Fast Film

I HEART...

2012-02-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, where ever you are,
I hope your troubles are few... -HH

(or LINK)
To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

2nd newest video for THE DOGS' Hypersensitive

2012-02-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

My photo stills from "What Goes In Quiet Comes Out LOUD," newest video in conjunction with THE DOGS' new release "Hypersensitive." Of course, it's terrific, hardest rock from this legendary L.A. by way of Detroit band. (See previous Hypersensitive video detailed here LINK and here LINK.) Both were commendably and intelligently directed by Salvatore Sebergandio.

Salvatore montaged the background footage from recent "Occupy Washington D.C." and Middle Eastern protests for this wry but rockin' social commentary, reminiscent of THE DOGS' genesis playing 1960s anti-Vietnam war rallies. Video directly below. Enjoy!

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

STRAY PHOTOS from 1969 and 1971

2012-02-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

Typical of how I spent my time between classes at UCLA, concocting shoots like this 1971 one above with my then roommate Barbara Legarra, a beauteous Basque-American. These were photo sessions wherein locations were found ahead of time and fitted in between the models' busy academic schedules.

Above is the friend mentioned in "How I Started A Riot 41 Years Ago" (LINK) which I'll more accurately quantify here as 1969.
The photo on the right was shot at selfsame riot, the other in Westwood Village and the two dry-mounted as a folding diptych for some long forgotten art class assignment. It's funny how I've never lacked for highly attractive friends to photograph since my teenaged years and beyond.

Current events for Feb. 2012: BIRTHDAY PARTY and SUCCESSFUL BAND SHOWCASE

2012-02-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Above and below rock and roll couturier Evita Corby and author Mike Hudson are all smiles Feb. 4th at the latter's birthday party/housewarming of the New York state transplant's new L.A. digs. Evita, also a pro video stylist, furnished his flat in antiques in a mere three days for an impressively thrifty sum.

Above, Mike gets a warm welcome from Evita's mother Carol.

Above, quasi-reunion for The Pagans with brothers Bobby and Mike striking a surly but amused pose on the back steps. Below, Evita and Mike restage the steps shots another way.

Above, Gilbert and Sullivan's "Three Little Maids From School Are We?" Not quite, it's Evita and her daughter Sierra (middle) with schoolchum Olivia far left. Peeking from behind is Mike's collectible poster featuring 'Sixties pop culture phenomenon El Cordobes, "the Mick Jagger of bullfighting" as I explained to others (undepicted herein as I forgot to obtain their consents.)

Although Fastfilm herself decries deliberate cruelty to animals, one easily understands how Mike, a fan of all things Spanish and Mexican plus, after all, himself a former flashy punk rock lead singer and current crime reporter and chronicler of life's seedier habitues would be drawn to a media star like El Cordobes whose Wikipedia listing begins "Born into poverty, reared in an orphanage, a construction worker and petty criminal, at the age of twenty-three (he) lived in Cordoba and dreamed of being a bullfighter..."

Above, Sierra returns from a mission of outside walkies with Rowena, herself the subject of the funniest quip that evening. Mike's brother Bobby dryly intoned that he first learned of the formerly diehard East Coast denizen Mike's move to LaLaLand when the latter began a phone call with words Bobby thought he'd never hear,"I'm sitting here beside a swimming pool in Los Angeles with my Chihuahua..."

Below, huzzah! Mike Hudson signs a copy of his newest novel Never Trust the World for me with unexpectedly touching epithets.

My better half's punk band Chainsaw broke up in a fistfight
circa 1978* in North Hollywood's The Alley Rehearsal Studio,
but here we espy a far better showcase outcome at the venerable venue. Seen above and in photos below, hot and dynamic
The Michael Des Barres Band performed for select fans/V.I.P.s plus Gonzo Multimedia on 2.3.12 and indeed earned an affirmative nod from the latter. They currently are in discussion to release a studio album of all new material from this band sometime later this year.

Media frenzy afterwards!

Click for FAQs and more info on these soul-rockers here-LINK.

* Unlike the wretched Brian Jonestown Massacre industry showcase fistfight depicted in the music doc "Dig!," (see Worst. Showcase. Ever. LINK,) Chainsaw witnessed eventual happier results, not to mention complete vindication some 25 years later with a reunion tour of Italy in 2003 plus re-releases of Chainsaw classic material on both European and American labels. See LINK for reunion tour video and my photographs of same.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

MY SUPERGIRLS TV ADVERT

2012-01-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

"It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To)" (model: Stacey Q)

Here are some of my photographs for the tv commercial for Warner Bros. "Supergirls" collection of classic 50s/60s girl groups on LPs, audiocassettes and 8-tracks(!) Yes, it was the 1980s, era of K-Tel-type infomercial sales overkill on television, and Warner Special Products wanted something a little classier.

