Work For Free?

Do you want to work for free? Why not? Because it is work. Actors and others in the arts are expected to want to work for the shear joy of working. Are artists not worthy of compensation? Many people seem to believe this. We work for the love of work. Yes, artists do love their work but don't dentists and truck drivers and flight attendents love their work? They do and they are paid for it. There is a difference with helping out a friend but working for free for a stranger and being treated like an employee is a different story. Actors are constantly being "given" the opportunity to work for nothing, nada, squat. We'll give you credit; my how thoughtful of you! How about a little compensation? Is my time worth nothing to your project? If you don't have actors you just have a set. I recently received a phone call from th Dr Oz show. They wanted me to appear on their chat show but weren't interested in paying. When I declined the woman on the other end of the phone seemed shocked. Didn't I want to be on Dr. Oz? "Is Dr. Oz getting paid?", I asked, "Are you?" "well yes, but that is different." How so? You are a money making business, a TV show is a business. I am a business person too you know! I am not living on thanks I pay bills, buy food, wear clothes just like anyone else. If you can't afford to pay your actors you can't afford to make you film or video. Do you just call a camera company and say "hey can I have a free camera?" When you go to the supermarket do you assume you will get free food? No of course you don't, so why oh why do you expect and actor to just give you a product? Could it be our own fault? Perhaps it is actors who are to blame we don't simply say no enough. Well here is one that just says no. If I don't know you, you can pay me to spend 8 to 12 hours on your set. No one should be expected to work for free. Perhaps I am greedy, perhaps I am deluded but I do think I actors and what we do have worth!

Weho Bistro

So some friends bought a joint in West Hollywood called Salade de Provence. It was a loser restaurant, everybody knew it, in a great place with parking. It was a West Hollywood wet dream. Great space, good chef what more can you ask for? Paint the joint re-name it and boom you're in business! And they did it. The first of the year they bagged the old name and painted the shit out of the place and Weho Bistro was born. Same food just a better presentation and space, that's all you need and bam your are a hit!

When you walk in either Jerry or Jeff greet you and welcome you to their new place. When they welcome you they really mean it, they love having you. You aren't just a customer, they actually love that you came in. If you are really lucky they'll point out a celebrity you didn't know was there. It's very discreet and ever so Hollywood. Be you celeb or be you not you are welcome there. Be you A-list; well no one will bug you, be you y-list you get the same treatment. Everyone is a celeb a Weho Bistro.

If you don't have fun, it's your own damn fault. There's a tourist joint up the hill for you! Have the "surprise" because it's worth it and who doesn't want a surprise! This is an LA treat.

The Oscars Live in Hollywood

Well I tried to watch the Oscars but the show was so damned dull I knew I wouldn't make it through the whole show. I tried to care but some how just didn't. They seem to have no relevence, rich people in borrowed clothing strutting along a carpet layed on a filthy street entering a building with no name as the sponser has pulled out. They stand in their tedious finery patting each other on the back saying oh you are wonderful and so am I. Look at us aren't we wonderful, buy our product. It is really just a 3 hour commercial interupted by shorter ads.

I decided to go out and see some live performance. Real people in front of actual viewers. This seemed to me to be a better use of my time and frankly a hell of a lot more fun.

Selene Luna's Dog and Pony Show

The Grammy Museum

The Grammy Museum is not a museum about grandmothers. I had to explain this to my partner; it's a museum about the Grammy Awards. It doesn't have displays of Afghans and false teeth but costumes and instruments. That being said, the Grammy Museum is an interactive and invigorating museum.

The museum is located in the LA Live complex in downtown LA. The complex is very modern and inviting. It houses, along with the Museum, a bowling alley bar, the Nokia Theater, Trader Vic's and a bunch of other bars and restaurants. This isn't an article about LA Live so let it suffice to say the place is worth checking out.

The Entrance to the museum is on Figueroa St. where you are greeted by one of the few docents you encounter throughout the museum. The day we were there the gentleman at the door pointed out Janis Joplin's psychedelic Porsche in the lobby while he called for the elevator. The museum starts on the fourth floor and you work your way downward. We stepped into the black lighted elevator and were off on our Grammy Museum experience.

The elevator opens on the fourth floor to a room of wall sized video screens displaying past Grammy acceptance speeches. A twice than life sized Mary J. Blige was accepting an award for something and thanking God when I arrived. This foyer opens to the first gallery, historic photos and some actual Grammys in cases line the walls but the focus of the room is an interact table in the center of the room. "Crossroads" is the name of this display. By touching a genre of music video information and graphics appear on the table along with audio clips. Each of these genres has stylistic interactive links to another genre. I naturally touched Punk Rock and The Ramones started playing in my earphones. The screen had links to Hard Core, Glam, Garage, New Wave, Rockabilly, Ska, and Rock. These too had links leading to their prospective influences.

The next room has memorabilia from all the different genres of music the Grammy awards cover as well as some surprising information on the history of popular music in America and the world. Ranging from Ragtime to Jazz to Country and Religious music; popular music's genres are all covered. There are pieces of original sheet music and instruments along with costumes from the old masters of American music. The museum then shifts to The Grammy's itself. Photos and video clips along with red carpet outfits line the cases. The museum documents the history of the Grammy and the awards show. It is filled with facts and trivia that are just fascinating. Did you know Bob Newhart won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1961 for a spoken word record "The Button-down Mind of Bob Newhart"?

We travelled down to the third floor where the museum becomes even more interactive. Here displays of musical instruments are set up on a small stage and visitors are encouraged to pick them up and play them. There is a drum kit, bass, guitar, keyboard and microphone set up just waiting for the next Green Day or Sly and the Family Stone to walk up. There are sound proof booths throughout this floor covering every aspect of the recording process and the back wall honors and explains the Producer and it role the producer plays. In one corner by the stairs to the second floor there is a section entirely devoted to the Latin Grammy Awards. This is a small area but I was impressed that it was not ignored. I learned some things I would never have known and saw a dress worn by Celia Cruz.

The second floor of the museum has a room for changing shows. The show on display while I visited was devoted to Janis Joplin (hence the car in the main Lobby), Jimi Hendrix and the Doors. Contemporary photos of the performers and their histories lined the walls and filled the cases. There were some beautiful letters from Janis to her parents on one wall along with outfits she wore that I found particularly interesting. I would like to have seen more about The Doors as the museum was in Los Angeles but that is just me. The remained of the floor is taken up with the obligatory gift shop and to be frank I passed on looking at coffee mugs and mouse pads with the museum logo on them. I am sure there are some very lovely souvenirs available if that is your kind of thing.

We spent just under two hours in the museum and I will return again as I know I did not fully explore the collection as thoroughly as I might. This is a museum that caters to rockers and pop fans as well as it does kids and those adults ADHD. The interactive component of the museum makes it a very worthwhile experience.

