Down To Rock March 2011

D.T.R.-(DOWN TO ROCK) with Teddy Heavens

My name is Teddy Heavens 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!

Contrary to popular belief, the wheels have not completely come off the rock and roll scene in the Los Angeles area!!! Some bands that have been making noise and carrying the Punk/Sleaze/Glam torch in Los Angeles in recent months include:

PRIMA DONNA-Glam/Pop/Punk rockers from Hollywood and fresh from a support slot for Green Day in huge arenas in Europe and Asia. What’s crazy about this band is that they don’t have a label or any big companies to support them, yet they are constantly touring!!! I knew something was up when I was Djing a show with Prima Donna and the Billy Bones at the Relax Bar in Hollywood, and the bass player from Green day was there slumming it. He must of liked Prima Donna cuz next thing I knew, I see on MySpace (when bands were still using Myspace to promote (fuck Facebook, by the way!) that they are opening for a tour with Green Day! That’s a great story of being in the right place at the right time! Check em out at: www.primadonnarocks.com

The ROYAL HIGHNESS- This band features ex. Chelsea Smiles and Bullets and Octane members, and I recently witnessed this Todd Youth (ex Degeneration, Ace Frehely, Glen Campbell and Michael Monroe band) led group opening up for Batusis at the Viper Room. They played some of the better known Chelsea Smiles tunes, but the highlight of the set was a cover of “Dead, Jail, or Rock and Roll” by Michael Monroe, which the crown really dug. They had the place packed out for their set, and the original tunes were reminiscent of Degeneration and Bullets and Octane ,which the singer was a member of, so it makes sense. Follow them at: www.myspace.com/theroyalhighnessband

A PRETTY MESS- A Girl Glam Punk band kicking around Los Angeles for a few years, playing shows in the gutters of Hollywood with punk bands, glam bands, garage bands, Horror Billy bands, any bands they can hook up with!!! More punk than sleaze but give em a listen at: www.aprettymess.com

LOS ANGELES DEATH DOLLS- New Garage Glam Punk band featuring yours truly and Erik and Tim, also from Rebel Rebel!!! We are doing music similar to The Stooges, GG Allin, Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Dgeneration!!! The band likes everything from Punk to Glam and everything in between. We have a single out on Itunes called “Wake Up” (recorded in the heart of Los Angeles) and other songs from our set are on the MySpace page! For fans of Glam Punk at: www.myspace.com/losangelesdeathdolls

and get the single at:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/los-angeles-death-dolls/id410401956


Live Reviews:

Batusis-featuring Sylvain Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome @ The Viper Room

Glam Punk legends hit the rock and roll capital of the world in one streamlined unit!!! Cheetah Chrome of Dead Boys fame and Sylvain from the NY Dolls, backed by Lez Warner on drums (the Cult) and Joan Jett’s longtime bass player, blew into town on a cold rainy night to blow the doors off Johnny Depp’s old haunt!!! They were promoting a new EP that’s out on record and Download (got my record signed!!!along with my Dolls records) and played some NY Dolls gems along with Sonic Reducer by the Dead Boys and some old classic rock and roll standards. The Viper Room was jammed, but not packed, which was a shame, cuz seeing two legends up close of this stature is rare (you gotta love living in Los Angeles!!!) and I got a really good hour long guitar lesson, up close and personal. The crowd was a mixture of old rockers, young punks and glam kids and cool mother fuckers like myself!!! It was a real treat to see two guys from two of my favorite bands of all time, playing some of my favorite songs. For those of you who don’t know the meaning of Batusis, it is a dance that originated on the old Batman show from here in the States from the 1960’s, the era that Sylvain and Cheetah grew up in!!! Also of note, Cheetah Chrome was also promoting his new book “A Dead Boy’s Tale“, which is a great read, with cool stories of his time with the Dead Boys and the filth and aftermath in NYC that he endured. The book can be found on Amazon.com and is highly recommended!!! Sylvain”s NY Dolls will also be releasing a new record Called “Dancing Backwards in High Heels” in March 2011 with new guitar player Frank Infante of Blondie.

Michael Monroe @ The Viper Room

Hollywood has been looking forward to this show for over 20 years!!! The last time Monroe had performed live in the area was during the Not Fakin It Tour. The incredible thing is, he had just as much energy as he did on that tour!! Mike has some new releases to promote, the live record “Another Night In The Sun” and the new CD coming out in March 2011, “Sensory Overload”, and the single, ‘78 (a Big Chorus modern day anthem), can be heard on his Facebook page currently. The Viper Room was packed to the rafters with crusty old punk rockers and young glam hipsters looking to witness history in action! His band consisted of Steve Conte (ex. NY Dolls), Ginger (the Wildhearts), Sam Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks, Jetboy and NY Dolls) and the ex. Drummer of Chelsea Smiles, with both guitar players blasting through full Marshall stacks. The drummer and Conte had just joined the band a few days before, but ended up doing a killer job. Mike remains fit and trim (and is still able to do the splits) and was bouncing around the stage and gave the gig his all like he was playing the L.A. Forum, and he was glammed out in tight leather pants, vest and full make-up. They played all the Hanoi Rocks and Michael Monroe favorite tunes like Taxi Driver, Dead, Jail or Rock and Roll, Underwater World, etc., but my favorite, and the one that had the crowd really bopping, was Blvd. Of Broken Dreams (the gig was so loud it blew out the sound on my Iphone!)!!! Mike is an energetic front man and his voice remains strong and the music was focused, and I would rate this gig the live show of the year as I left this show a sweaty, but satisfied mess. Whoever says Rock and Roll is dead has not witnessed this rock and roll glam machine in action!! No wonder Conte and Yaffa left the NY Dolls, this band is on fire. People will get the chance later this year when the band does a headline tour in Europe in April 2011.