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CBGB set for rebirth in 2006

CBGB, widely considered to be the birthplace of the U.S. punk rock movement and responsible for launching the careers of such bands as The Ramones, Talking Heads and Blondie, is leaving its home of more than 30 years on October 31st 2006.

The owner Hilly Kristal has reached an agreement with his landlord, the Bowery Residents' Committee, to keep the club open in its current location until then. CBGB had been carrying on business as usual, even though its lease ended on August 31st. In recent months, however, it had become necessary for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office to intercede and help both sides reach an agreement, thus avoiding a potentially bitter court battle.

Hilly Kristal said: "It's been little stipulations, back and forth - we agreed, we didn't agree. We finally got to a point where we agreed with each other." Under the new agreement, Kristal reportedly agreed to pay $35,000 a month in rent -about $16,000 more than he was paying before the lease ran out.

Kristal has revealed that he is already looking for a new venue at various sites in Lower Manhattan, with a view to reopening CBGB once the new deal expires. He has also expressed an interest in opening a branch in Las Vegas and is apparently unconcerned about creating the ambience of the original CBGB, saying, "Things are different all the time - look at the 70s, the 80s, the 90s," he said. "The most important thing is we're keeping the integrity of CBGB. It won't be exactly the same, but it will have the same ingredients."