Punk Rock Bar

Punk Rock Bar by Timm Carney A Punk Rock Bar is a beautiful thing. A thing to be celebrated and cherished. A true punk rock bar is an unsung hero and deserves to be worshiped. Where else can the ugly, the dirty, and the talent less be stars? Sure, there are good-looking, clean, and talented punks, but they are few and far between. Punk rock has always been a celebration of “the wrong”. The outcasts coming together became a viable genre eventually celebrated by mass culture. The roots of punk rock are punk rock bars. A punk rock bar should be dark, preferably black. Loud music is always playing in a punk rock bar. The next most important thing: cheap beer. The bathrooms of a punk rock bar are vile. A punk rock bar bartender is either hot or an asshole. Bands that have never played anywhere and sometimes never again are the opening acts. Sound check? Yeah right. A punk rock bar should have a room the size of a large closet. for the bands to stow their equipment and put stickers on the walls. Punk rock bars have the most diverse and tolerant crowds. Punks don’t hate; they’re just pissed off. As long as you are into the music you are totally welcome in a punk rock bar. If there is a fight in a punk rock bar it is purely personal. The pit. The pit is something else. The pit is the X, the variable, never the same twice. “How’s the pit? Who’s the band?” Fast and sweaty describes a punk rock pit. If it’s not fast and it’s not sweaty it’s, not punk rock. It’s just loud. If a punk rock bar’s cover is over ten dollars tell the door guy to fuck off and walk away. A punk rock show cover is cheap that’s all there is to it. Any punk rock band charging more than ten bucks is not playing in a punk rock bar unless it’s CB’s. CBGB’s is the proto-type of a punk rock bar; the father of all punk rock bars an international cultural landmark. Punk Rock has moved beyond a mere musical style; the ethos of punk rock infuses the politics and mores of generations. There are punk rock grandfathers walking around in our society with their punk rock grandchildren. The Safari Lounge is the quintessential punk rock bar. Located on an alley in an old nut store Providence’s Safari lounge embodies everything a punk rock bar strives to be. Bad acoustics and a crappy stage take up one corner, behind the bar is either a total hottie punk rock chick or a 50ish ex-speed freak with an amazing lady’s mullet. Either one of these broads can kick your ass. Seated or enthroned at the end of the bar is the owner; the king of his punk rock domain. The owner of the Safari Lounge looks like he may actually live under a bridge. This is his place and if you piss him off you’d better get the fuck out. Those are the rules. On the back wall by the squalid lady’s room and fetid men’s room is a glass case. Living in the glass case is a 12-foot yellowish-whitish constrictor. Occasionally the constrictor is fed and a rat is dropped into the tank. Rapt punk rock boys gather around the tank while their girlfriends wait in line to pee between bands. The best thing about the Safari Lounge is the cover. Zero, no charge. Three sometimes four shitty bands will play on Friday and Saturday nights. A lot of hair has been swung on that stage. The buildings around the Safari Lounge, once vacant office and retail spaces, now house scores of Trendy People. Trendy People don’t like punk rock bars. They’re too loud, too dirty and attract the wrong people. Trendy is punk rocks enemy; it the age-old good vs. evil story. A punk rock bar is always being threatened with closure. Every cop knows every punk rock bar. Just being in a punk rock bar makes you a suspect. The sidewalks in front of a punk rock bars are littered with cigarette butts and smokers. The real fun often happens in front of a punk rock bar. But be you Goth, be you Metal, be you gay, whatever, there will always be a night for you at a punk rock bar.

The Last Week at CB's

A Road Trip to CB's
by Timm Carney

The Midnight Creeps and The Sleazies booked gigs opening for The Vibrators at CBGB’s. I was invited along by Jennifer Hurricane lead singer for the Midnight Creeps. The show was Saturday September 29^th, this would be my last chance to go to CBGB’s; sure I’ll go. Jennifer said “We’re leaving around 2, well no maybe 3 ok ok 4.” At 4:30 we were on the freeway heading south. The worst part about driving to New York from Providence is Connecticut. 100 miles of sheer never ending tedium, but luckily, I was one of 13 in a 12-passenger van so it was a lot of fun.. In Mediocre (I think that was the name of the town) Connecticut we pulled over at a rest area cum McDonalds cum Dunkin Donuts cum Gift Shoppe.

“Hey you guys are a rock band!” said the roly-poly guy with the Burt Reynolds mustache. He was apparently once a fan of “Rawk” and asked Stimbot of the Sleazies if they sounded like “Satriani”. His clearly embarrassed and aging trophy wife eased him into the SUV.

Back in the van Jennifer sits up front next to Jami who’s driving, Ma and Pa Punk Rock. Ma starts making her skirt for the show out of a roll of Caution tape. Jennifer usually makes her outfit just before the show. She recently made a skirt from raw bacon. When asked about it she simply shouted “Who wants to bring home the bacon?”

CB’s arranged a parking spot for us right out front and we all poured out onto Bowery. Jennifer and I walked into the narrow club and past the stage to the restrooms. Some teenage boys with fabulous hair and famous person’s kid guitars were just finishing up their set and breaking down. Jaded New Yorkers watched her pass with interest. Jennifer turned it on when we walked in to the door of CB’s. Jennifer was now officially at work.

I slipped outside to meet some friends waiting like old groupies on the sidewalk. We went off to semi-quiet yuppie bar and scared up a few bar stools.

New York has changed since I started going to CBGB’s but CB’s has not. The East Village the one time home of bohemians and junkies has been repopulated by copyeditors and upper middle management bankers. CBGB’s had to go. A good fight was fought but the realtors won. It was over; but wait CB’s has been saved (sorta). It’s moving to Las Vegas! Vegas has always had a shitty music scene. Sure John Davidson and Cher can get gig but not your average punk rock band. Toto might be playing but le Tigre and The Dandy Wahols are not. CB’s is moving lock stock and urinal and is giving Las Vegas the rock and roll legitimacy that only Vegas can buy.

The Sleazies were playing when we got back into the club. “I wanna fuck your Mom” really is a hit. My friend Meg and I ordered a couple of beers. Meg now needed to pee. “Escort Me,” she shouted into my ear. We worked our way back skirting the pit as best we could; a crash and a stumble later we were in the dressing room talking to Jonas from The Midnight Creeps. Jonas is a nice guy. He’s really quiet and chick love him. I showed Meg to the ladies room. 2 minutes later she returned. “I can’t do it we have to go someplace else.” Having used the men’s room I could only imagine the horrors of the ladies room. We ran back across the street to the yuppie bar. Much more pleasant!