Above, "I Can't Stay Mad At You" (models: Kirk Henry of Christopher Milk and Mary Kay of The Dogs)

The visual theme encompassed biker and rocker types. I appreciated the chance to photograph this; however, they said to get models who look like musicians without giving me a budget to do so. Instead, I got musicians who looked like models. My UCLA chum Kirk Henry (see LINK and read pp. 18 - 46) was a natural and had been in films. He introduced me to Stacey Q before her "Two Of Hearts" single broke and she graciously agreed to model. By the time the advert aired, Warners were gobsmacked to discover photos of a #1 hit single artist in their own tv ad for girl groups.

"He's So Fine." Seen above are members of The Wild Hairs, Ten Tons of Lies, Crickette Lum (The Diamond Dolls, also an actual model,) and a statue of Myrna Loy in front of Venice High School, Venice CA. Yes, actual onetime Venice High student Ms. Loy indeed posed for same.

Crickette Lum (far left) and members of The Wild Hairs and Ten Tons of Lies all want to be "Bobby's Girl."

Above, "Please Mr. Postman" (models, Crickette Lum and members of the bands The Wild Hairs and Ten Tons of Lies.)

Below, Stacey Q and Kirk Henry go to the "Chapel Of Love" and are gonna get married in the song. We all agreed looked this church looked like a tacky Big Box mall store of the era, hence its photogenic presence. It has since been torn down, like everything else in L.A. older than two months.

Unlike Kirk and Stacey, models Crickette Lum and George Oswald
(who played with David Swanson, formerly of The Pop, George remaining unseen here but in another ensemble model location shoot at Hop Singh's Club in Marina Del Rey for this ad) genuinely had the look of love when they posed, as they later married and remain so to this day.

Here's the television commercial (one version of it, as it existed in various lengths depending on the ad space purchased):

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

PEACOCKS at the horse ranch

2012-01-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

A peacock couple (peafowl, technically) moved in behind my horse's pipestall where he boards, and are seen here within same and giving me the evil eye, even though I give them extra horse feed and water them. Like Gaston in "Beauty and The Beast" who decorated with antlers in every room, I utilize peacock feathers in our abode, despite the supposed bad luck to theatre folks, because one doesn't have to off any birds to obtain same.

Christopher from AZUR

2012-01-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

His name was Christopher, he had a winning smile, and he sang for a band called AZUR. That's all she wrote (meaning my notes on the session...)

FAIRPORT CONVENTION live at UCLA, 1973; STEVE EARLE live 1989

2012-01-22T18:16:00.000-08:00

Above, inventive, influential and now venerable British folk-rockers Fairport Convention, known for spawning guitar great Richard Thompson and the late, seminal singer Sandy Denny, underwent numerous personnel changes throughout their still continuing career. (Inception of same: a tragic band van crash claiming the lives of their original drummer and Thompson's American girlfriend, a rock and roll stylist [see LINK] in 1969.)

The rarity of my photo draws from where at UCLA the band performed in May of 1973. The early 1970s found the outdoorsy '60s festival spirit still rampant, so the group played on the sprawling Janss steps landing out in the quad/park area of UCLA's older red brick buildings (recognizable in the background to all as many movies have been filmed there.)

Unlike most Brits, the drummer complained of the blazing sunlight so I gave him my own umbrella to shield his kit area, as I had one on hand for the same concerns and his need was greater. The lineup was as follows:
Dave Swarbrick: vocals, violin, mandolin
Trevor Lucas: vocals, acoustic guitar
Jerry Donahue: guitars
Dave Pegg: bass
Dave Mattacks: drums

Above, Steve Earle during his self-professed "Axl Rose" phase at a venue familiar to both, the Hollywood Palace, May 1989. The skull and crossbones motif behind him is not borrowed from any co-billed hair metal bands but adorned the backdrop, cover and zeitgeist of his Copperhead Road release of the same era.

The politically outspoken, compassionate Earle has ridden a rollercoaster of career ups and downs: 7 marriages, heroin, incarceration, and eventual redemption through the multifarious styles of his music and anti-war, anti-death penalty activism.

DEPECHE MODE LIVE 1993 Think Piece

2012-01-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

In the pre-digital Pleistocene, I made the above test strip in my darkroom, a maneuver we photographers did to guarantee a complex exposure would turn out as we'd planned. I imposed Dave Gahan onto the Anton Corbijn-designed special effects screens to simulate the stunning stagecraft of the performer fading in and out of his own image as seen during the Depeche Mode performance somewhere in America circa 1993. The resultant photo (with more of the singer and screens and better composition but otherwise the same) appeared in the magazine which had assigned me this gig to shoot.

But this is a think piece, and, based upon the contract shown below given to American media, you're going to have to do the mental heavy lifting yourself regarding the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Click and enlarge.

STRAY PHOTOS 1.9.12, rock and not

2012-01-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

Crispian Mills (son of actress Hayley Mills) in his tres popular-in-the-90s BritBand Kula Shaker (which my better half Mr. Twister wants to equate with Tupac Shakur as separated at birth twins. He also thinks Ray Charles and Prince Charles were separated at birth. This household lives a whimsical existence sometimes.) Crispian and crew idolized George Harrison-style retro-psychedelia, and even provided apropos additional music in the same oeuvre for the re-release of "Wonderwall" (the original, arty 1960s film with Jane Birkin and The Fool scored by Harrison.)

