A little earlier this week, Ephemeral New York posted an excellent entry on Julian's old school pool hall on East 14th. I quite recall walking by this place, but it's an establishment whose doors I never darkened. Don't bother looking for it now, of course, as it -- like everything else on that strip -- fell prey the bulldozers of NYU.
The reason I'm discussing this post, however, is that it came appended with the photograph above (click on it to enlarge), which is one of the better depictions of the sprawling Palladium mural I've encountered. I've spoken about the Palladium a few times here already, so I needn't go back into all that. I was very sad when that building got torn down -- not for any rose-tinted memories of clubbing there ala the abysmal "Bright Lights, Big City," but more for the bands I saw there -- from Devo to Foetus and all points in between.
The venue's history is the stuff of legend. Even my mom knows that it's where the cover of The Clash's London Calling was shot.
But beyond the history and shenanigans that went on inside the place, I still miss the looming exterior of the Palladium, especially the big mural. My favorite aspect was, of course, the skull. What skull, you ask? Look at the bottom right hand of the tableaux (i.e. behind the band). It's an optical trick stolen, if I recall correctly, from an old Renaissance painting. Viewed straight on, the details are spread out, but if you glanced at it from an angle, the image of a three-dimensional skull would appear. It was very cool.
And now, it's gone. Replaced by a dorm filled with petulant NYU larvae.
I still remember this New York. It was the first one I ever saw, when I visited this girl who'd moved there to study acting, and who ended up working as a receptionist at MTV. I'd wander the city during the day while she worked, mostly just looking to see what these places I'd read about actually looked like. The Palladium mural was particularly impressive. It didn't end well, of course, but I did see the Minutemen at Irving Plaza and Husker Du at Columbia University.
Posted by: rick mcginnis | December 14, 2012 at 08:20 AM
I assume the painting of which you make reference is "The Ambassadors" by Hans Holbein, located prominently in the National Gallery in London.
Posted by: James C. Taylor | December 14, 2012 at 04:10 PM
I know someone would know! Cheers, James
Posted by: Alex in NYC | December 14, 2012 at 05:37 PM
It's called Anamorphosis and thank you for reminding me of the skull in the mural. Forgot all about that.
Posted by: Disco Stain | December 17, 2012 at 04:53 PM