Thursday, December 31, 2015

AULD LANG SYNE 2015/2016



Pictured above, all of the Scottish Deerhounds we've been privileged to own: from the top, Bereton Tanager Gia; Lyonhil Karis Pedecaris (shown by Lea Bishop); Multiple Best In Field/ Field Champion Lyonhil Drusilla Harris Senior Courser (LINK); Sindar Morgan Le Fay.
 


We twa hae run about the braes,
and pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?
  
(We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since old times gone by.
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?)
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
for (the sake of) old times gone by?)
From Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns, 1788

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

12.28.15

Guest photographer © 2015 Kurt Ingham. Gia, Sarahbelle, yours truly, our 1912 farmhouse in the middle of a SoCal megapolis on a rare cold day, the night before only having reached 30 degrees F...

Monday, December 28, 2015

JOURNALISM AWARD for my PHOTOS OF JAMES WILLIAMSON GIG

Documentation of James Williamson's Re-Licked solo live gig with so many of the amazing singers (like Alison Mosshart, Jello Biafra, Lisa Kekaula and Carolyn Wonderland, seen above) on his Re-Licked album ended up with the second place award for Photo Essay of the Year, 2015 from the Los Angeles Press Club out of thousands of entries.

 Here's the winning photo essay, text by Donna Balancia, photos by me: LINK*
  
Donna Balancia, seen here looking very much like a participant in the last scene of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining adjacent the hotel vintage photo mural ("she has always been here,") and I attended the Los Angeles Press Club Awards ceremony and banquet 12.6.15 at the historic Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
 I was intrigued with the nicely restored, beautifully carved ceilings of the Biltmore, built  in 1923 (photo of yours truly by Donna Balancia.)
 
Honoree, television interviewer
extraordinaire Tavis Smiley and presenter,
glamorous actress Diahann Carroll; later in the Biltmore Ladies' Room, a stylish young mother asked us to explain the importance of Ms. Carroll in media history to her credulous daughter. We regaled her of the importance of the 1968 tv series Julia in showcasing African-Americans in "normal, everyday working Americans" leading roles.

 

 *http://www.californiarocker.com/2015/01/20/james-williamson-re-licked-show-bootleg/

REST IN PEACE LEMMY...

Rest in peace Lemmy Kilmister, indomitable but ultimately mortal. From acid/amphetimine antics with Stacia in Hawkwind to Motorhead's deserved, long reign, he was rock and roll personified. Yes, even the loudly passionate deserve peace...

1916 is actually my favorite Motorhead release: not only great Lemmy bombast and wit, but some heart and depth...

Heartfelt quotation from singer Ron Young (Little Caesar, Tighty Whiteys, James Williamson's Re-Licked vocalist):
"Punk as fuck
Metal as fuck
Classy as fuck
Respected by all
Never got fat and let the crowd sing his parts
Never needed roller coasters or pyro
Never sold out until the last note
Never, ever be another one like him
RIP Lemmy"

Saturday, December 26, 2015

THE DOGS GET BUSY: A NEW EP, A NEW VIDEO and 2 RARE GIGS

 

























In a flurry of activity highlighting the release of their newest EP Ain't Going Nowhere,  Detroit/L.A. legends THE DOGS performed a tough, cool, rapidfire set for "Punk Rock Swap Meet" at South Bay Customs in El Segundo (South Bay beach area) CA, 11.29.15. (funny you don't look blueish photos) and another rousing gig at Cafe NELA in Echo Park CA 12.11.15.
South Bay Customs, besides showcasing punk rock and motorcycles, amusingly displayed little tableaux here and there, like the ones for friendship and antique cameras herein. 









 


PHOTO OPS: 
THE DOGS in all their gritty urban glory in front of the El Segundo Refinery.
Left to right: Loren Dog, Malia Balancia, Mary Dog, Tony Dog and California Rocker Editor Donna Balancia.
Below, Tracy and Danny Isaacs et famille, Julie Sher Molinare

Guest photographer for the Cafe Nela gig, first three photos © 2015 Kurt Ingham: 















THE DOGS are: Loren Molinare, lead vocals, guitar; Mary Kay, bass, vocals; Tony Matteucci, drums, vocals.

 Below: power to the people! The Dogs' explain the late 1960s' sociopolitical scene in Detroit to the masses at Cafe Nela.