Above, Tairrie B and Acacia for the cover of their alt-dance-pop duo Bardeux. The singer on the left made her entrance by handing me a business card proclaiming "Tairrie B, Girl Extraordinaire." (I was impressed. Hey, she had me at the business card gesture.) She later punked out with a band called Man Hole. The stylists took longer than my photography session.

Above, pre-digital era proof sheet including my submitted pick encircled of the late singer/songwriter Luther Vandross, possibly at the Sports Arena, Los Angeles, 1992? It was pushed fast film: now Kodak itself is in its death throes.

Above, a superb singer, American-born Erin Perry, currently Germany's best hard rock female vocalist with the band Rad Pack amongst myriad other projects. (See LINK). This is an oldskool color xerox (since I lack a decent print) of an early '90s L.A. performance wherein she wore this cool leather jacket obtained from Loren Molinare of The Dogs.

The above were a Bomp Records' signed band called... Ten Tons of Lies or Ten Tons of Sobs or something similar. Yes, it's all my 1960s magazines as props, but I was impressed with their attention to retro-details. In the 1980s no less!

Below, the late Danny Sugarman, he of The Doors' legacy promotion, reading some of his work at a Spoken Word performance probably produced by Harvey Kubernik. Memory-wise, I did an do have need of an amanuensis for personal photographic timeline archiving's sake, don't I?

Below, Steve Winwood performing 1991 (copyright was stamped on the back of this print.)

Some non-music-related work below: I not only upped the color vibrancy but also selected a slower shutter speed for panning blur to get the effect of motion for this graceful Arabian gelding in a Los Angeles Equestrian Center all-Arabian Horse show. This was one of my first times shooting digital, the idea being to get used to the sea change by photographing fun things in low light (it was an indoor arena) that weren't commissioned therefore leaving room for experimentation.

At bottom, our now 100 year old house as of last autumn (yes, we occasionally sport fall color in SoCal and our domicile is indeed green and purple, it's not Photoshopped TM.)

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

JIMMY RECCA plus GALLERY 800 ART SHOW 1.7.12

2012-01-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

On 1.7.12 the capacious Gallery 800 of North Hollywood hosted another show of its talented Art Directors Guild (film and tv production art professionals) members featuring Mauro Borelli (see life-sized elephant painting) Jim Fiorito and Patrick Janicke. Yes, the chopper was part of the exhibit.

Jimmy Recca (his story here LINK) entertained on guitar and vocals with rather a few recognizable Detroit hard rock classics such as MC5 songs finding their way into this one time Stooge's repertoire.

Art critic at right: "I may not know Art, but I know what I like."

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

A HOT*TIE IN DISTRESS, 2.0

2012-01-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

Many short essays by Don Strachan with his unique P.O.V. about Donyale Luna (Richard Avedon iconic photo of her in a Paco Rabanne minidress of metal rectangles, above left illustrating a gallery exhibit, image photographer unknown,) the international high fashion world's first black supermodel remain online at LINK . You'll find them all very good reads but they're a bittersweet coda to 2011 as Don, my UCLA-era friend and occasional work colleague who wrote it, passed away mid-October of that year.

Yes, he knew her personally from their mutual school days in Detroit, Michigan, dated her even. A six foot tall beauteous teen, Donyale Luna (born Peggy Ann Freeman) was ebullient, theatrical, ambitious from a young age and sensitive according to Don. She'd lived through the horror of her own mother shooting her own father dead, and the nascent, arson-inclined Black Power scene in 1960s Detroit. She'd dated assorted Rolling Stones in the mid-1960s even appearing in Michael Lindsay-Hogg's "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus" film, graced multiple Vogue magazine covers in her extensive pro modeling career and starred onscreen via Federico Fellini and Otto Preminger.

Donyale with Rolling Stone Brian Jones, photographer unknown

Nothing seemed enough and she died of a drug overdose at age 33. Don tried to delve into why, so many decades after the fact. Regarding one mutual incident with Donyale, Don wrote that his new realization of the personal fallout of same for her prompted him to burst into tears.

The second portrait at the top is of beguiling Jeanne Hubeterne, muse and paramour of Amadeo Modiligliani, he of the gracefully elongated, painterly but modernist portraits a century ago. In 1920 three years after meeting him and co-habitating with the artist, Modiligliani died of tuberculosis, whereupon the inordinately distraught Jeanne threw herself off of a building, 8 and 1/2 months pregnant with their second child, aged but 20 years old herself.

I'd been hoping that the biography "Modligliani: A Life" by Meryle Secrest would elaborate on this truncated life. The author tried, constrained as she was by Jeanne's and Amadeo's surviving daughter's great nephew, a lawyer who promised a lifetime of litigious misery if photos of Ms. Hubeterne or her own artwork found their way to print via this bio.

