Reading Synchronicity & Punk Rock History

While reading Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk I came across a copy of This Ain't No Disco: the Story of CBGB, so I grabbed it. And today Cyndi swung by the store with a sack full of boy clothes for Fuss and a copy of Just Kids, Patti Smith's memoir of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe.

Combined with previous readings I ought to have a solid grounding in the NYC 'scene' circa late 60's to mid 80's.

I finished Please Kill Me the other night- it's an engaging read, as well curated oral histories tend to be. I didn't know much about the East Coast genesis of the punk scene and the book provided a clear lineage from Warhol's Factory through Max's Kansas City to CBGBs with a brief trip across the pond. One of many of interesting tidbits I was ignorant of: Malcolm McLaran had a brief, disastrous stint managing the New York Dolls prior to his Sex Pistols breakthrough.

The strength of the project, its utter NYC-ness, was also its flaw for this reader- the only sign that the west coast exists are when Iggy washes up in LA to get high and hang out with Bowie. I'd love to ingest a similar volume on the West Coast scene from someone as deeply embedded in the grime and murk of Mabuhay Gardens and Madam Wong's as Legs McNeil was at CBGBs.

I loved Rollins' Get in the Van, but I should really hunt down a wider lensed portrait of the Cali scene. Anyone with recommendations, sound off in the comments.