Lina LecaroShe's Got It
Rock scribe/groupie queen Pamela Des Barres celebrated her birthday and the completion of her latest tome, Let’s Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Super-Groupies, with a bash at her home a couple of weeks ago, and fantabulous friends, including Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson, Paul “Pee-wee Herman” Reubens, Russell “Sparks” Mael, punk photog Jenny Lens (who’s got a book of her own coming out soon), and ex Michael Des Barres, came out to celebrate and catch current beau Mike Stinson rockin’ her backyard. The book, which offers candid interviews with everyone from Russ Meyers fave Tura Satana (who dated Elvis) to Static Beth (known for her Web site featuring famous penises), comes out this spring, and as for the much-rumored I’m With the Band movie, Des Barres says talks have now turned to doing a Sex & the City–meets–That ’70s Show–style cable-TV series . . . Another saucy diva, artist/singer “Go-Go” Giddle Partridge, celebrated her birth with a soiree in a Warhol-draped room at The Standard on Sunset last Sunday, bringing out pals such as Rodney Bingenheimer and Eric Erlandson for some junk food and flashbackish frolicking to the sounds of The Partridge Family. Both glitter-lovin’ goddesses know how to throw a groovy gathering, that’s for sure.
Unmasked
It’s been three and a half years since promoter Ralph Carrera quit the rock biz after his Tigermask Shakedown L.A. event went horribly awry: The city closed down his planned venue at the last minute, his partners bailed, and many of the bands didn’t get paid. Carrera says his life was even threatened. Thankfully, Carrera has mended some fences and is back doing the ’Mask monthly at Safari Sam’s. Last Saturday, some of the club’s grittiest garagers — The Chelsea Smiles, Flash Express and a newly reunited Superbees — gathered for a rollicking night of loud and ugly sounds attracting a seriously loud and ugly (but, you know, sexy-ugly) crowd. It was just the kick in the ass L.A.’s wimpy rock scene needs right now. Next month’s bill should be even more wicked, with The Ghastly Ones and Lords of Altamont doing a pre-Halloween mash ’n’ smash. Carrera tells us he may even give the Vegas version of Shakedown a go again. Here’s to rollin’ the dice…
Another week of after-dark antics comes to a close, only this time we bid adieu not till next week, but for a few months. As alluded to in a previous column, we’ve got a li’l Nightranger in the oven and she’s just about done, so it’s time to hang up our dancin’ shoes and put away our earplugs for a while. We’ll be back soon with all the club, music and party muck you crave, but in the meantime, here’re some Nightranger-recommended happenings to revel in while we’re gone: Giant at Vanguard (Saturdays, starting September 9), new location, same killer DJ lineups… Punky Reggae at Lil’ Pedros (Fridays) — Part Time Punx + Dub Club = one lacerating love on the dance floor… Club NME at Spaceland (Wednesdays) — indie-head dancin’ at Spaceland? Cinespace better watch its back… 21st Century Scream at Viper Room (starting Saturday, September 9) — Dayle Gloria’s return to the Strip is sure to live up to its name… Cathouse at Key Club (October 10) — hard to believe it’s been 20 years since spandex and conch belts… Swig a shot o’ Jack for us!
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