 DATE: In shots of CBGBs, many of the punk extras have piercings in  their tongues etc. Tongue piercings were first performed by Gauntlet  in San Francisco, and not popularized until the 80s. Similar  stories are true of eyebrow piercings and many others. During the  late 70s and most of the 80s, piercings as featured in the movie  had little to do with the punk scene, but were embraced by the  gay/S&M scene.