Since no live shows in LA, I’ve been hitting the web to discover/rediscover some cool bands that gave it a shot, but for whatever reason, didn’t hit the mark.
ROSE TATTOO– A great band from Australia that broke in the early 1980’s, with a bluesy hard rock that was heavy on slide guitar, and the band members were heavy on tattoos and denim. These guys were a dirtier version of Guns N Roses before they existed. GNR covered one of their songs, and AC/DC was never this sleazy. Very good stuff if you dig loud grimy hard rock.
GIRL– This British band spanned Phil Lewis from LA Guns and Phil Collen from Def Leppard. Before that, they were part of this Punk Glam Hard Rock band on Don Arden’s Jet records. They released two albums that are NWOBHM classics in a very different way than most of those bands. They were raw in more of a Stooges/Ramones way and not so much metal. They redid a Kiss song and toured with UFO and the like, but I always dug them for their raw and punky attitude, all tarted up with makeup.
Smashed Gladys– Canadian band by way of NYC, these guys had a rough female lead vocalist, and they tore up the local scene with some raunchy bluesy hard rock with a dark glam image. I just recently got into these guys when I stumbled onto them on YouTube. They put out a couple of good major label releases, and were similar to Hanoi Rocks and any of the Andy McCoy led bands that came after. They used to rule the NYC Limelight scene and had a lot of hip supporters in that scene.
Electric Angels– From the ashes of Candy out of LA, came these gypsy glam NYC transplants. They recorded their major label record with super glam producer Tony Visconti and made a video with Cristina Applegate, but were unable to set the US on fire. Singer Shane had all that it took to become a superstar, timing and luck was not on their side. Guitarist Ryan Roxie now plays guitar with Alice Cooper and bassist Jonathan Daniel is a big time band manager now. My band Rebel Rebel was produced by Johnathan in the 80’s, as we were a cross of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Motley Crue, which he dug. He hooked us up with some heavyweights in the business but we had our own agenda and wouldn’t listen to anyone. The rest is history for all of us.
The Starfighters– Great band from England that featured Stevie Young, now in AC/DC and a singer that almost became the new singer for AC/DC after Bon Scott passed away. Again, a band I just recently rediscovered as when I was a kid they were too much like AC/DC, but now I can appreciate the songs and sound, which is bluesy Hard Rock, no frills and just straight ahead. They have been pumping me up at the gym, which says a lot if you know how much I love/hate the gym! LOL Check them out, the deserve a listen.
Zodiac Mindwarp– Another great loud and dirty band from England that was more of sleazy hard rock than metal. They had a mad max/biker image, which was cool in itself, but the music was catchy and cleaver. Prime Mover is my favorite track, but you should hear them all, worth a look and listen.
I was only able to see the Electric Angels live from this list, and that was before they got signed and moved from LA to NYC. But, there is plenty of live footage from most of these bands online, please check them out and keep good old fashioned hard rock alive.
My name is Teddy Heavens (Rebel Rebel and Los Angeles Death Dolls) and I’ll be bringing you the latest Sleaze/Glam/Punk and Trash rock and roll news from the Golden State and the streets (and gutters) of Hollywood, California! From the Valleys to the alleys, I’ll find the coolest bands to report on and let you know what’s up from the Rock and Roll capital of the world!
Ten Bands that got me through the pandemic
Like most, I’ve been working from home due to the pandemic for coming up on one year. I’ll be honest, I’ve been out and about during the pandemic with trips to the beach with friends, RV trips, motorcycle trips, living room shows at my house with all my bands, vacation to Hawaii, visiting Mom in New Mexico via plane, trips to the mountains and Las Vegas with family and friends, etc. Also writing tons of new songs, thinning out the storage space of music gear and memorabilia, home projects, new pedalboards, and on and on. The only things I’m not doing is playing in bars and clubs, so it has not been too rough for me. But I did listen to tons of music and watched bands play live online (LA Guns, Westbound, Pretty Boy Floyd, KISS), and these are the Ten Bands that got me through the pandemic.
KISS-Alive record is my favorite “live” record of all time and the reason I play guitar today!
Hanoi Rocks-Two Steps from The Move Record is classic and shows a good blend of glam and punk rock attitude.
Manic Street Preachers-Generation Terrorists Record is another that is a good blend of style and attitude.
The Stooges-Debut record is powerful and loose, and Ron A. was the guitar player that showed me where it was really at.
FEAR-Debut record really summed up the punk rock spirit for me.
Motorhead-Ace of Spades is another good blend of metal and punk smashing together.
Sigue Sigue Sputnik– Flaunt It Box set that came out recently is brilliant, Suicide on Steroids, and way ahead of their time!
Angel-Sinful record is a guilty pleasure for me, although the Live without a Net Record is also worth a spin.
Sex Pistols-Never Mind Record needs no justification!! Johnny Rotten is the best punk rock vocalist/frontman ever.
Van Halen– David Lee Roth era box set displays some of the best hard rock tunes ever written.