The author did convey this: apparently this pretty young woman with that very sultry gaze was a talented art student, somewhat quiet but opinionated and forthright when she so chose (her parents recoiled at her arguing with the local abbott.) The couple lived the Boho life in 1910s Montparnasse, Paris, France wherein, one is reminded, women had no rights prior to vote suffrage post World War II. The muse herself was emotionally strongarmed to sublimate her own desires to those of her handsome if dissolute and ailing Italian artist boyfriend, 15 years her senior.

And her parents ...didn't ...exactly ... approve (can we say subjectivity boys and girls?) In the aftermath of Modigliani's death they'd insisted she move back in with them at once although child # 1 wasn't deemed welcome. Forsaken by all those she'd once loved, she then leapt out their 6th floor window to her death and child #2's death. Child # 1 was raised by the paternal grandparents, needless to say.

The painting below delineates the oeuvre of the work of the teenaged Ms. Hubeterne, not that of her famously enduring lover. A portrait of him, it shows great artistic confidence, sadly not mirrored in her own personal life.

FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS of 2012

2012-01-01T10:39:00.001-08:00

First photographs taken in 2012 of our Art Deco pirate couple amidst my Scottish Deerhound trophies and assorted sighthound/canine antiques atop the living room piano...

...and below, the last photos of 2011 taken at a New Year's Eve party, chez sporting pals of Mr. Twister who noted, "This is my favorite house of all my friends." It is indeed happily whimsical, with fossils and opaque rocks lit from behind built into its vintage California Craftsman stonework.

Above, Shaka the hosts' Malinois and Mr. Twister. Below, Mr. Twister and yours truly at selfsame New Year's Eve party, only too glad that there is to be a 2012 for us both. Note heavenly rays of light descending on our heads confirming this.

IGGY and THE STOOGES LIVE 12.1.11 at the HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM

2011-12-24T21:37:00.000-08:00

Iggy and The Stooges live at the Hollywood Palladium, 12.1.11.
Above, fierce, enduring, and still transgressive front man Iggy Pop.

Above and below, the mighty James Williamson.

They ARE the best classic band (original or reunited) out there. The Rolling Stones perform as superbly as they always did, but these Stooges play even better than they did back in the day (when they already were one helluva strong ensemble) by Olympian tenets even: "faster, tighter, stronger, longer," (fortunately not subscribing to remainder Olympian tenet "higher." That's why they're even better nowadays.)

And with no props, no light show, no dancers (ptoooie!) nor backup singers, just great original hardest rock material from their legendary three releases in the 1970s, their innate mega-intensity plus 1,000 mph speed and precision to fortify Iggy's forays into the maw of his audience, both figuratively and literally. Stage dives into audience surfing galore. The Ig still uber-fit and buff. (That gets rather harder at our age, you know.) Band playing at speeds that would tangle other musicians' fingers into spaghetti. Able replacement for recovering Scott Asheton Toby Dammit (Larry Mullins,) dynamic bassist beyond belief Mike Watt, perfect fit saxophonist Steve MacKay, and, with his "Raw Power" riffs and techniques that launched a hundred thousand punks, guitarist James Williamson, all of 'em on fire!

Above two photos, Iggy's P.O.V. during post stage-dive foray into the Palladium audience of his adoring public (always a trip to photograph,) and below...

...having to be carried aloft bodily from same.

Below, Iggy invoking his primal powers with audience...

Above, Derek See (guitar tech for Williamson, eclectic DJ, and musician in The Bang with wife Angeline King) provides the celeste part for "Penetration," one of the "Raw Power" uber-favorites in the set. Below, Steve MacKay, band saxophonist extraordinaire.

West Coast quotations culled from both the Hollywood and San Francisco gigs:

Harvey Kubernik: "Heather, your avid cheerleading and yelling for the truth for Stooges and reality on display at the Hollywood Palladium... Henry Rollins in L.A. Weekly... actually every single review come to think of it. Now everyone loves what was once your own pornography."

Amy D'Allesandro: (upon first seeing/hearing the band hit the stage live): "Where's the second guitarist?" (inadvertently echoing verbatim my exact response to first hearing Jimi Hendrix in 1967. Answer: it's all Straight James Williamson live, no overdubbing.)

Zaz Harris, my niece to whom I gave Stooges tickets for Xmas, via her real time Tweets: "Occupy the Stooges! (for "Shake Appeal" stage invasion by audience.) Aaaaa he stuck the mic down his ass crack. They just don't make front men like this anymore!"

Kristi Kremes: "I kept looking for (Watt) to play more notes...but he just molds that bass to his body and becomes one with it....a solid partnership up there...and that gave Iggy room go wild."

PHOTO OPS DELUXE at Iggy and The Stooges' after party

Above, my three favorite guys in music together in one shot, James Williamson, Mr. Twister and Loren Molinare of The Dogs at Iggy and The Stooges' after party at the Hollywood Palladium.