We walked back in just as Jennifer and the Midnight Creeps were coming onto stage. They killed! Jennifer’s rages backed by the Midnight Creeps pulled the crowd into their web. The Vibrators were next. My friend Jacki loves The Vibrators. She felt she looked like someone’s mother “Have you seen my son? I want to take his picture.” She said pulling a camera from her purse.

The Vibrators could be the scariest looking band I have ever seen. An apparent combination of embalming fluid and oxycontin flows through their collapsed veins. They played well and put on a very good show. I’m glad I got to see them. When the show was over it was back to their crypt at the Chelsea for the Vibrators.

Out front after the show, I sat in the van with Pete Burr. An old and very chatty black man offered to fly us home in his helicopter. We also met Justin a 16-year-old punk rock runaway. “Where are you guys from?” “Providence” “Where’s that?” “Rhode Island” “Where’s that?” “Go back to high school and finish taking geography kid”

I looked out of the van window at 3am to see Jennifer making out on the sidewalk with Punk Rock Boy. He claims to be on the street. I would have believed him if he weren’t almost clean shaven and to perfectly dressed.

“I’m going camping this weekend with Seth Feldman.”

“Okay honey, have fun!”

Somehow, we were able to free ourselves from both Justin and the helicopter pilot load everyone including Jennifer into the van. Driving through New York everyone has an opinion as to the best way to get out of town. Suddenly Jennifer’s phone rings, it’s CB’s booker asking if she would be interested in playing another show. Patti Smith is mentioned. Patti is CB’s last act fitting, as Joey is dead and would be the logical last act. Patti it is. “Baby was a black sheep Baby was a whore…”

Suddenly I wake up and the van is stopping at the rest area in Boredom Bay Connecticut. It’s like 4:75 or something in the morning before we finally get back on the road. The next thing I know we are pulling into Providence. I’m home. I can see my house from where Jami has parked the van. 6:35 am I’m in bed!

Time keeps on slipping, slipping...

Miss Kitten on the Keys

Several Years ago I had the pleasure of having met Miss Kitten on the Keys. She was a performer in a show I used to produce and never failed to get a great response. I have always enjoyed seeing her and talking to her.

Punk Globe: Miss on The Keys for those Punkglobe readers who may not have caught one of your shows; how would you describe them? Kitten on the Keys: Wow- me in Punk Globe? I have such fond memories of coming to The Mab and hanging out with the local color on Broadway as a young teen- I remember Ginger Coyote and Punk Globe- I bet there is an old stack in my parents basement Well- first and explanation of what KITTEN on the KEYS means- I adopted this name from a novelty jazz ragtime ditty from 1922 by Zez Confrey……My mind is always whirling and it sometimes feels like I have a dozen little furry footed friends clawing away at my grey matter. I was always a piano dork…my first instrument. I write campy punky cabaret songs with cheeky lyrics that will stir your nethers and tickle your funnybone. The underground cabaret and burlesque scene adopted me in the late 1990's and I started playing all about town and beyond as the vocalist and pianist for a grindcore Burlesque Band. The French have described me as "the Punk Rock Betty Boop" I am a ONE MA'AM BAND….I am a multi instrumentalist- ivory tickler, uke stroker, and accordion squeezer with an ADD addled stage presence . I love to dress up in decadent vintage inspired get ups that evoke the 1920's and other days gone by… ….I like to make and wear silly "Burlesque" nipple pasties like pig heads and vodka bottles. I have an amped up sexual stage persona that is both disturbing and alluring. My original three chord punk cabaret ditties describe unusual fetishes and odd human behavior like pony girls ,self mutilaters, Jesus fuckers, salty meat and cold cuts lovers, furries and girls that eat out of dog bowls. I like to bring silly props to help get my point across.. Cat puppets who give birth to kittens- Hamsters stuffed in Crisco cans, Hello Kitty vibrators and toy pianos. I also unearth vintage treasures that were considered "underground " blue tunes that use ye ol' double entendre. I have also covered some punk rock standards including Anarchy in the UK – known as "Kitty Anarchy" on toy piano, a spooky cabaret organ treatment for the pistols SUBMISSION, and I run my Ukulele though a distortion box that was given to me by the bass player from the UK SUBS while I was on tour of the UK with THE DAMNED.

PG: You are now a worldwide performer, what are some of your favorite cities to perform in?

KOTK: I had a blast June 2009 on a boat in Helsinki…..it was such a trip- they eat reindeer and bears and love ukulele's! Crazy right? Who would have thought that I would become popular overseas- I love the UK….they understand my cheeky humor- they do not have a lot of potty mouthed over the top lasses there so I am a novelty. Birmingham, UK and Edinburgh, Scotland are places that keep having me back- I have performed there several times. Belfast, Ireland was one of my best shows- opening for the DAMNED in the Twisted Cabaret Of The Damned Tour 2007 - they dedicated "LOVE SONG" to me and the girls! What a fun loving audience- they went ballistic! I have performed in France on many occasions- They treat visiting artists like royalty. I even have a small musical role in a feature film coming out in 2010 with award winning actor/director Mattieu Almaric- he is like the Sean Penn of France.

PG: Where do you want to perform that you haven't had the opportunity yet?

KOTK: I want to perform my one woman show in LONDON and BERLIN. I performed in TOKYO with another project and I have ALWAYS wanted to go back with my OWN frisky hi-jinks.

PG: Can you give us a little background on your crawl to stardom?

KOTK: I started playing in bands in 8th GRADE…..I had a little portable keyboard and a mom who did not mind driving me to band practice with the music geeks. We were are all so dorky but making money playing AC/DC and WHO covers at school dances. Our drummer was rad but needed rails of Crank to get him jammin'… One time the Mormon Temple hired us to play a dance and we had to change all the words to our cover songs- our lead singer was under aged and projectile vomited Southern Comfort on the Innocent clean cut Mormon dancers while pretending to be sober nubile Bon Scott... I then moved to the dorms @ SF STATE for my first year of college at 17- I immediately joined the girlie noisy psychedelic White Stains- we played at the MAB, The Sound Of Music, On Broadway and other great venues I had read about in underground music rags. We became pretty popular on KUSF and other college radio stations. Celso from Sound Of Music even requested us to play his spaghetti feed birthday! Our 12" EP had a great cover but never really went anywhere. I quit because of the speed freak culture. I did not like tweaking, scrapping baggies with razor blades or having nosebleeds. So I joined the pre-riot grll Sugar Baby Doll and or Sugar Babylon in the mid 1980's with Courtney Love, Kat Bjelland (Babes In Toyland), and Jennifer Finch (L7). At one point Insane Jane was our drummer. We did a Demo with Greg Langston ( Swinging Possums) on drums ….hard to imagine Courtney being influenced by the Cocteau Twins, REM and Felt……..but I have some rehearsal recordings that are ….pretty flowery and funny!