Hello from the streets of Hollywood, it’s been a minute, but I think things are finally kicking up again around town in the rock n roll scene, so here I am! LA has been surviving on Jam Nights and events put on by Jake from the Whiskey, in the Rainbow Bar & Grill parking lot and at the Whiskey a Go Go. I am most looking forward to one of my favorite bands, Rose Tattoo, coming in May and others like 69 Eyes, but mostly it is hair bands from the 80”s mixed with some punk bands like Fear, that are keeping things going on the Sunset Strip at these events. Cool bands continue to swarm LA and thanks to the Jake at the Whiskey A Go Go and the Rainbow Parking lot parties for stepping up! In the area of Heavy Metal, Metal Assault Productions are keeping things alive by booking weekly events all over the LA area, and putting out cassette/digital comps with the bands they feature, and hats off to Andrew B. for that.
Bands making noise around town, mainly off the strip in the downtown and Valley venues:
The Hots- Newish punk rock group headed by veteran guitarist Ronnie Simmons and his hot wife. Good punky hard rock n roll stripped down and dirty, with great punchy guitar playing and energetic live performances. Simple, Raw and Powerful, recently opened for Ace Frehley dates in Cali. and due to be the main support on the long overdue Rose Tattoo 2020 US tour. They have great videos and samples online on all the usual online media platforms.
Michael Des Barres and the Mistakes- Michael is back in the game strong with his new group made up of Hollywood music veterans like Loren M. from the Dogs and current big wig with Black Star Amps on guitar and Matt Starr on drums. Playing straight up catchy rock n roll with his British swagger, most recently at a weekly residency at the Redwood in Downtown LA, which I believe has yielded a soon to be released live release. Michael is one of my favorite singers, I always used to catch his cover band the Usual Suspects with Steve Jones and Mick from Slaughter and The Dogs back in the day, and of course the good stuff from Checkered Past. Keep an eye out and support the online sites.
The Darbies- Young Guns from the gutter!!!! Loud rock n roll band roaming the streets of LA and the US on recent tour in support of LA Guns. These guys are produced by Alex Kane from Life, Sex & Death, and they are straight up rock n roll like their Hollywood heroes that have come before. They got youth and drive on their side, and are reportedly living in their tour van in LA and on the road, so they got nothing to lose and everything to gain! Check out their sound and videos online and trip on the energy and excitement.
Steelwitch- Hot new NWOBHM band featuring Ed Gage on vocals/guitar and Tim Shelton on drums from the LA Death Dolls/Rebel Rebel and newcomer Bryan B. on guitar. Disclaimer now, I am playing bass for this badass group!! LOL But we are having so much fun blasting metal in the vein of Dianno era Maiden and Venom, that I had to give us a mention. I got involved due to my love of early 1980’s metal and loving to write songs in that vein. We have an EP on ITunes and are currently writing for a full release. Check it out if you like the bands that were on the NEAT Records label. We play the Rainbow Metal nights and a lot of the Metal Assault nights around town. ftwrecords.com
The Claws- Keeping the glam blues tradition of Hanoi Rocks and the Dogs D’ Amour and early Black Crows swagger alive in Los Angeles. New record out on DeadBeat Records and featuring singer Chad Cherry of the Last Vegas, these guys are playing every dive in LA to spread their glam rock message. Definitely worth checking out if your into the Faces and like minded bands of the 70’s.
Live Reviews:
Angel @ The Whiskey A Go Go
Legendary band from the 1970’s returned to LA with original members guitarist Punky Meadows and singer Frank Dimino. This gig was in support of the new release on Cleopatra Records, and the club was packed as Punky and Frank have not recorded or performed Angel music live together in decades. I had witnessed both of them perform solo in recent years in support of their solo records, but this was a rare treat for this massive Angel fan. The band featured great support players and the music was tight and they were clad all in white, like the old days. It was great seeing Punky and Frank play classics like the Tower, Wild & Hot, Don’t Leave Me Lonely and Can You Feel It, as well as running into the usual old school Hollywood Rockers like the Zeros, Chez from the Hollywood Stars, Tim from London/Spiders N snakes and Marky from Revlon Red. Punky still has his skills from his youth and Frank’s voice is as strong as it ever was, a must see if they hit your city!!!!
The Cocks @ Petie’s Place
This place has become the new go to place for live shows in the Valley, with everyone form the Claws to Pretty Boy Floyd jamming here recently. On this night I came to see the gay themed and Turbonegro influenced band led by singer Jay and guitar player Tchad, ex Pretty Boy Floyd. They are a scrappy trash punk rock band with songs almost exclusively related to sucking dick! They have songs about Jerry Cantrell’s supposed big dick and the like. LOL I dig them as much as the Impotent Sea Snakes back in the day, who had a similar theme and vibe, glammy punk rock attitude with catchy songs. These guys put out more energy into their live show than most bands around town, hands down, a must see when in LA. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram, or playing all the dive bars in the LA area. The band reports a debut release is coming soon!!!
Villains in Vogue @ Universal Bar and Grill
Another cool punky glam rock outfit ruling the scene currently, featuring veteran Hollywood and LA rockers. I’d previously seen this group as a five piece wit 2 guitars but this night they were stripped down to one guitar, and they sounded loud and full! Guitarist Justine Sane is the principal song writer and Mick Scott is the energetic lead singer, ex Anna Black, who is a modern day Iggy Pop/Johnny Rotten, throwing himself around the stage and venturing into the crowd via walking on the bar! Good voice and great stage presence, and the rest of the guys are top notch musicians with stand out songs being “Be One Of Us” and the cover of the Elvis Costello song “Pump It Up”. very good live act and waiting on the recorded product. See them on Facebook/Instagram.
