Randall RobertsIn honor of the second week of Camp Freddy's December residency, which happens tonight at the Roxy, West Coast Sound asked members of the band to chime in on their favorite music of the decades. Last week Billy Morrison highlighted his favorite things about the 1970s. Tonight's show will feature all music of the 1980s, and we've asked Camp Freddy's Donovan Leitch to list some of his favorite things about the decade. Herewith:
Donovan Leitch's Most Important Cultural Moments of the 1980s
10. Breakin' 2 Electric Boogaloo. Breakdancing was all the rage in LA in the 80's and I was completely swept up in the craze! I had my break dance crew with Pauly Shore and we were the coolest white kids in town.
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9. John Hughes films. I graduated high school in 1985 and our class song was Simple Minds “Don't You Forget About Me.” Clearly the Hughes films were a huge part of my life with Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles right up there at the top. I was deeply saddened when John Hughes dies and I will always have a place in my heart for Molly Ringwald.
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8. John Lennon's Death. This was at the end of 1980 and it really was a turning point in my life. I was such a massive Beatles fan and when Lennon got shot it kind of stole some of my youth away from me. The world became a little colder, a little more real, and we all grew up a little faster than we wanted to. RIP John!
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7. MV3. This is really just for the Southern California natives – there was an after school TV show hosted by Richard Blade called MV3. All the top New Wave bands played on the show, and I was a regular dancer. I met Howard Jones, WHAM, Bananarama, Bow Wow Wow, and a host of other stars of the era. Amazing!
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The fashion at Flip of Hollywood
6. FLIP of Hollywood. right out of high school I got a job at the first super trendy clothing store Flip of Hollywood; there were so many hipsters working there, and I got my first pair of black and white checkered pants. I was totally new wave head to toe!
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5. Adam Ant. Can I just take a minute and come clean about my first hetero-gay crush … Adam Ant was the coolest rock star and we all wanted to be just like him. I had a group of friends who all changed their last names to Ant — Ari Ant, Lisa Ant, Donovan Ant. That last one didn't really work too well, but I loved him anyway.
4. Beastie Boys. “Fight for Your Right to Party” was the battle call for my generation. I loved the brash white boy rap trio from Manhattan so much, I tracked them down and ended up becoming best friends with Adrock (who later married my sister). They will always be the greatest rebellious rappers I know.
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BMW 2002
3. BMW 2002. My first car was a little boxy BMW 2002 and I just thought I was the coolest kid ever! I took it to Earl Schieb for a $200 paint job and tricked out the interior. It was my babe machine, and I think that the 2002 was a pretty popular 80's car, along with the Volkswagen Rabbit – which every chick in LA seemed to drive at the time.
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2. Bret Easton Ellis. Author of Less Than Zero, American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction captured the decadent 80's better than anyone, and always had me fascinating about driving off in a convertible Corvette and a hot blonde from Beverly Hills high to the Ocotillo Lodge in Palm Springs for a weekend of debauchery.
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Donovan Leitch lost his virginity here
1. Losing my virginity! Yes, I lost my virginity early in the 80's in the bathroom of the Palace (now the Avalon) after a rock show — and that has got to be the #1 most cultural moment of the 80's for me!
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