PG: Where did you start out? KOTK: Rest homes and church services for Senior Citizens! My Mom forced me to go to church…..I was such a horrible Christian, drinking beer, scoring drugs, making out with girls, and stealing the youth pastors dope stash. I went to Mexico 3 times for the lord….I was never born again- I wanted to rock! But I guess I have the church and the Humiliating high school marching band to thank for that. I was always running away to hang with the punks in Berkeley and San Francisco. It was a culture I wanted to be in. I went to Rather Ripped and Rough Trade and spent my babysitting money on import 7 inches. I was fortunate to have a permissive church lady Mom- I went to TONS of shows in the old days and was influenced by The CRAMPS, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Screamers, Toiling Midgets, VS, Throbbing Gristle, Flipper, Agent Orange, Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys. The Dead Kennedys even played at my high school in Lafayette!

PG: What was your first ever moment on stage?

KOTK: I was three years old and I was a misbehaved angel- I sat under the cross and had a temper tantrum while singing" away in a manger"- my mom laughed about what a stage diva I was for years.

PG: What was the first record you ever bought? Why?

KOTK: A TIE, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road at 10…I heard Elton John played piano, wore tight pants, silly glasses and had funky teeth. Sheer Heart Attack by Queen at 10 years old – I heard Freddie Mercury played the piano, wore tight pants, and had funky teeth. These sensitive piano playing British Blokes made me NOT want to get those painful braces. I remember trying to convince my parents that rock stars have bad teeth so I could too!

PG: Who is your favorite performer living or dead? Why?

KOTK: Gosh….there are SO MANY…limiting it to one would be so damn hard for me!! I adore history and over the top men…..Liberace is one- I even played his mirrored Baldwin Grand Piano in Vegas- I always say Freddie Mercury, Liberace and Alice Cooper are my three fave female roles models. But then there is Mae West and Shirley Temple too……..

PG: Tell the Punk Globe readers a little about Mr. Tinkler.

KOTK: I am lucky to have a real live GERIATRIC PUNK ROCK BOYFRIEND ……Mr Tinkler- a very frightening cabaret crooner who adores darling little girls in frills and bows…..He devilishly sings in the cabaret duo THE FIRKEYTOODLERS with me on piano. ( it means before the fuck in old English). This intense vocalist and sax god is really Ward Abronski. He blew the noisy sax solo on Flipper's classic SEX BOMB, leads Polkacide, and was in San Francisco's Famous Burlesque Orchestra which is where I fancied his hot surfer ass. People are always laughing at the song Geriatric Punk Rock Boyfriend from my Salty Meat Girl CD-It is all about loving a "mature" punk rocker- "he has hepatitis C, wakes up lots to pee- recently had his colonoscopy….but he still looks sexy to me…and he can't even see………" It's about Mr Tinkler- I have comments from people all over the world- this song makes ‘em giggle in their depends!

PG: What do you have coming up? KOTK: 2010 is an exciting year! I am going to revamp my one woman show- "Does This Piano Make My Ass Look Big?" in the US this summer and I am writing new songs for a new Kitten CD…that is if I can afford it. I am in a French film "TOURNEE" starring French Actor and Director Mattieu Almaric (Diving Bell and The Butterfly, Quantum of Solace) with some US burlesque performers. I sang a bunch of songs I hope did not end up on the editing room floor . I hear it will be out for Cannes 2010! A tour of Europe to go along with the film's release is also in store! I MC and play my three instruments in this burlesque and cabaret show. 2/13/10 I am opening up for the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Polkacide "From The Mab To The Slab" at the Bottom of the Hill! Raising money with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to battle Breast Cancer- Benefit for the Boob. Can't wait to dress up my boobs in a silly get up.

PG: What is your fantasy show?

KOTK: GG Allin, Extreme Elvis, Anita Bryant, Lux Interior, Buck Naked, Darby Crash, Tammy Faye Baker, and a church youth choir performing punk classics on ukulele's.

Thank you to Miss Kitten on the Keys. Check out her website (www.kittymusic.com) and see her shows live if you have a chance. It is well worth it!

Elephant: Queer is Cooler

It was the hottest day ever recorded in LA. I stood on Josie Cotton’s balcony in the full sun directing light off of a reflector onto Elephant. Who are Elephant and how did we end up on Josie Cotton’s balcony you may be asking yourself. I’ll get to that. We went inside. Josie made us lunch. We sat down to sandwiches and chat. We talked about Josie’s building and its view. Diane Linkletter jumped from the building in 1969. When lunch was over we headed into Josie’s bath room and a bubble bath photo shoot. Okay who are Elephant! I sat down recently with Elephant and we talked about their music their message and their lives. Jackson is the more social and chatty brother where as Coleman has more of a business head. Some might call them fraternal fags; they’d be right but they’d be so wrong. Sure they’re twins; sure they’re queer, those are just the facts. Jackson and Coleman Vrana are musicians with a message, and if you don’t get it, well, fuck you. Photo of Elephant by: Jenine de Shazer @2010 I asked Jackson and Coleman where they were from and they laughed and said they were from a lakefront property in Oklahoma. They came out when they were 14 or 15 and got beaten up every day. Both of them left when they were 18. Coleman went to New York and Jackson to London and they lived separate lives until about 3 years ago when Coleman paid a visit to Jackson who had moved to LA. While they were together in LA they discovered that they both had musical ideas that were remarkably similar. They then secretly put together Elephant. I asked where the name Elephant came from and they said it is the thing in the room no one wants to mention; the queer twin thing. They also said that they need to address the twin thing right up front as many people just assume it is a gimmick. “Twins are looked at as freaks.” Both of them want to be seen as performers, not just freaks. They are performers with a message and they are doing twin gay hip-hop because it makes their message more accessible. What is their message? That is harder to pin the guys down on. Their songs are about Transgender, HIV and queer issues. They are thought of as by some as an x-rated political band. This is how they got involved with Josie Cotton. Josie Cotton caught them playing “Notorious HIV” at an LA club and knew they had something. Josie a provocateur and a trouble maker in the 80’s renowned for her song “Johnny Are You Queer?” Josie was putting together a new album and had the guys record some vocals on one of her tracks along with performing with her at various gigs. They did a tour of shows including pride events and a Logo network show with Ru Paul. Josie has been working with them on Elephant’s upcoming record “Don’t Sit There Its Wet”. They are not trying to put out a record that will get radio play. They are working on moving further away from the gay scene and want to play more in Punk venues. Punks are treated as freaks and they feel more at home with punks as they too are freaks because they are queer. They want their record to make people think and to hopefully inspire young people not unlike the whole it gets better message. They say “Queer is cooler”.