The Hollywood Stars @ the Whiskey A Go Go
Another band from the 70’s that reformed to continue their local legend legacy! This band wrote songs for KISS and Alice Cooper in the 70’s, most notably “King Of The Night Time World”, penned by Marc Anthony, since deceased. Replacing him in the new lineup is New Mexico native and Hollywood survivor Chezz Monroe, ex Kids Of Chaos. The band put on a themed event, complete with glam retro support band and DJ’s, as well as being MC’d by Radio Legend Rodney Bingenheimer. The place was packed to the rafters, and the band was tight and clean, just like the major label records they released in the 70’s, but they are just not a retro act, they have a new release out of unreleased material, as well as plans for a new music release. There are also plans for a West Coast tour and upcoming local LA shows. Catchy songs and tight and polished live show, welcome back boys!!! See them on Facebook and Instagram.
Lizzie Grey Memorial @ Whiskey A Go Go
This event featured Rebel Rebel,Molly Vamp and Spiders n Snakes, as well as the Billtown Allstarts from Penn.
This was a memorial/ fund raising event for Lizzie Grey and his family and to bring awareness to Lewy Body Disease. The London/Spiders N Snakes legend lost his battle to Lewy Body Dementia Disease and the Hollywood rocker community wanted to show respect and honor him. Thanks to Jake @ the Whiskey for providing the venue, even when he could have booked a lucrative rap event that night. My group, Rebel Rebel, played our usual fast paced shock punk rock set, and Molly Vamp provided the gothic themed hard rock, both acts being vets of playing shows with Spiders n Snakes over the last decades. Billtown Allstars from Penn. provided the killer hard rock/metal cover tunes and the evening also featured a jam with past Spiders n Snakes/London and friends, and ending with Spiders N Snakes remaining members taking over Lizzie’s vocal duties for a roaring killer set, and featuring Betsy from Bitch and Jet from Rebel Rebel closing the night with the Lizzie penned Motley Crue song “Public Enemy #1”. Notably absent from the event was Nikki Sixx, who Lizzie gave his start to in the band London, but he did have time to attend Comic Con in Downtown LA that day to appear on a podcast, what a great guy. There were also other “famous” rock stars that Lizzie gave their start, that should have been there that were not, but a lot of money was raised for Lizzie’s wife and kids and awareness for Lewy Body disease as well, and the turnout of fans and supporters was awesome. I was personally disappointed by the lack of many local veteran rockers that played with Lizzie’s bands, and played on the same bills, from starting in the 1970’s to present, that did not bother to attend, but that I see out drinking at the Rainbow and the various Jam nights around town.
My name is Teddy Heavens and I’m bringing you the latest Sleaze/Glam/Punk/Metal and Trash rock and roll news from the Golden State and the streets (and gutters) of Hollywood, California! From the Valleys to the alleys, I’ll find the coolest bands to report on and let you know what’s up from the Rock and Roll capital of the world!
The state of Los Angeles rock and roll:
Whiskey A Go Go
This venue has been having a lot of cool hard rock shows: Wed. 13, LA Guns, Adler, Glitter N Glam nights, Krokus, Faster Pussycat, Tom Keifer, Black Oak Arkansas, Slaughter and the Dogs, Fear, Stryper, etc., with a lot of cool shows coming up. Definitely the place to be for visiting rockers on any given night, and things will be picking up even more since the House Of Blues just shut down.
Loaded-Metal Sanaz shows
Metal Sanaz is putting on some cool heavy metal shows at the Hollywood Blvd. club Loaded. She is a fair promoter and the club is straight up rock and roll, with killer live room and sleaze DJ out front and super cheap drinks. Nice place to get the down and dirty Hollywood rock and roll vibe from back in the day. The place to start or end your evening.
Lucky Strike Jam Nights
Chuck Wright runs the popular Wed. night Lucky Strike jam nights in Hollywood, that is all the rage right now for local Hollywood Rockers. The jam puts local and visiting rock stars of all levels together to jam hard rock and heavy metal cover tunes, and it is pretty amazing how good some of the players are. Place has been getting more and more packed recently and the rock stars are getting bigger and bigger. It’s a lot of fun and a good place to see a lot of your favorite players in one place, check it out when in Hollywood.
Cathouse Festival-Irvine, Ca.
This is the debut of the festival that pays homage to the glory days of the Sunset strip with the glam and hard rock bands that were kicking around in the late 80’s. Bands like LA Guns, Faster Pussycat and Pretty Boy Floyd are all representing at the festival and with any luck the event will be successful so that it can continue and include more bands from the day (signed and unsigned) that tore up the strip, like featured on the Hollywood Rocks Box set. Keep an eye out for the reviews and videos if you were not able to make it!