Above, a candid by Stooges' own photographer Robert Matheu immortalizing rock and roll couturier Evita Corby, my better half Mr. Twister (who photographed 3 magazine covers of The Stooges back in the day) and yours truly (2 Stooge magazine covers. He's still ahead.)

Left,

James
and Evita.
Below
right,
Evita
and
Loren.

Below, the joint still lousy with pro photographers (although we all remained commendably well behaved, even Johnny Depp must concur,) photographer Richard Meade, photographer Amy D'Allesandro (who assisted my session with James and his spiffy new custom Trussart Guitar, see LINK,) drummer of The Dogs Tony Matteucci and Dire McCain, co-editor of Paraphilia magazine and comely frequent subject of Meade.

Below, Dire, the genial Frank Infante of Blondie, Joel Turrisi (of late '70s band 20/20, still works in music and film) and Evita mingling in the VIP sector.

Above left,
Mr. Twister photographs Joel and Dire, not Depp.

Above right, guitar luthier
James Trussart with James Williamson.

Below, Corel Shields, Loren and Evita.

Below, Corel, Dire and Evita, then Corel and Evita. For Corel and Evita, it was a poignant but joyous reunion with this band, as both were Stooges' inner circle when they all lived in Hollywood circa the mid-1970s, Corel with Iggy and Evita with James. Ms. Corby attended James and Linda Williamson's wedding some 30 years ago, proclaiming of the intervening decades, "I'm happy for our friendship and his success in life."

Below, Evita, Robert Matheu and Allie Shields, daughter of rock scenester Sabel Starr, Corel's beloved sister who passed away in 2009 and was commemorated with her next innamorato in Iggy Pop's ballad "Look Away." Allie obviously inherited her mother's vivacious great looks. There's fun footage galore of Ms. Starr to be viewed in Bob Gruen's documentary of The New York Dolls "All Dolled Up" for the curious.

Left, Amy, Dire

and Tony
impersonate
Ghidorah (my
favorite Japanese
monster) as Dire admitted.

Above right, more photographers! Robert and Bob Gruen himself.

Below, another ridiculously attractive trio: Joel, Leanna Asheton, daughter of and representing for Stooge Scott "Rock Action" Asheton, and Evita.

Left, Robert and Leanna's brother
Aaron Wallis;

right, Mr. Twister,
David Arnson and Andrew Scott of
Stooge tribute band The Raw Power Rangers who portray Iggy and James, respectively.

Above, Robert, Jimmy Ashhurst (Buckcherry, Izzy Stradlin's Juju Hounds) and Frank.

Below, Robert, Dire, Evita and Mr. Twister. I somehow missed getting shots of James' charming wife Linda or Steve MacKay who appeared inordinately engrossed in a assorted conversations nullifying any inclination of mine to dare interrupt. Nonetheless, a terrific time was had by all!

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

Detroit/L.A. legends THE DOGS release new "HYPERSENSITIVE" cd/downloads in JAN. 2012

2011-12-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

Part of CD booklet slick (proof) for new "THE DOGS - Hypersensitive"
release, photos by your humble photojournalist

(Full frontal disclosure: yeah it's a press release but since I wrote it, consider it a soupcon of deathless prose on yet another topic which keeps the faith via a full spectrum of my belief systems. Also, for those concerned with press protocols, a far, far shorter variant was concocted for those with the shorter attention spans.)

Xmas marked the spot. Dec. 25th unleashed THE DOGS' now notorious video "Her Name Was Jane," a cover of The Pagans song with its author Mike Hudson appearing in the production alongside beauteous rock and roll couturier Evita Corby (whose garter belt-clad derriere was kissed by Iggy Pop and James Williamson on the original back cover of their classic "Kill City" 35 years ago.) The latter proved irresistible to the former in both fiction and real life... but you'll just have to watch the video yourself (see LINK) or delve into the tabloids at another time.

Today we've come to praise "HYPERSENSITIVE," the long-awaited new release by THE DOGS that coincides with selfsame video release as of January 2012. To note its repertoire includes strong Dogs' classics old and new understates feloniously. Next to be shot by their stalwart video genius Salvatore Sebergandio comes "What Goes In Quiet Comes Out Loud," a spankin' fresh newie. One of them however, "Beatin' The Floor" was the very first song ever written by Dogs' singer/songwriter/guitarist LOREN MOLINARE, although its driving rock sounds as fully formed as the adult Venus rising on the halfshell in Botticelli's masterpiece painting of her birth.

"Beatin' " would date from...1967. As do THE DOGS, add a year for name and personnel changes. In the Detroit/Ann Arbor/Lansing nexus THE DOGS rocked hard, fast and precise (energy-maniacs onstage they may have been, their proficiency as teens cast them practically as rock prodigies) with their own original songs from the get-go. They opened for the likes of MC5, Stooges, Amboy Dukes with Ted Nugent, SRC etc. etc. etc. throughout the late '60s/early '70s as commemorated in "HYPERSENSITIVE's" "Motor City Fever" a real knock-out dating from the same era as the bands it name-checks in one of this band's most powerfully riffed songs ever.

