“No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes” is an oral history of ’80s-era alternative, metal and punk rock music told through the portal of one club – Trenton, New Jersey’s legendary City Gardens.

“From Punk to Metal, from Ska and Reggae, New Wave and Alternative, if there was a band you dug through the 80′s and 90′s that never made the commercial airwaves, there’s a damn good chance they played at City Gardens. The club played a huge part in a lot of people’s lives… “No Slam Dancing…” is an oral history of one of the most important clubs to ever exist. For far too long City Gardens has gone without being recognized as such and now it’s time for the people who lived it and made it what it was to tell the story in their own words.

Whether you went there or just loved the bands who played there, there is a story inside for everyone who has ever attended a live gig.

Just ask Chuck Dukowski, talking about Randy Now: “…He was a friendly man. He offered Black Flag a show on our first tour out there. We played with some holdover metal band where the singer had a martini on a special little table on stage. It was kinda funny…”

It was July 8th, 1981. We don’t know who band that was either Chuck, but we wish we were there.

You can read an excerpt from the book here.

 

Available in Paperback.  2nd Pressing.