CD Reviews:
Frank Dimino-Old Habits Die Hard
Frank is one of my favorite singers, and Angel in the 70’s and 80’s was one of my favorite bands. I got the Angel release, In The Beginning, in the 2000’s and was lucky enough to see Frank and Barry in Angel, play in L.A. around that time. Seeing those guys play all the Angel hits was awesome and a dream come true. I also had the pleasure of seeing Frank perform in Las Vegas with his cover band, also featuring Jimmy Crespo (Aerosmith) and Johnny Lust (Creature), which was awesome, as they played The Tower and other Angel classics. Now Frank has a solo release and it hit me like a ton of bricks, because his voice is just as good as it was back in the day, with the same tone and vibrato that he is know for. Playing those covers and Angel tunes in those bars and casinos in Vegas was Frank’s best move, as it preserved his voice for this very “comeback” release, as well as keeping him lean and mean looking.
The release opens with “Never Again”, which is very much in the vein of classic hard rock Angel tunes. Next up is “Rocking In The City”, a contemporary hard rock song that showcases Dimino’s voice with a closing scream rivaling the best Deep Purple track. “Can’t Stop Loving You” is a Zeppelinesque tune and “The Rains About To Fall” has a big Montrose/Mountain riff showcasing Frank’s influences and songwriting style (honed at the Berkeley School Of Music as a youngster), and the power pop ballad “Even Now” is a direct cousin to the songs from the classic Angel Sinful release, complete with ending from that period.
Frank has many guest stars on this release including Punky Meadows, Oz Fox and Ricky Medlock, but the songs and Frank’s voice are the stars of this release. “Tears Will Fall” is the modern day “Tower”, the track that is closest to Frank’s past, and “Mad As Hell” is another nod to influences Deep Purple/Rainbow, with the Track “Sweet Sensation” bringing the sleaze rock opening riff to the party. “Tonight’s the Night” kicks out a Darkness/Status Quo vibe, adding to the variety that this release has, along with the top notch musicianship of all the players supporting Frank. “The Quest” opens with a Pantera riff, but turns into a keyboard driven fast pace number, featuring Giuffria period sounding keyboards, and the closing “Stones By The River” is the perfect cap to this perfect release, a real 70’s vocal driven number with Punky Meadows (my guess) adding guitar, proving old heroes don’t go away, they just get better and show how it’s done time and time again! This release will be my pick for album of the year, great songs and vocals, and top notch musicianship from all the backing players, can’t wait for the tour to hit Los Angeles.
Spiders N Snakes-Year Of The Snake
These guys are L.A. Glam Rock legends, going strongly for over two decades. Lizzie Gray is a survivor from the Hollywood music scene, who has seen and done it all!!! I want to write a book about this guy someday. He started London, who spawned a lot of big name rock stars, starred in the classic Decline 2 movie (currently now available as a box set trilogy) in the 80’s, and has rocked L.A. with Spiders N Snakes since then. Drummer Tim Yasui is another Hollywood survivor, along with guitarist Chris Sheridan and bassist Phil St. Vincent. This CD release also features guest appearances from some of my favorite players, including Rik Fox (Steeler) and Betsy Bitch (Bitch).
All band members take turns singing lead vocals on various tracks, but the standout song is “Kawasaki City”, with Tim on Lead Vocals, a song about his good times partying it up in Japan. The band also pulls out the Angel version of “Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” with duel vocals from Tim and Betsy Bitch, with Rik Fox on bass, Bad Ass!!!! I had the pleasure of seeing this line-up perform the song live at Loaded and at the CD release party a few months back.
Overall, “Year of the Snake” is a killer release of hard rock, Glam Pop songs with top notch musicianship. Fun and Raw, the way Hollywood rock and roll should be! Buy it now!!
Billy Idol Live review- The Wiltern in Los Angeles, Ca.
I was lucky enough to get VIP passes for this show from BI bassist Steve McGrath, so I was stoked to have some elbow room and a cool drink to witness one of my favorite artist live. Billy has a top notch band, featuring Steve Stevens, who is able to replicate all of the cool guitar tones and sounds from the 80’s hits (and he is also an impeccable rock and roll dresser). Billy Idol has tons of hits, and he played them all, but the crowd went off for “Eyes Without a Face”, “White Wedding” and “Rebel Yell”. Billy looks good, he’s in perfect shape and has complete control of the stage, never overdoing it, but simply doing the “Billy Idol” thing, which is Elvis 2015!
After reading Billy’s autobiography, I was amazed to find out that he was smacked out on heroin all during the time he was at his biggest in the 80’s and 90’s, but it’s a testament to his talent and survivability that even today he’s still the ultimate punk rock star, looking and sounding better than ever.
Manic Street Preachers Live review- The Ford Theatre in Los Angeles, Ca.
Anytime MSP tour the US I have got to see them, as I am amazed they have not broken big in the US. But that allows me to see them in small up close venues, the 3rd time so far! MSP were touring as a 3 piece to commemorate the “Holy Bible” release, so they played all that record in its Gloomy entire glory, which was cool, but a little too downtrodden for me, so I was glad that they encored with multiple hits from the last two decades. My highlight is always gonna be “Motorcycle Emptiness” and “If You Tolerate This” and “Love’s Sweet Exile”. I love the early Manics stuff and James is such a good and underrated guitar player. When they first came out, I read an interview where they described themselves as a cross of Hanoi Rocks, Guns N Roses and Public Enemy, so of course my interest was peaked, and I have loved them the same through all their releases. I hope this is not the last time I see them live.