Recess Court

A little to the left Clayton

Palm Spring Doesn't Rock Unless its a Secret!

So here I am in Palm Springs and I want to rock. I break out the ole faithful lap top and Google "punk rock palms springs". I found a sports bar with a DJ with "punk rock attitude" and I found a resort that has "a punk rock attitude". So all I can get is "attitude" at best. There are a couple of "punk rock" bands that come from the area but they don't seem to play here. I was a little bummed to say the least. This is the Coachella Valley I really thought the festival would have at least leeched into the club scene. Then I thought, "Hey maybe they don't advertise." That's punk rock! So there I was looking for someone "Punk Rock" on the street and asking them for help. I felt like I was in high school again; there I was looking for some who was vaguely punk rock to talk to; not a nice reminiscence. I did meet a chick who looked like a young and clean Amy Winehouse. She had nothing for me. I was stymied. I saw a dude skate boarding and pulled my car over. Apparently a guy over 40 in a sports car pulling over to the side of the road and calling out "Hey can you help me out" is creepy? Beer is cheap and "clothing optional" is the rule, so make the most of it and hum "California Uber Alles" and you'll feel better like I did.

Lili VonSchtupp Interview

In a down and dirty part of Hollywood, Hollywood the way it used to be, there is a grey cinderblock cube of a bar with a seedy strip mall attached. I pulled into the parking lot early and got a spot right by a door labeled “stage door”. It was a little early but my partner Millard and I wanted to be there on time. The front door was locked and had a sign reading “before 8pm, knock”. We decided to have a bite to eat at a Thai restaurant in the attached strip mall. We met a punch drunk boxer and watched a woman with a shopping cart duke it out with her boy friend (?). Welcome to “Monday Night Tease!” at the Three Clubs. After our meal Millard and I headed to the door that was at this point unlocked. We stepped in and back in time. The room was dark and vintage-y, Mae West could possibly be in that back very dark corners. We saddled up to the bar and ordered our cocktails. The room reeked of 1949 except for the Stooges on the juke box. Unfortunately it is the 21st century and we had to smoke outside. Suddenly fabulous girls started darting around. On the far wall from the bar a set of sliding doors opened and quickly closed with the fabulous girls disappearing behind them. The night was truly starting to look exciting. We knew we were about to see Burlesque. This was “Monday Night Tease!” produced by Lili Von Schtupp. This evening’s show featured Kitten on the Keys from San Francisco. The sliding doors finally opened and revealed another fabulous room, the show room! There was a small stage surrounded by two levels of tables and chairs. There is not a bad seat in this house. We loved the show and I knew I needed to contact Ms Von Schtupp.

Punk Globe: Punkglobe readers may not have heard of you yet so can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Lili Von Schtupp: I’m not sure what has kept them from knowing about it me? I’m an extremely famous (okay, mildly famous) producer and performer of burlesque in Los Angeles, California. Maybe they have a life? Hmmm… Anyway, I’m a burlesque enthusiast who found her way onto the stage at 37. I produce LA’s longest running weekly burlesque show, “Monday Night Tease!” (http://MondayNightTease.com), as well as a few other shows. Oh, and I created“The Burlesque Podcast” (available on iTunes) to talk about, and with other burlesque artists to spread my love for the art. And I’m a 44DD natural for those who care. ;) Punk Globe: What drew you to burlesque? Lili Von Schtupp: What didn’t?!? I was collecting since I found my first Playboy under my Dad’s bed. I watched old movies and musicals with my mom and had no idea many of the performers came from the burlesque circuit. The comics were amazing and the beautiful women in gowns and jewels, oh how I wanted to be one! I was fan of burlesque and didn’t know it. Slowly, as my collection grew I heard the word burlesque and then went on a hunt to understand it. Burlesque (in it’s current neo burlesque scene) is everything you love about women and entertainment. It’s sexy, smart, funny and always a good time. It encompasses parody and comedy with sexy, that’s great. For me it highlights and empowers women who may not be the ideal perfect image. Color, body shape, age, sexual orientation…none of it matters when you put on an outfit that makes you feel sexy, that confidence taking it off makes you sexy. It allows women and men to share a sexy tease in an innocent way (most of the time,) and connect again. I love strip clubs, but with burlesque it’s a journey of playfulness sometimes with a story, not really the end the result of being naked or actually having sex. I think of burlesque as foreplay on stage. Who doesn’t like that? Originally it was something a bit different; it’s gone through some big changes as society changed. It started out as parody of politics, culture and made fun of and pushed sexual morals at the time. It was racy because women showed flesh tights in public. How scandalous! With every celebrity photo showing naughty bits getting out of a car available on the Internet, burlesque seems tame now. Punk Globe: Can you tell us about “Monday Night Tease!”? Lili Von Schtupp: Why yes I can. “Monday Night Tease!” evolved out of the show I made my burlesque debut in, Derby Burlesque. It’s been running every Monday Night for 7 years. I’ve been producing it for over 3. I run it like a traditional burlesque show. I book 7 burlesque acts and a variety artist for each show and it changes weekly. I felt the need to keep the variety part of the show. Originally burlesque was more about the variety arts; comics, jugglers, plate spinners, singers, magicians and the like, with a pretty girl dancing. It wasn’t all about the dancing girls then. And now it’s mostly burlesque stripping. But the amazing thing is our dancers are the variety artists now. I book amazing acts that sing and strip, hula hoop and strip, strip while juggling and more. It’s pure entertainment with a sexy twist. Punk Globe: How did you find 3 Clubs, your venue? Lili Von Schtupp: I was lucky. I mentioned I debuted at “Derby Burlesque.” Well, the show was at the “Brown Derby” for a few years and was moved to 3 Clubs by the original producer. The 3 Clubs offers something not easily found in LA, a three-quarter stage with a great view from anywhere in the room. It was used in the movie “Swingers” and is perfect the show I do. It’s a local favorite and once you visit you’ll know why. I love that it is my home in LA. Punk Globe: What is the burlesque scene in Hollywood like? Lili Von Schtupp: Growing! When I started 7 years ago there was monthly show and the show I took over. Last night there were 5 burlesque shows in LA and tonight there are 5 more. Amazing. We have several burlesque schools, a few pole dancing classes, weekly burlesque exercise classes and arsenal of amazing talent to draw from. LA is a city built on talented people trying to break into movies and so have we a ton of homegrown talent and imports as well. There are shows themed to pirate burlesque, theater productions and we have the styles of Pussycat Dolls and Café Was (formerly Forty Deuce). Not to mention Jumbo’s Clown Room, strip clubbing at its finest. They just celebrated the 40 anniversary and had aerial strippers outside the venue with the circus party they threw. What’s not to love about Hollywood burlesque! Punk Globe: You have had some fun shows in the past what do you have planned for the future? Lili Von Schtupp: Well, we just had our “Inglorious Burlesque: The 3rd Quentin Tarantino Burlesque Film Festival” which we do every year. We also are bringing back “The Muppet (of burlesque) Show” based on Jim Henson’s works, and Lili’s Laugh In” based on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, as well as the really popular “maydonna” show, yep you guessed it all Madonna themed acts. As for new shows, I am just starting the “I Love Mel Brooks” show for February 2011, and I’m finalizing a new show this week. It’s exciting. As much as love the theme shows, I really enjoy booking a solid classic show full of gown and glove numbers and big fan dances. Punk Globe: What would be your dream show/venue? Lili Von Schtupp: Wow, I’ve done so many shows I’m proud of and have plans for some killer stuff in the future, but I have to say my dream show happened August 29th. Quentin Tarantino finally saw the show. I got an email with the subject line “Quentin Tarantino” the night after “Monday Night Tease!” did Inglorious Burlesque. I opened it and it was from Quentin’s people and he wanted to see the show but couldn’t come on Monday. I pulled he cast back together and we did a private showing him and the people from his company, actors from his movies, writers, Ads, prop people and his friends. He basically booked the show for his friends. He is such a sweet guy! Honestly, when he jumped on stage at curtain call and said it was amazing, it was the highlight of my career. So much time was spent on details and things only people who worked on the movies would get, to have them cheering though our acts was awesome. Watching the reactions of people who worked on those films laughing and cheering n the sexy strips was pretty fucking cool. I have an amazingly successful show that is surviving in LA on a weekly basis and friends I work with that are talented, smart, beautiful and sexy. I am managing to make a living doing what I love. Hell, I’m living the dream every day. As long as there is a stage and I can work with my amazing friends, I’m a happy. So there you have if right from the producer’s mouth! There is a great Burlesque scene in LA and Variety entertainment is here in a new and fresh format. Check out her show if you are in town it is well worth the trip.