Below, photo of yours truly documenting this gig by guest photographer 
© 2015 Kurt Ingham

Pre-order THE DOGS' newest release Ain't Going Nowhere EP, due January 2016: click LINK
Below, THE DOGS' brand new video with chez Heather & Twister's abode at 0:56 along with my actual mother, perhaps typecast as a harridan. Catchy song too: rock on!
video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKpcWGshXdo 
 Smelvis Records pre-order link: http://www.smelvisrec.com/the-dogs.html

Saturday, December 19, 2015

BEST LOCAL ROCK & ROLL WEEKEND EVER- THE DOGS, DR. BOOGIE, THE PANDORAS

 




 

It was the perfect, genuine Rock and Roll weekend in the Greater Los Angeles Basin: Friday 11.20.15 THE DOGS at Valencia's VU Bar, Saturday 11.21.15 Dr. Boogie at Silverlake's El Cid and on Sunday the reunion of The Pandoras 11.23.15

Above and below, rowdy, legendary Detroit/L.A. ruckus-raisers THE DOGS (history, see LINK)-- singer/guitarist Loren Molinare, bassist Mary Kay, drummer Tony Matteucci-- headlined a punk/shock rock bill with theatrical, pointy-coiffed and becostumed Rebel Rebel in tow, the latter's singer Jet Jupiter appearing very Kabuki. THE DOGS performed three new songs from their forthcoming Smelvis Records' release Ain't Going Nowhere as well as an assortment of their hardest rock, fan favorite classics like "Slash Your Face," "John Rock" and "Sleaze City."
   PHOTO OPS: 
 

 Above, Loren Dog, Rebel Jet Jupiter and California Rocker editor Donna Balancia.
 ←Loren Dog, Julie Scher Molinare and Mary Dog with Blackstar Amplification execs. Set list LINK for info.   

Proactive entreaties to dance and rock were well met by Dr. Boogie and fans alike.
Fresh from their tour of up and down the West Coast, Saturday night, 11.21.15's record release party for
Dr. Boogie
at El Cid packed 'em in as they played raucous selections from their new Got To Get Back to New York City cd/download/vinyl. This hot collection of true rock and roll, reminiscent of The Faces and The Stones, can be purchased from Deadbeat Records here: LINK
I reiterate the bandmembers names because this is one aggregate that truly is the sum of its well-honed parts: each is indispensable and strong-- Chris P on lead vocals and guitar; Dustin James on guitar, Jeff Turpin on bass, Luis Herrera on drums.


Our local gig of THE PANDORAS' first reunion in about three decades fulfilled a much anticipated show for longtime fans as well as the storied girl band geeks. The 11.22.15 performance at The Satellite followed a vigorous summer European tour of festivals, so the band's garagey sounds were super tight despite the interim.
                                                           Joyous and sexy though their music is, The Pandoras have a fairly tortuous history: some two or three dozen bandmembers all total in their perpetual game of musical chairs, early death of their singer/songwriter/guitarist/co-founder, complex musical prodigy Paula Pierce (who easily could fit in the subset of Sandy Denny and Janis Joplin for unfulfilled promise,) bisection, lawsuits etc. Do click my first-person thinkpiece on them, it's some of my best writing LINK. Originally part of the 1980s Paisley Underground, they evolved to presage riot grrrls by half a decade and remain influential.  Fortunately, bouncy, effervescent Kim Shattuck (The Muffs, The Pixies [briefly]) was up to belting out the innuendo-heavy set comprised of a great mix of tunes from The Pandoras' first two albums, pre-fame demos and later songs. She originally was bassist in the group.  Hillary Burton on drums and bubblegum replaced Pandora Sheri Kaplan Weinstein mid-tour.
 
Tambourine Queen as well
  as keyboardist Melanie Vammen; former drummer turned bassist Karen Bassett.
SET LIST: Haunted Beach Party, Want Need Love, Let's Do Right, 
You Don't Satisfy, It's About Time, You're All Talk, I Want Him, Hot Generation, Getting Harder, I Want My Caveman, You Lie, That's Your Way Out, The Way It's Gonna Be, You Won't Know, I Live My Life, You Burn Me Up And Down, It Felt Alright.

Opening act The Woggles presented their Chesterfield Kings/Brian Jones' Rolling Stones' soul with their active singer serenading from the rafters, literally as well as figuratively.



PHOTO OPS:       
 ← Shelley Ganz (The Unclaimed) and 
Kim Yee.  

Unidentified
biting objects 
backstage. →

 
Yours truly in action at this gig, always the oldest blonde in the room with the cameras: photo courtesy of John Stardust Alvarez
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