In the later '70s THE DOGS moved to NYC opening for Kiss, The Stilettos (proto-Blondie,) Television and all manner of punks watchful of THE DOGS' pared-down but hardcore Detroit rock performed in their own torn jeans and leather jackets ("Our normal street clothes because," laughs bassist MARY KAY, "we couldn't afford stage clothes.")

Relocation to Hollywood mid-decade would find them opening for AC/DC, the Scorpions, and well, everybody, even Guns N 'Roses a decade beyond. Don't you think you might liked to have seen this genuine triple bill --The Ramones, The Dogs, Van Halen-- at the Golden West Ballroom, bands headline-tiered in that actual order? Where's a time machine or TARDIS when you really need one? The mighty "Slash Your Face 2012" bonus track on the cd dates from this golden age of punks, with the original finding distribution by their self-inaugurated Detroit Records circa 1978.

The '80s and then newly-recruited and present drummer TONY MATTEUCCI found THE DOGS fomenting songs like "Nothing Lasts 4 Ever" as included on "HYPERSENSITIVE." The '90s remained the chill out decade with LOREN splitting for Geffen artists Little Caesar (fronted by the astonishing-voiced Ron Young,) MARY off to assorted Metal bands like SHE ROK and TONY heard drumming in huge Metal Festivals in South America and the like.

The 2000s ushered in conviction to do what they've always done best and reunite (amidst ongoing other musical projects. Again, the 2000s, people.) "You Can't Catch Me" and "Punk Rock Holiday emanate from this era.

But then the amazing occurred. The classic Detroit sound was vindicated though hundreds of thousands of hard rock fans and bands, continuing to this very second. Iggy and The Stooges even made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after seven consecutive tries. And THE DOGS' reputation via the emerging internet had accelerated their doggy tale into its present, deserved status of bona fide, singular, committed, hardest rock/power trio/punk rock legends. Europeans paid outlandish sums for long ago 45 rpm singles on Detroit Records. The Midwest reclaimed THE DOGS as native sons (and daughter) of Relevance, bookings and live dvd "Purity Not Perfection" of same ensuing.

In the Far East of the globe, an aggregate of 29 assorted Japanese alt-punkbands styled an entire tribute cd to THE DOGS entitled "Doggy Style," mid-wifed by Detroit Jack's Future Now. Then came THE DOGS' tour of Japan in 2007 to capacity-filled venues of rabid Dogs' fans ("Loren, you're my Chuck Berry," gushed Aruha.) Vintage Dogs' classics were re-released on modern young labels like Dionysus. Brand new songs like "Good Time Girls," "What Goes In Quiet.." and "Hypersensitive" were written for this very release.

"HYPERSENSITIVE," albeit powerhouse, remains a labor of love...of their own sense of making music as long as they're breathing. Which to THE DOGS music is as important as. You will hear same instantly herein. They've even resurrected their own Detroit Records label beloved of the punk era for its release.

But yet another labor of love has been issued simultaneously with "HYPERSENSITIVE," Detroit Jack's Dogs live performance double-disc dvd entitled "Doggy Days." Not only are some of the Japan performances to be found, but astonishing, historic audio like Sid Vicious and Tony Sales jamming with THE DOGS at the Whisky A Gogo, 1978 and other rare treasures sound-tracked against montages of THE DOGS' entire band history with flyers, headlines (yes, they were arrested. Repeatedly) and many, many stunning photographs such as those by yours truly!

In the "Doggy Days" dvd booklet, MC5 legend, provocateur, humanitarian and still performer of his own supercharged guitar riffs, Brother WAYNE KRAMER wrote an extended essay on The Dogs' four-decade continuity as a group. Within it (summarized to the max) he states, "...The Dogs: brutal, hard-charging, ferocious, uncompromising, committed, raw, etc. et al. But that all seems to miss the point. The point is really... That their work continues to be important to the band themselves and a community of friends and fans around the world fortifies and validates their accomplishment..."

"Is this important? I think it is. Why? Because it tells me I'm not alone. I'm not the only nutcase out there who cares... That The Dogs have existed in a corner of the world of music on their own, under their own power means more to me than hit records and mass marketing... They made it happen in the face of a world that said, 'Just who in the hell do you think you are?' 'We're The Dogs' is the only answer that matters."

(Do check out Retrokimmer's interview with Detroit Jack and his own labor of love releasing the Doggy Days dvd at LINK.)

Once upon a time in mid-'70s Los Angeles, THE DOGS surreptitiously were lumped into the Do It Yourself ethos of the nascent punk scene, ironic since they had zoomed past all that before they even relocated there and started their High Times rehearsal/recording commune and Detroit Records label on Gower Street in Hollywood. They'd already fashioned same as teenagers in the late '60s without industry connections, blowing the locals and visitors alike offstage in all the important venues of the Detroit/Ann Arbor/Lansing radius, later accomplishing same in Greenwich Village, New York City in...1974. Their immediate apartment-neighbor Patti Smith and pals in the punk community sure noticed what THE DOGS were doing, even if the rest of the entertainment world remained deaf, blind and moronically obstructionist.