Pacific Design Center

Sometime In New York City

Forty years ago this month John Lennon and Yoko Ono went into a studio in New York and started recording a new record. The record would be released in June of 1972 with the title “Sometime in New York City”. This record completely distanced Lennon from his pop past. He and Yoko had released two previous records but this was different. “Sometime in New York City” focused on politics and social issues in a way that both Lennon and Ono hadn’t allowed themselves to before. Released as a double album there are eleven songs on the first album and live tracks recorded in London and the Fillmore East. The live tracks include performances with Frank Zappa, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Keith Moon along with the Elephant’s Memory Band. The record was not well received and poorly reviewed. It was not the sound that critics and audiences wanted from John Lennon and of course Yoko Ono was blamed and derided. Songs dealing with women’s issues, marijuana and the Irish genocide were not appreciated and the atonal sound of Yoko’s voice was attacked. When listened to today one can hear the seeds of what would eventually be termed Punk Rock. The opening track titled “Woman is the Nigger of the World” was considered shocking by the use of the word nigger even though Lennon and Ono explained that the word was used as an allegory. This resulted in the single getting very little airplay and banned in many places. The track “John Sinclair” is about a man arrested and imprisoned for possession of two joints. The refrain with its repeating “gotta” has a rhythm that predates the spare sound of punk rock by many years. The track “New York City” has echoes of Lennon’s skittle past and tells of his new life in the US and NYC. Yoko’s feminist ideals are focused on in the tracks “Sisters O’ Sisters” as well as “Woman is the Nigger of the World” and “Angela” a song about Angela Davis. The “troubles” in Ireland are the focus of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and the sad and almost nursery rhyme-like “The Luck of the Irish”. The live tracks include “Cold Turkey” and “Scumbag” as well as Yoko’s "Don't Worry Kyoko". These are the most dissonant tracks where Ono’s plaintive howls interact with Lennon’s guitar riffs. The echo-y sounds evoke and sadness and angst that would be heard in Yoko’s later work. “Sometime in New York City” was re-mastered and reissued on CD several years ago. This is a record that truly deserves a listen and the respect that it did not receive as it was too far ahead of it time.

Thing

Charlie Hides Interview

A few months ago I was goggling for something and a link came up to a you-tube video made by a guy named Charlie Hides. It was a video titled “Madonna’s GAGA Nightmare”. I clicked on it and was instantly laughing. Charlie Hides makes some very funny videos! They are a mix of his original characters and parodies of celebrities. The thing that makes them standout is Charlie, he plays all the characters! I have found all of them to be hysterical. One of his original characters is Laquisha Jonz I highly recommend her she is FUNNY.

I recently contacted Charlie in London where he lives and he made a cup of tea and answered some questions for me.

Punk Globe: How many videos do you currently have on your “you-tube” channel? Is there one that gets more hits than others?

Charlie Hides: At last count there were over 50 on main channel, and about a dozen more on my second channel which features mash ups of the outtakes and deleted scenes from the weekly videos. Any video which features Madonna or Lady Gaga gets more views as they are the most google searched entertainers on the planet. Because I often recreate moments in pop culture within hours of the event those videos go viral due to trending topics on Twitter and other social media.

PG: Can you give our readers who might not yet heard of you or seen your videos a little background on you as a performer and video maker?

CH: I’ve been working as a stand-up comic for years in the US and UK and in the past year have had millions of views on YouTube of my celebrity impressions and topical comedy sketches. I mimic everyone from Justin Bieber and Elton John to Madonna, Cher and Lady Gaga.

PG:  You’re an American how did you end up in London?

CH: The way a lot of people do, I fell in love with a Brit and was determined to make the relationship work. It was a huge challenge to transplant myself into a very different culture and to start from the bottom all over again after working my way up the ladder in the States but I quickly fell in love with the UK and it’s now home. London is incredibly vibrant and inspiring and has a great comedy scene.

PG:  Who is your favorite character to do?

CH: It’s always changing, I love doing original characters like Stanley Blackstone and Maureen. Laquisha Jonz is a single mother of three and is a lot of fun to do because she has opinions about EVERYTHING. Cher is fun to play because she is still a bad ass at 65 and doesn’t take shit from anyone.

PG: Have any of the people that you have skewered contacted you?

CH: Um no, thankfully. I’d be mortified if they were genuinely upset with my characterization. I try to be affectionate and not malicious and I’m not doing literal impersonations like and actor would do for a Hollywood biopic. I’m taking their persona and image and creating a comic version that is often quite dissimilar to the actual celebrity. I hope they would see that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I have been contacted by Boy George and Kylie Minogue who are big fans and have re-tweeted many of videos.

PG: How long do your videos take to make? Do you have a big crew helping you out?