The Dictators/Prima Donna live review-Billy O’s in Ventura, Ca.
Rebel Rebel had the pleasure of opening for the seminal NYC punk rock group The Dictators, featuring Ross The Boss and Handsome Dick Manitoba, with legendary producer (Ramones) Daniel Rey on 2nd guitar. Also on the bill were L.A. favorites Prima Donna, who are now a slimmed down 4 piece. PD are a tight music machine onstage, the years of major world touring show in the playing, and interaction with the crowd. You can tell these guys love playing live rock and roll, they will play anywhere at any time! They have a new release out now that you should pick up, called “9 Lives and 45’s“, support this hard working band and share with friends. The Dictators hit the little Billy O stage like it was CBGB’s in the 70”s, and played all the Dictators faves. Handsome Dick is a funny ass cleaver front man, interacting with the crowd and hitting on good looking chicks in the crowd that were digging on him. These guys play a lot of huge festivals in Europe and back east, so it was a treat supporting them and seeing how an OG NYC punk band does it! The highlight of the set was the song “Baby Let’s Twist”, with HDM singing from the middle of the crowd and passing the microphone around to the crowd to sing the chorus. Cool night to remember and I added a Dictators pick and set list to my collection.
Acoustic Saints Live review-Twisted Oak Tavern in Agora Hills, Ca.
This band features Chuck Wright from Quiet Riot and Giuffria on bass and Stan Bush on vocals and guitar, along with a mando/fiddle/guitar player that is off the chain talented. Stan had a solo career in the 80’s and Chuck runs the popular Wed. night Lucky Strike jam nights in Hollywood, that is all the rage right now for local Hollywood Rockers. The AS play classic rock in the acoustic format, with Chuck playing a fretless bass, and the place is always packed out as these guys are top notch players. The set list is always changing, but staples are 70’s hard rock like Eagles and Zeppelin tunes, played with expert musicianship. These guys are a must see when visiting the L.A. area.
Cool bands I’ve been listening to:
Royal Blood
Two man bands are now a novelty, usually guitar and drums or synthesizer and vocals, but bass and drums, that’s a new spin on things and RB have the sound down. Hard rock with strong pop melodies played by lead vocalist/bassist and drummer, with a full sound. The bass is heavily effected, but still sounds original and contemporary. Big in Europe already, but fighting to break the US currently, check them out with open ears.
The Montecristos
This is the new band from Neal X ex Sigue Sigue Sputnik. He plays surf guitar and sings, much like he did in the last version of SSS. This band is mainly surf/rockabilly sounding with a stand up bassist and horns, but the songs still pack a punch. Neal X has been busy through the years playing with Marc Almond, and his signature sound is in tack-big holly body Gibson guitar with a lot of echo and delay. This band is a cross of The Cramps/Dick Dale/Eddie Cochran and Sigue Sigue Sputnik. They have been playing a lot of gigs in Europe and Spain and I’m praying they come to the states.
If you want me to review your music or write about your event, send it all to:
My name is Teddy Heavens and I’m bringing you the latest Sleaze/Glam/Punk/Metal and Trash rock and roll news from the Golden State and the streets (and gutters) of Hollywood, California! From the Valleys to the alleys, I’ll find the coolest bands to report on and let you know what’s up from the Rock and Roll capital of the world! Check out my Glam Punk website at www.ftwrecords.com
Bands I’ve been digging the last few months:
The Montecristos-this is the new band featuring my guitar hero Neal X from Sigue Sigue Sputnik!!! Cool rockabilly tinged rock with Neal singing and Slinging the Gibson guitar!! Catch them on Facebook.
Butcher Babies-New 5 song release of cover tunes from these contemporary metal Plasmaticsesque big titty rocker chicks. Any band that names their band after a Plasmatics song is OK with me. The Deadly 7 out of Las Vegas (and rivals of the Playboy chicks from BB) had a better choice of songs they covered, more punk rock than metal, but tits are tits, so check them out.
Salems Lott-New shock rock band outta Los Angeles looking like X JAPAN and sounding like a reved up Skid Row. They are brining back big hair to the Sunset Strip, featuring Toe Knee from Willow Wisp with some new young guns. Check out their single on Itunes “No Choice To Love”.
Charm City Devils-Baltimore based hard rock band with a current release “Battles” out now, and sounding like a cross of Guns N Roses and Soundgarden. This is sleazy street rock n roll making noise on the East Coast.
Night By Night-Young English band bringing back the melodic 80’s sound. Clean but sleazy enough to be interesting , a cross of modern AOR metal like Halestorm, with a Def Leppard touch. Interesting enough for you to check out.
The Beautifully Demolished-New band from ex Jetboy replacement singer, tearing up the Central California scene. This is AC/DC 70’s party rock with a 6 song self titled release on Itunes and via Demon Doll Records.
