David Johansen Recalls How the New York Dolls Accidentally Started a Punk Rock Trend

The New York Dolls didn’t just help invent punk rock—they also (accidentally) pioneered one of its messiest traditions. On Late Night with Conan O’Brien in 1994, David Johansen recalled a legendary night in Newcastle where the band went drinking before a show. Their drummer got sick. Then everyone got sick. But the Dolls? They kept playing. And just like that, puking onstage became punk AF.