D.I.Y.? Old hat much? For THE DOGS their enduring credo was Do It Anyway, come hell, high water, or the foremost enemy of rock and roll, the passage of time. Just... Do It Anyway. My all time favorite trangression. -Heather Harris, 12.24.11

Above,1978 photo appearing in Doggy Days dvd of Sid Vicious and Tony Sales jamming with The Dogs. Audio of same appears too! Below, 2010 photo of The Dogs in recording studio, appearing in Hypersensitive CD.

THE DOGS: Contact info: thedogsrok77@gmail.com ; Website: LINK ;
Video channel: LINK ; "Hypersensitive" cd/downloads: LINK ;Doggy Days dvd: LINK ; Facebook pages: LINK and LINK ; Myspace: LINK ; Booking: Requiemme LINK

Last but definitely not least, the only occasionally transgressive

Evita Corby in THE DOGS "Her Name Was Jane" video, above and below.

(the video below if you didn't catch the link at top...)

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

JAMES WILLIAMSON Trussart guitar PHOTO SESSION

2011-12-20T19:07:00.001-08:00

"Now that's a rock star!" wrote Stooges-archiving author Natalie Schlossman of my above portrait of James Williamson of Iggy and The Stooges, taken 11.28.11 at Swing House rehearsal/recording digs in Hollywood, Calif. To me it harkened referential in his enduring cool to the one of him below in London circa 1972 by Byron Newman, photo below by kind permission of the photographer (who wrote that he has many more...)

What was the occasion? Check out that equally cool guitar! James sports his new custom, snakeskin-patterned James Trussart electric steel guitar (that is, one made out of steel) with complementing Violet Moon crocodile-patterned strap.

Augmenting the "snake killer" hat were other props like a replica Broomhandle Mauser pistol and assorted whips, but we'll leave their public release to the subject's discretion, merely noting the unusual slide guitar accessory below.

More info on James Williamson here LINK
See more Trussart guitars plus info here LINK
Violet Moon custom straps here LINK .
Photo session ably assisted by Amy D'Allesandro (her site LINK.)

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

"TOMMY AND THE BIJOUX"

2011-12-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

Attn: drummers and musician pals, do you want to hear the clearest recording ever of what Keith Moon actually DID on drums within his sonic maelstrom in his absolute prime? Listen to "Tommy and The Bijoux" (Pete Townshend, Ronnie Lane, Duncan Browne and yes, Moon) backing closet rocker Mike Heron in 1971 whilst the latter was still in the considered by some twee International String Band. The resultant LP Smiling Men with Bad Reputations also roared with contributions by John Cale, Richard Thompson, Elton John and Steve Winwood, albeit quirkily. Moon maelstrom commemorated in video below.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

BOB GRUEN BOOK SIGNING EVENT

2011-12-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

All these pleased folks were at BookMarc in West Hollywood (the literary annex of Marc Jacobs) the last week in November to meet and greet famed rock and roll photographer Bob Gruen, there to sign his newest offering "Rock Seen." Above, Bob Gruen, Evita Corby and Leanna Asheton.

Above, Frank Infante of Blondie poses with rock couturier Evita, she of the Stooges' Hollywood '70s-era inner circle. This subliminally echoes Gruen's poster to their left of Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry.

More Stoogin' around with Evita and Leanna, daughter of Stooges' drummer Scott Asheton and purveyor of his cool "Rock Action!" merchandise. I purchase some great T-shirts of same from her that evening.

Popular and eclectic DJ, guitarist, stalwart Iggy Pop-protector/wrangler, guitar tech for the mighty James Williamson, both of Iggy and The Stooges, and now synth-celeste musician for that band during their "Raw Power"-era selection "Penetration," the multifariously talented (and blissfully happy newlywed to Ms. Angeline King of their The Bang! band) Derek See departs from tour duties to pose with new mutual friend Evita on this night just before the show in town (blog to come...)

Emblematic of an ultra-successful book signing event, BookMarc sold out all copies of Gruen's new book (cover above) before we even arrived, so my purchase was the one below, the tome itself bound in shiniest hot pink satin!

MR. TWISTER, CHAINSAW, CHRISTOPHER MILK photo feature in new PARAPHILIA

2011-12-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Wowza! Besides its characteristically exceptional literature, the spankin' new issue 13 of Paraphilia features my article on Chainsaw, Christopher Milk and Mr. Twister (Fastfilm's better half,) containing possibly the most online fodder ever of each with tons of historic photographs. CMilk in particular pose a fascinating history as they had music releases on two major labels, influenced some rock biggies, had features on Rolling Stone's cover, performed live on television, were ahead of their time and then.... Quickly, go to LINK and read pp. 18 - 46.