Vinyl Tattoo-Superstar cover band in Las Vegas featuring Frank Dimino from Angel on vocals and Oz Fox from Stryper on guitar. This band rocks and are a must see if in Vegas where I like to go to relax. They do classic rock and roll along with Angel songs and as Frank is one of my favorite singers of all time, I had to mention his Vegas band. He also just inked a deal with Frontier records for a solo release, so cheers to hearing some new music from Frank Dimino!! Find em on Facebook.
Undercover Slut– Paris France glam goth metal legends sent me a teaser song of their up coming EP release “Vice”. The song is “Chloroform Nation” and it’s a departure from the past goth industrial material that the band is known for. This song mixes the industrial flavor with modern electronics in a very “danceable” form. The band plan on releasing a series of singles and EP’s leading up to a full release. Hit them up at:
UNDERCOVER SLUT
c/o Hateful Society Production
34 Avenue des Champs-Elysees
Suite #999
F-75008 PARIS
France
CD Review:
Girl-Live In London
This band was a huge influence on me when I was a kid. I always loved that punk/glam/hard rock sound and along with Hanoi Rocks, these guys were my fave. Featuring Phil Lewis and Phil Collen and sounding very snotty, they didn’t fit into the NWOBHM scene, but they were great. This Live In London CD release marks the eve of their debut release in 1980 and features songs like “My Number”, “Heartbreak America” and “Hollywood Tease”, along with covers like “Do You Love Me” and “You Really Got Me”, showing the diverse influences this group had. Deadline/Cleopatra Records gets props for releasing this live gem, and now they just need to release the two studio records “Sheer Greed” and “Wasted Youth”.
What’s been up in Los Angeles:
Inside Metal Movie-A new movie highlighting the hard rock and metal bands form the mid 70’s that ruled Los Angeles and Hollywood, bands like Angel, Legs Diamond, Detective, Van Halen, Snow, Quiet Riot and bands from the early 80’s like WASP, Motley Crue and Ratt. All of these bands are featured along with Rodney’s English Disco scene, The Starwood and the Rainbow Bar and Grill. This film breaks down the rock and roll heyday in Los Angeles and is a nice document of bands that made it and a lot that didn’t. It’s been screened around town and is getting good reviews and building steam, and it’s starting to screen around the country now. By all accounts it’s a good lesson on what went on with the LA music scene in the 70’s/80’s, as told by those that played the clubs and participated in the debauchery. Find the Facebook page to see when it will be playing in your town.
Hollywood Rocks Night @ Loaded with Spiders N Snakes/Rebel Rebel-Glitter and Glam reunion at the new hip rock and roll club in Hollywood, Loaded. Spiders and Snakes featuring Rik Fox from WASP and Steeler on bass and Betsy from Bitch on vocals, along with regulars Tim, Lizzy and Chris from Sweet Savage tore it up with songs like “Piece of Your Action” and the Angel version of “Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore”, and their new single “Kawaski City” from the upcoming Year Of The Snake 25th anniversary release. Rebel Rebel opened up the show and played all the usual songs from the last 25 years and it was cool playing for a packed rock and roll audience (I play guitar for R2), with many faces from long ago at the Coconut Teazer Glitter and Glam shows. Spiders N Snakes are having a record release party at the Whiskey in Hollywood in mid December for their 25th anniversary, so do yourself a favor and be there if you live in the LA area.
If you want me to review your music or write about your event, send it all to:
Teddy Heavens 27750 Firebrand Dr. Castaic, Ca. 91384
My name is Teddy Heavens and I’m bringing you the latest Sleaze/Glam/Punk/Metal and Trash rock and roll news from the Golden State and the streets (and gutters) of Hollywood, California! From the Valleys to the alleys, I’ll find the coolest bands to report on and let you know what’s up from the Rock and Roll capital of the world! Check out my Glam Punk website at www.ftwrecords.com
Bands I’ve been digging the last few months:
The Strypes– A young band from Ireland looking like Oasis and keeping the New Wave of Blues alive, and ready to overtake Vintage Trouble. They just finished up a run of live dates all through the United States along with some major TV appearances, and they are everywhere with the social media and advertising. Keep an eye at www.thestrypes.com
Diamond Lane– Good Los Angeles based cock rock band in the tradition of G N R and Skid Row. Cool sound and look and I plan on catching a live show when they play out. Looks like they have done some regional touring. Check em out at http://www.diamondlanerocks.com
Like An Army-This group features ex King Of The Hill singer Frankie, and members of the ultra cover band Dr. Zivegas. Their video for “Taste Of It” is the bomb, and my personal favorite. Good, catchy hard rock and the video features naked tattooed honeys. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the music. Look up the video on YouTube.