CH: I often write and film them on Monday and Tuesday and upload on Wednesday morning. Big crew? It’s just me, a bag of wigs and a video camera. Sometimes I get help when I need an extra body for the scenes where I have two celebrities interacting. All of the close ups are my face but sometimes you see the back of someone or an additional arm or leg. Otherwise it’s just me.

PG: Is there someone you would like to do whom you haven’t done yet?

CH: I get requests all the time from viewers who want me to do their idols. I keep pushing myself to try new and different people, some I can pull off but others are just so beyond my physical ability. I’m playing character from 17 – 70 years old, male and female of different races and sizes. Without surgery or special effects team I’m limited by my bone structure. After many requests I’ve tried doing Brittany Spears but wasn’t happy with the look. I also tried Ricky Gervais but again, he’s got a completely different shaped face. I’d like to do Kanye West because he’s got the biggest ego in show business and seems to have a tenuous grasp on reality. He’s a perfect target so he’s on my list for future projects.

 PG: Have you thought of doing someone like Courtney Love or any of the other divas of punk rock?

CH: Yes, Courtney is on my list. I love her music and think she’s a brilliant actress, I’m sure I can pull her off as she’s got an iconic look and a similar shaped face. The right story line will come along in the near future I’m sure. I also love Deborah Harry and David Bowie, again, iconic looks and great artists. Maybe they will do a duet or slap a sky Marshall and make front page news.

PG:  Is there anyone’s character you can’t get down?

CH: Well, as mentioned I’ve had trouble with Britany Spears, I can do the Southern drawl but not quite got the look and I can’t do Kylie Minogue’s accent yet. I’m working on it.

PG: What is your next project? Anything you want to let our readers know about.

CH: In the next few months I’ll be doing more videos with my original characters and I’ve been asked to put together a live show incorporating many of the celebs I’ve become known for. That is a huge technical challenge but I’m having fun playing with different ideas which would incorporate video and live characters interacting. I’ll be debuting a version of it at the GAY VILLAGE arts festival in Rome at the end of June so I best get back to work.

I’d really like to thank Charlie for his time. He can be seen on you-tube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/CharlieHidesTV/videos

Now if you are in London or are traveling to London you can see Charlie live on stage where he does his original characters in Clapham at The Two Brewers on Sunday nights at 9:30. More info about the Two Brewers can be found at: http://the2brewers.com/

You can and should check out Charlie’s face book page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charlie-Hides-TV/136970379705116

Like him and get updates and see his new videos.

Disaster

A Rock and Roll Disaster
by Timm Carney

Great White is a mediocre hair band no one would remember if they hadn’t killed 100 people. The Station was an old roadhouse in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a poor mill city about 15 minutes outside of Providence.

In 2003 Great White set off pyrotechnics igniting the Station ending the lives of one hundred people. This one performance by a completely forgettable band influenced Providence’s music scene forever. The repercussions were instantaneous. Every venue was to be thoroughly inspected and those not passing were to be immediately shut down.

Rock clubs rarely are described as nice. They’re dumps, usually in a bad part of town. Depending on the show, a venue can draw a huge crowd packing the place. A packed club is the sign of a hot band. Most rock clubs are small and the patrons are used to being crammed together. No one knows where the exits are. People know where to find the stage and the toilets. They know where the bar is. The only ways out most people know is the way they came in.

Great White’s fans/victims saw the pyrotechnic flash and the flames and applauded. By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late. The lights went out and full scale panic ensued. All 300 people in the 200 person capacity club ran to the main entrance to escape. In the dark and acrid smoke, it seemed the only way out.

The Station burned to the ground in a matter of minutes. A local news crew happened to be in the club that night capturing much of the fire and mayhem on tape. One of rock and rolls disasters was broadcast almost live on a national feed.

This could happen to any one of us. How many times have you been to see a band in a way too packed club? Where’s the exit? What would you do?

Rhode Island has subsequently enacted the strictest fire codes in America. The smaller underground clubs took the hardest hit. Some places had no other option but to shut down. Sprinkler systems and illuminated exit signs aren’t cheap but they are required. Seeing a band in Providence is defiantly a much safer experience now; but at what cost. One hundred people had to die to make think. We all need to use some common sense. When you’re in a club you need to know how to get out and if you’re in a band don’t shoot off fireworks in a fucking club.

Ginger Coyote and Joe Wada

Doomed

DOOMED I TELL YOU DOOMED
by Timm Carney

Society in modern America frightens me.
It frightens me that in this day and age someone can be denied access to this country for moral turpitude.
Moral Turpitude! Who lodged these charges? Mary Baker Eddy? When was the last time some one was charged with moral turpitude? We are going to hell! The signs are appearing! Madonna is in the rock and roll hall of fame! Who's next -- Cher?
I'm sure Madonna is a very nice lady but lets face it rock and roll she is not. She may possibly roll but certainly doesn't rock.
I blame this all on Nancy Reagan. The bitch got the whole thing started.
Her war on fun is being fully waged now. We are under attack. The Morally Correct are taking over the world.
The only good thing I can say about Madonna being inducted into the Hall of Fame is at least she has no morals and if she does she certainly doesn't flaunt them. Don't get me wrong: our society has sluts but they are all vapid sluts. Britney Spears doesn't have an intellectual thought in her head. She goes shopping and out for big gulps.
Paris Hilton should be voted into the Vapid Hall of Fame along with all her fans. Fans of what exactly I don't know.
Did you hear any of her CDs? I have to admit I did give 3 tracks about 15 seconds each.
The dumbing down and moral correctness is undermining our society. Where is Mimi Farina when we need her?
What's going on in our society is bullshit. Barack Obama smoked pot. Come on, he grew up in the 70's,
and was in college in the eighties, who didn't smoke pot? Even Christians smoked pot! If you didn't, you were suspect.
Thank goodness for people like Barney Frank. He has been trying to decriminalize marijuana for years.
SICK PEOPLE NEED IT. Stoners don't go out and get into high speed car wrecks; drunks do.
Stoners can't find their keys. Sebastian Horsley can't come into this country because he admitted to having been arrested
and using drugs. Boy George seems to have no problem crossing borders. Where is the justice in that?
Amy Winehouse is the junkie du jour. Perhaps it is England causing all our problems. It must be a plot of Prince Philip's.
Is he hatching another evil plan in a tower of Balmoral? Is this all in retribution for 1776?
It would explain George Michael's latest tour. We are doomed I tell you -- doomed!
People don't play guitars anymore they play a computer game about playing guitars! We are turning into mindless spineless jelly.
How much longer until evolution evolves us back to a protoplasm? Is it our future to exist as mere electrical impulses in ectoplasm? Are we to become cognizant aspic? What does Lee Ron Hubbard have to say? Someone summon Sacred Leader Cruise for advice.

My Grandfather Lester Phillips

Narragansett Larger Beer!

