View more photos in the “Nightranger: Rainbow Fashion, Cock Rock, Wolfmother Gets Lazered” slideshow.

RUNAWAY TRAIN
If the most vibrant art is created in the darkest of eras, Jared Gold’s glorious Technicolor fashion presentation last Thursday at Club Social only solidified what we all already know: These are some dreary times we’re living in. Gold Versus Petker, his collaboration with artist Joshua Petker, saw a refreshing rainbow of rousing runway looks, all of them boasting more details than we’ve ever seen from the designer. Watching the sassy spectacle, bursting with meticulous beadwork, ornate embroidery and appliqués, whimsical yarn balls and doll-like ensembles, it was impossible not to feel perky and maybe even optimistic for the future. To that end, Gold’s event wasn’t just about grandeur; there was a charitable component as well. Proceeds from ticket sales go to the American Artisan Foundation, which seeks to create fashion jobs within the U.S. Also benefiting the org, Gold’s “Runway Train Tour” announced before the show, which will take the spectacle on the road and involve the local fashion, makeup and nightlife-talent communities based at each stop. With the shitty economy, and the fashion industry struggling more than ever, we think it’s avant-garde luxe and new ideas like Gold’s that will turn things around. At the very least, his wearable “colored explosions” sure make the world look cherrier!

As always, the crowd was almost as eye-catching as Gold’s show. Popping from the front rows in many of the same pink, green and blue hues seen in the show: jewel maven Tarina Tarantino (whose butterfly clips fluttered from many models’ heads), 90210’s Annalynne McCord, Billy Corgan, Angie Bowie, drag divas Ongina and Fade-dra Phey, singers Josie Cotton and Giddle Partridge with Rodney Bingenheimer (the last three arrived in wild style: a leopard-print limo!). Our pal Partridge tells us she’s doing PR for reunited ’60s psychedelic icons The Electric Prunes, who’reworking with Corgan in the studio. Groovy. Tried to get some dirt on the Runaways film — which we hear features a scene inside a re-created Rodney’s English Disco — but Rodney wouldn’t spill. Apparently the flick’s shrouded in secrecy, but here’s what we do know: It’s based on Cherie Curie’s book Neon Angels, and Twilight’s Kristen Stewart plays Joan (pics of which have been leaked all over the Net); Dakota Fanning plays Cherie, Elvis’ granddaughter, Riley Keough, plays Curie’s sister Marie; and Revolutionary Road actor Michael Shannon plays Kim Fowley (who was also at the show). The movie, directed by Floria Sigismondi (known for her intriguing music videos), just finished filming and had its wrap party at El Cid last week. We’re excited about this one, to say the least. More info here as we get it.

AXED AT RELAX
Though it was at a far less fancy locale — the dingy Thai restaurant–adjacent dive Relax Bar on Western — the recent “Cock Rock Shock Fest” featuring local freaks Rebel Rebel had us as awed as we were by the catwalk shindig. We’ve been following RR off and on for nearly a decade (they’ve been around for two!) and were always impressed by their hair-raising antics, especially singer Teddy’s penchant for running outside clubs, midset, mic in hand, and stopping traffic on the street. He didn’t dare do that at Relax, but he did do the RR signature chain-sawing of a skinned goat head and samurai-sword destruction of a computer. A firecracker-phallus stunt failed throughout the show, but finally lit up, making for a sparkling, eh, climax. Musically, the band serve up noisy metallic punk (dig their version of “Everybody Wants Some”), but for RR it’s really about the theatrical elements, which in the past have gotten ’em banned from just about every club in Hollywood. Gotta give it up to guys, who still rock the wacky getups, face makeup and insane hair in the air (they even market their own line of “hardcore hair gel”) after all these years, especially since the schlock couldn’t be less hip right now. In general, metal and clamorous sounds from the dark side are what you’ll find at Relax, thanks to booker/GM Eddie Solis (Southern Lord Records), and it’s really become a sort of hidden headbanger haven; hidden because if you don’t know about the thunderous acts within, you’d probably never look at the place twice. We didn’t. But now that we know, we’ll be back. After all, where else in L.A. can you get pad thai noodles and thrasher noodling in one place?

LIGHTS OUT
More metal mayhem: Wolfmother are back, and their sophomore release, Cosmic Egg, is loaded with bigger Black Sabbath riffage, deeper Led Zep–ish mysticism and the Ozzy meets Geddy Lee–like wails of frontman Andrew Stockdale (the only remaining original member). We heard the new one in its entirety at a listening event at the new, appropriately retro Lazerium Theatre in Hollywood. Liked the album, but we think we’ve been desensitized by one too many concerts and raves, as the psychedelic, dancing lights of the new Lazerium weren’t nearly as exciting as we remembered from when the show was inside the giant dome of the Griffith Observatory. Still, the theater staff are cool, and the guys working the lights are vets from Pink Floyd’s live shows. Gonna give it another (hopeful) head spin at one of its regular Floyd,Beatles orZeppelin shows. One thing’s for sure: “Enhancements” will be necessary. Thankfully, there are plenty of bars and clubs on the boulevard. . In other news, we just got word that big changes are coming to Medusa Lounge on the other side of town, which, after the end of the month, will cease having DJ nights due to the economic downturn. Bummer. Look for the scoop on its final week of fetes and promotions, on the Dance Clubs page next week. Nightranger is taking that week off for our birthday, but we’ll be back on August 21.

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