Crashdiet– New release of old demos featuring the original line up. People go crazy for this band and you can check out the humble beginnings. Very nice package with bonus tracks, much better than what the current band is putting out. Good sounding and sleazy enough to seek out. I still wonder why they cite GG Allin in their press materials as an influence. Get it all at www.crashdiet.com
I Love Rich– Rich sent me the new CD from his band and I love the tunes. These guys sound like a cross of KISS/AC-DC and Black and Blue, with catchy and dirty heavy tunes. Hit em up at www.iloverich.net
Youth Code– A 2 piece industrial/noise band from East Hollywood that is the West coast answer to Atari Teenage Riot. They have a couple of indie releases out and most recently toured with AFI. Get all the scoop on them if you dig ATR or Suicide! www.facebook.com/youthcodeforever
The Drama– Straight up cool rock and roll band from L.A. making noise with a Thursday night residency at Loaded on Hollywood Blvd. Glitz/glam/sweat, check em out if in Hollywood on vacation. Featuring my bro Conrado P. from the Hedwig and The Angry Inch band that we played in together. www.facebook.comthedramalosangeles
What’s been up in Los Angeles:
Upcoming: Rainbow Bar and Grill 42nd anniversary party featuring Great White, Bullet Boys, Traci Gunns and Bitch. Always a good party in the parking lot, a who’s who of Hollywood rock and roll shows up for this annual party! I’ll have a Long Island Ice Tea for you all and give a report in the next DTR!!!
Winter NAMM recap: I usually stay away from crowded industry events, but got talked into going to the NAMM show this year. This show is where all musicians and fans collide in one big party. Highlights included seeing Doyle from the Misfits, the Twisted Sister guys, Slayer and my bro Shawn Smash from Total Chaos. Also hanging out with my bros Roger Romeo and Mike Prince from Legs Diamond and meeting Derek St. Holmes from the classic Ted Nugent band and Earl Slick from David Bowie’s band and the New York Dolls. There was a jam at our hotel pool and court yard that featured a bunch of classic rock guys playing all their hits and of course all the free booze you could handle. NAMM is the only place where you can see old friends, rock stars and other fuckers you don’t want to see, all in one loud and hot and sweaty place!
The Funkin Maniacs-I have to mention my bros band, Roger Romeo, as he’s playing in a trio with the drummer and bass player from the classic Swan Song records band Detective, and these guys have chops for days, also worth looking up if you are vacationing in Los Angeles, as they are playing around town most weekends.
Upcoming: The 4th Annual Johnny Thunders Memorial Show: Headlining this year’s show will be the one and only Walter Lure with The Waldos. Walter will have “rent party” guitar slinger Joey Pinter. Bands confirmed are THE ZEROS all original members in a rare appearance, plus local stars, Crazy Squeeze,Prima Donna, Telephone Lovers, Dirty Eyes, Black Mambas,The Neurotics, Devil Dogs West, and Electric Children. There will also be special guests playing with Walter Throughout his set. Gonna be a good time, I’ll give the 411 in the next DTR.
If you want me to review your music or write about your event, send it all to:
Teddy Heavens 27750 Firebrand Dr. Castaic, Ca. 91384
My name is Teddy Heavens and I’m bringing you the latest Sleaze/Glam/Punk/Metal and Trash rock and roll news from the Golden State and the streets (and gutters) of Hollywood, California! From the Valleys to the alleys, I’ll find the coolest bands to report on and let you know what’s up from the Rock and Roll capital of the world! Check out my Glam Punk website at www.ftwrecords.com Bands I’ve been digging the last few months:
Black Oak Arkansas– My music producer, Brian Kehew, just produced their new record in Memphis with 5 new songs to add to some never released songs from the vault. The record is being released by Atlantic and it has my favorite songs of the year “Sweet Delta Water” and “Plugged in and Wired”. Was able to see their show in Los Angeles recently, the first in 40 years at the Whiskey A Go Go, and it was the most “punk rock” performance I have witnessed in a long time! All heart and real rock and roll. www.blackoakarkansas.net
Rusty Tramp– Trashy biker band from Albuquerque, New Mexico, my old stomping grounds. Guns & Roses meets AC/DC and featuring Gutter on bass from the infamous band Durtie Blonde. Give them a spin at: www.facebook.com/RustyTramp
Venrez– Newish band featuring Alex Kane from Life, Sex & Death that’s been doing some touring with Slash and Alice Cooper, and Buckcherry. Good contemporary hard rock at: www.venreztheband.com
Bangkok 5– Los Angeles new school glam and trashy rock band, who the tastemakers in L.A. are touring right now, check em out for yourself at: www.tb5music.com
Vintage Trouble-Not glam or punk but good garage blues! Followed them from the smallest clubs in L.A. to arenas with Kiss, Bon Jovi and the Who. Managed by Doc McGee, so you know their juiced up!! Hit them up at: www.vintagetrouble.com
The Misfits– New record “The Devils Rain” is well produced with some catchy songs, recommended by my LA Death Dolls bass player, Erik Lancaster, and he knows his punk rock shit!!! Boom at: www.misfits.com
Michael Monroe band– New CD “Horns and Halos” is the bomb!!! No need to even hype it up, when you hear it, the songs will speak for themselves, as usual. www.michaelmonroe.com
What’s been up in Los Angeles:
Downtown summer concerts were huge with bands like X and Psychedelic Furs pulling in huge crowds of punks, Goths and heshers.
I was able to hit the Whitesnake/Geoff Tate concert at the Antelope Valley Fair, which brought out every hesher from Los Angeles to hang out. Good sound and good bands and the highlight was when Whitesnake closed the show with the Deep Purple song “Burn”.
The new all female Femme Fatale played at the Roxy with Venrez, but I would prefer if Lorraine Lewis would use the original guys from the band, especially since those guys are from my hometown and it would be more appropriate.