What goes better with punk rock than cheap beer? Free beer? Well any beer will do really, but cheap beer is a must. Narragansett beer is just one of those beers. Founded sometime in the mid 1800’s Narragansett started brewing larger beer. It became the largest brewing company in New England. Sometime in the late 20^th century the brewery was bought by Falstaff brewing and basically fell out of favor and almost out of production. The biggest brand of beer in New England was for intents and purposes dead.

Then right at the turn of the 21^st century two guys bought the name, got some money together, hired a brew master and got the brew back on the market. They are making good Punk Rock beer. I prefer the tall boy cans; they are the traditional way to drink a ‘Gansett. It is just as good as the original and just as cheap too. If you are paying more than a couple of bucks for a draft you are being shafted! Narragansett has been preserved! These guys deserve some sort of an award for keeping a vital part of punk rock society alive. Cheap beer rules. Cosmos and Manhattans are not punk rock, beer is. That is all there is to it. Shots are great, they’re punk rock too, but beer really is king. Mickey’s and Burgie! are the closest things to Narragansett on the west coast. Narragansett’s other major brew is Haffenreffer. That’s good malt liquor! Equally as punk rock. Malt Liquor can hold its own in. There was a day when every city and area had its own local brew. Girls like Lavern and Shirley really did exist. Times have changed and become more corporate that why it is great to see companies like Narragansett making a come back. Drink the local beer, eat the local food, and see local bands. Don’t let corporate top 40 and homogenization win.

Fight the man! Have a “Gansett!

Young @ Heart

So you think you're an old Punk rocker. Ha! You are nothing unless you are as old as the members of the Young at Heart Chorus. The minimum age of the chorus is 73 and they rock. Have you ever heard a group of 80 something's belt out a version of "I Wanna be Sedated" or Sonic Youth's "Schizophrenia"? Well you should. A 2006 documentary was made for England's Channel 4 and released by Fox Searchlight pictures recently played on PBS as a part of its Independent Lens series. The film documents the story of the chorus from Northampton' Massachusetts and its members. The director of the chorus is man named Bob Cilman who brings a love of modern music and punk rock songs to a group of elderly singers. The chorus' take on punk songs is a refreshing' exciting albeit campy experience. They have a CD available on Rhino Records titled "Mostly Live" on which they cover songs like "Walk on the Wild Side" "Should I Stay or Should I Go" "Ruby Tuesday" and "Yes We Can Can". You can't help but love this chorus and their vitality. The documentary gives you what appears to be a true picture of them health issues and all. It is touching' sad' and hilarious experience. If you want to see a great rock and roll movie make a point of renting it or looking for it on your local PBS station. The chorus is the essence of ROCK ON.

Museum of Death

“The bats have left the bell tower The victims have been bled Red velvet lines the black box”

It is a beautiful sunny LA day. I pull into the parking lot on Hollywood Blvd. and park. On the street I walk to the door recessed in bougainvillea I have arrived. I am at the Museum of Death. At the door of the inner sanctum of the museum (I guess this would be death’s door) I am met by JD the owner/curator of the Museum and gallery next door. “Welcome to the Museum of Death” he extends his tattooed arm and we shake. He is warm; very friendly and totally punk rock. I am directed through some velvet curtains into the Serial Killer room and told if I have any questions to let him know. BAM there I am alone in a room with an electric chair and walls covered by paintings from the hands and minds of serial killers. This is the Museum of Death get into it and over it. I move on after my fill of John Gasy’s creepy clown paintings. There is room after room of ghastly treasures to come! Caskets, bones, autopsy tutorial videos, cases filled with various mortician tools the list is endless. I was totally enthralled by a wall covered in matchbooks from funeral homes. There is a plenty of death ephemera in every room. This is Hollywood so celebrity deaths are not forgotten. There is a room dedicated to the Manson Family with plenty of gruesome Sharon Tate photos and creepy Charlie art. Heaven’s Gate has its own little room too complete with authentic costumes and bunk beds. Dead rock stars are always a crowd pleaser and the Museum of Death pulls out all the stops with its G G Allin collection. I personally loved the juxtaposition of Marilyn Monroe’s autopsy photos and JFK’s. There is a small room of taxidermy that is very interesting. The animals are mainly albino and eerily beautiful. One of my favorite rooms is a screening room decorated in a funeral home fashion. I watch a little punk rock while I gathered my thoughts before heading out to the real world aka the gift shop. JD is ushering a small group of tourists into his chamber of horrors as I enter the room. We chat about the museum and the gallery next door. He tells me the museum started out in San Diego and moved to Hollywood about 10 years ago and into this Hollywood Blvd. space fairly recently. The building was once a recording studio owned by Ray Charles in the 1960’s and a slew of punk bands recorded in a studio in the section of the building around the corner. Enough people come to the museum to keep the doors to his collection open and JD seems to like it that way. This isn’t Madame Tussaud’s it’s the real thing. That’s a real decapitated head in there! The admission is worth the price believe me! I walk out to the sidewalk after meeting JD’s Siamese two headed turtle. I get into the car and radio is playing “Detachable Penis”. How odd I think to myself, “I just saw a picture of one.”

Michael Frost Is Not Dead

Michael Frost is not dead

Michael Frost is not dead. No matter what you have read or what he may have told you; he is not dead.  Who the fuck is Michael Frost? He is an artist. He is a writer, film maker and visual 2D artist. Born in Spain of Spanish and American parents he moved to the US in the 1970’s. Michael Frost is someone you should know about.

In June of 2011 a show of his collage paintings called “Cut Ups” hung in the Edgar Varela Fine Arts Gallery in Los Angeles.  These works were created with pieces of 1960’s Spanish movie posters pasted together and augmented with paint and LED lights. The amusing and alarming images captivate the audience as do his films. His film “3 Stories about Evil”, a still montage, exemplifies both the amusing and the alarming aspects of his work. One of the stories is “The Story of Pat and Pepper”. It involves a mother played by Mink Stole and her show business daughter Pepper a plastic baby doll. The images like those in the “Cut Ups” show are hilarious and disturbing at the same time. 

Michael Frost along with his partner Charles Wright produce, write and direct films as Helsinki Productions.  Their award winning short film “The Harvey Girl from Shanghai” is a mash up of stories making an entirely new and fascinating and funny story.  This story too is collage not at all unlike his “Cut Ups” works.  They are currently working on a feature film titled “Shut Ins” based on a web series starring Erica Gavin, a true Hollywood bad girl. She was a star the Russ Meyers movies “Vixen” and “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls”.  Michael has future shows of his paintings and other scripts in various states of production right now.  This is a man to keep an eye on as you never know what he will turn out next.  Information about Michael Frost’s future shows and works available can be found on his website www.frostisdead.com .