someone sat Mickey Rourke too close to the barbecue. It’s the sort of look Michael Jackson might once’ve been proud of. Anyway my highly valued and respected readers, I need your help. In just over 2 weeks time I shall be making my first ever visit to New York City. I am super stoked, as you Americans are fond of saying, and I’m looking for advice.
I know many many Americans visit Plain Or Pan regularly. Some of you are probably native New Yorkers. Many more of you will no doubt have spent time in the city. So. What should I do, where should I go? I plan to visit the Empire State Building, Central Park, Staten Island, Ground Zero etc etc , blah blah blah, all the usual stuff. I’ll do the hop on/hop off bus thing. I’ve applied for tickets to both the Letterman Show and the Daily Show, found out that the diner on the cover of Tom Waits Asylum Years album is an art deco masterpiece called the Empire Diner and is a ‘must visit’ and I plan on sneaking in a wee visit to Bleeker Bob’s Record Shop in Greenwich Village. I also want to see some of the less-well known sites. Off the beaten track New York, you might say. Although I don’t fancy actually being off the beaten track. Nor do I fancy being beaten off the track by some crack-ravaged mugger. Anywhere in safe central Manhattan is fine by me. I am there for 3 nights/4 days. I don’t have tons of money, but I don’t plan on scrimping when I get there either. I’d like three decent meals in reasonably priced eateries (Italian, Chinese, whatever) and I’d like to drink in a bar that’s not too trendy (ie expensive), but I don’t want to end up perched on a stool next to Charles Bukowski in Barfly either.
Over to you my American friends (and any others who’ve visited). Where should I go? Use the comments section under the date on the right hand side to enlighten me. Apparently the tramps, sorry, bums, are fat. Is that right? If so, there’s another couple of fat bums joining them very soon…
Here’s some, like, major tuneage from that talented little fucker (copyright Elton John) Mr Ryan Adams. He really is little – look at the size of him compared to that amp.
New York New York Jam Version (9 min + – fantastic!)
New York New York with The Cardinals
New York New York Enmore Theatre, January this year
All tracks very different and recorded live straight from the soundboard. Top quality ‘n that.
8 Comments »
Mickey Rourke, Michael Jackson and Colonel Ghaddafi all have the same plastic surgeon though he prefers to be called an artistic surgeon.
Comment by Frances King — September 24, 2009 @ 7:50 am
Check out the Tenement museum on the lower east side http://www.tenement.org/ a timecapsule of apartment blocks that were boarded up for more than 50 years. oh yeh, get the boat to Ellis Island and watch the movie in their cinema, much better than queueing to go up inside the Statue of Liberty.
Comment by Mick — September 24, 2009 @ 10:24 am
I was there for work last week. All the music mega stores (Virgin, HMV, Tower etc) are now gone but the smaller stores seem to be doing OK. Revolution records near Washington Square is good. Manny’s music store off Times Square is, unfortuately, now just a bland Sam Ash store. The Bowery Ballroom is a good venue and its got a good website of upcoming gigs – see http://www.boweryballroom.com/. You will love NYC – a fantastic city.
Comment by Kieren — September 24, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
Manitoba’s – 99 Avenue B – Owned by ‘Handsome’ Dick Manitoba.. Good dive(ish) bar with a great jukebox and rough and tumble crowd (if you like that sort of thing).
Bobby Pinn’s Rock & Roll Walking Tour is an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours (Google it..)
Fannelli’s bar on the corner of Prince & Mercer in Soho – a bit of old style NY with great simple food and as cheap as it gets in this area.
Comment by Ronald — September 24, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
You have to go to Ground Zero – just to see how incompetent and corrupt New York State Gov’t is. 8 years and counting, and it’s still just a hole in the ground.
Comment by PaulR in NY — September 24, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
The National Railway Museum’s great, there’s some good pubs down by the River Ouse, and the Shambles are quaint if a bit touristy. York Minster’s very impressive, and you can walk all the way around the old Medieval Walls. Oh, sorry… New York.
Comment by swiss adam — September 25, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
hi, dig the website. check out amateur night @ apollo on wed nites and soul food in harlem @ manny’s. hogs & heifers pub in chelsea is fun and st marks place in east village has a couple of neat record shops. wear good shoes! have fun!
Comment by harry — September 28, 2009 @ 12:33 am
Pop on a blonde wig, a black bra, black panties and get a Jaguar knife. Book into room 100 at the Chelsea Hotel. Cover yourself in raspberry sauce and sit under the sink. Your own tribute to Sid and Nancy which really was about 31 Years Ago Today.
Comment by winston pomperton — October 10, 2009 @ 10:55 am