The Peppermint Creeps played their annual show at the Whiskey, keeping the glam/pop thing alive in the city. Michael Des Barres has a cool radio show on the internet. He’s a hip old glam queen from back in the day, catch him at www.thejointstudios.com
I had the pleasure of doing an interview with the LA Nista radio show recently, talking about Los Angeles music scene, which you can check out at : www.skidrowstudios.com
Finally, just attended a book signing/performance by producer Kim Fowley. All you have to do is Google this guy for his credits, which are amazing. He discovered Slade, wrote for Kiss and Alice Cooper, and produced everyone from Gene Vincent to the Runaways!!! He is currently battling cancer, but is still writing and producing music. Long live the music king of Los Angeles.
Check out his history at: www.kimfowley.net and on Facebook.
If you want me to review your music or write about your event, send it all to: Teddy Heavens 27750 Firebrand Dr. Castaic, Ca. 91384 www.ftwrecords.com ftwrecords@aol.com
My name is Teddy Heavens and I’m bringing you the latest Sleaze/Glam/Punk and Trash rock and roll news from the Golden State and the streets (and gutters) of Hollywood, California! From the Valleys to the alleys, I’ll find the coolest bands to report on and let you know what’s up from the Rock and Roll capital of the world!
A lot of rock and roll has been going on in Los Angeles since last I wrote!! Live gigs galore: Prima Donna, Crash Diet, Tsar, Glamour Punks, Iggy and the Stooges, The Damned, Flag/Black Flag, the International Swingers (Punk Rock Super group www.internationalswingers.com), Michael Des Bares, The Horrors, Kyle Vincent (house concert-ex Candy Singer playing solo material), Johnny Thunders tribute show with Walter Lure, Rebel Rebel, L.A. Death Dolls, Punk Rock Museum party, Alice Cooper and M. Manson, Etc.
TSAR Live- The Bootleg Theater Downtown Los Angeles
This show was the first by Tsar in Los Angeles in a long time, and the place was jammed with people singing along. This band is polished on record but very raw and powerful live and I gotta see them when they play, which is very rare, usually every 5 years. They played all the good shit from their first 2 records: Calling All Destroyers, Silver Shifter, Kathy Fong, Band-Girls-Money, and stuff off the latest CD The Dark Stuff like the catchy Police Station. Great pop band with catchy songs, you can get all their stuff off ITunes!!!
Black Star Riders CD Review-All Hell Breaks Loose
This is the new release from the band that was playing out as Thin Lizzy and have now released some original songs. This is some good 70’s style hard rock, with catchy vocals, harmony guitar lines and a surprisingly good singer in Ricky Warwick. The vocals are very Phil L., thick and full, and the production is great. This band is made up of hard rock legends and their experience shows. Fans of Lizzy will love this as well as all other hard rock fans.
War & Peace CD Review- Flesh & Blood Sessions
Blast from the past, this was a hard rock super group from back in the late 80’s featuring Jeff Pilson, Vinnie Appice, Randy Hansen and Michael Diamond. I’ve always loved Hansen’s guitar playing from back in the day with Champagne & Cocaine/Take You Higher, and Appice’s drumming is always great. Another calling card for this release is Michael Diamond from Legs Diamond, seeing he did not really do anything after this project. This material was recorded at the famous Sound City Recording Studio in the late 80’s and Thanks to Deadline Records and Tim Yasui for putting out Gems like this from hard rock and punk legends. The CD has some good hard rock songs and playing, check out “Kill for the Love of God” and “I Don’t Want To Be Lonely”, worth checking out.
Michael Des Barres CD Review- Carnaby St.
Michael self released this new batch of songs and the production is clean, clear and smooth, and the playing is great. The drums/guitar/bass and singing is spot on and this band is a must see if in Los Angeles or Austin, where they usually play. A play by play of each song goes like this:
You’re my Pain Killer-bluesy and laid back
Carnaby St.-cool glam trash track reliving the wild ass days in late 60’s London. Killer bass playing and singing/screaming, Michael going off at the end like a punky Rod Stewart.
Forgive Me– 70’s hard pop rock
Sugar-mellow Bo Diddly “I want Candy” riff with A+ bass playing and cool wah wah guitar.
Route 69– another bluesy/boozy number (70’s movie reference from Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry).
Please Stay-Michael brings us back to church! Minimal instruments, flawless performance on vocals.
Little Latin Lover– hard rocking song advocating for immigrant rights.
Hot and Sticky– The best song the Stones haven’t written in 30 years.
From Cloud 9 to Heartache-another cool pop song with a Culture Club vibe.
My Baby Saved My Ass– “from my wicked past” Michael is the rock and roll man!!! I once saw him at the Melrose swap meet in full face makeup and nail polish.
The Key of Love– cool ballad
Overall Michael has provided us with some good trashy rock and roll over the years and he still rocks better than most who are in their 20’s. I loved the Chequered Past record, and still think an artist or band could have a hit with “NO KNIFE” from that record (along with Frankie’s THE POWER OF LOVE), so support the man and get his music and go see the shows!!!!
If you want me to review your music or write about your event, send it all to:
Veglam 