CUTE COUPLES of the early 1970s

2011-11-26T19:23:00.000-08:00

I took these shots of people I knew while strolling around Westwood Village during my UCLA daze. Top photo: Teri Digneo and Steve Gross, both fresh from London in respective trendy haircuts and sharp threads. Steve became an attorney who reputedly worked with Warren Beatty amongst others. Teri, whose coiffure belied by my black and white photo was sort of purple, was a former classmate of my then roommate, "the most photogenic person I ever met" LINK.

Other photo depicts then actress Melissa Greene and friend whose name is lost in the sands of time. Melissa starred memorably in a "Rockford Files" tv episode as its title character in "Aura Lee, Farewell," and in the film "Electra Glide in Blue" with Robert Blake. Her journey post-acting into that of teaching creative writing within the polished academia of the East Coast remains sufficiently unusual that it should be read by its initial chronicler here: LINK.

Neither couple remained together.

ANDREA WALKER

2011-11-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

Comedienne Andrea Walker set up this promotional shot we did as soon as she heard I owned a Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound dog.) It depicts her supposedly askew priorities in life, glamourous evening clothes and requisite accessories of the rich and famous while her poor little child (her actual son) goes hungry and in rags waiting for mommy to notice him.

This photo dates from the early 1990s, and Ms. Walker appeared on dvd collection "Funny Ladies" with her peers Ellen DeGeneres, Margaret Cho, Wanda Sykes and Sarah Silverman amongst others, all gleaned from their performances at West Hollywood's Improv Club. That Walker deserved to be in this illustrious company spoke well of her hilarious 'burb-tweaking sarcasm. I haven't been able to find many updates on her online except for a few blurbs about a proposed sitcom based on her own life as a divorced mother of two sons in Culver City, California and her real estate sales day job vs. comedienne's life at night. Our Borzoi named Phaedra, however, lived to a unusually ripe old age of 13 and a 1/2 years, which compares to Methusulah for large sighthounds.

NIAGARA and DESTROY ALL MONSTERS Retrospective Art Show

2011-11-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

Top photograph: Niagara at the well-attended opening of the Destroy All Monsters Retrospective last night (11.19.11) at Prism Gallery (second photo and all others herein) in Hollywood which displayed the work of the initial collective of fine art colleagues which morphed into a band of the same name.

D.A.M. the art school squadron bivouacked in Detroit were Mike Kelley, Cary Loren, Jim Shaw and Niagara. D.A.M the band roped in Ron Asheton of The Stooges, Mike Davis of the MC5 and an ever-osmosing roll call until becoming so different that its name changed into Dark Carnival.

These artists/musicians were the American 1970s equivalent of The Fool, The Dutch/English 1960s artists/musicians: highly influential in graphics, fine art, style and music respectively, and the real deal in all fields. D.A.M. had numerous releases in the original punk era, and a great deal of coverage in the burgeoning fanzine scene that predated e-zines.

As a former UCLA art student also enamored of Japanese monster movies (photographed my own collection and wrote an article on the subject for Crawdaddy magazine, 1976) and punk rock (wrote the first book on same published in the U.S., Punk Rock 'n' Roll, 1977,) I was in hog heaven at this exhibit. I'll let my photos tell its story with a tidbit of context below, although the astute easily will pick out Niagara's unique stylings of pop art-ish femme fatales.

A brief aside in explanation of some of these artifacts from the early '70s--- In the last two photos, on the left the hydra-headed cobra was emblem of the Symbionese Liberation Army, cadre that kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst, while on the right with the red hair colored in, is seen the most idiosyncratic, oddball fashionista of the post Belle Epoque, Marquesa Casati.

Before those images in expositional material that accompanied the exhibit for context: Bernardine Dohrn (correct spelling) was titular figurehead of uber-radicals the Weather Underground, no doubt welcomed by the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) spoofed in the flyer; many art students delighted in making images from the then newly available to the public color xerox machines which made suitable full gradation black+white pictures as well (this is where the punk style of same originated); and so many of these paintings are 8 1/2 x11" or 8 1/2 x14" not only because that was a popular size for printed flyers and xerox images, but also because we art students tended to draw on any found paper around, comprised mainly of the standard sized ones.

Exuberant artist in front of her own all-knowing eye on the hagiographic Niagara book...

Check out more coverage of this event and wonderful further links related to its participants from Ann Arbor's own Retrokimmer who is friends with so many of these D.A.M. individuals! Go to LINK

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

POTICHE reviewed for my non-European friends

2011-11-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

It's a 2010 French retro-film (set in the late 70s with horrendously kitsch but accurate polyester clothes, and deliberately garish color schemes via the crew's perceptive art dept.) about a complacent rich trophy wife who rises to the occasion of being a very competent businesswoman with eventual higher feminist aspirations when her bullying husband Monsieur Pujol, who runs
her father's factory, falls sick.

That sounds pretty dry, but after a deceptively slow first fifteen minutes to establish everyone's seemingly immutable lot in life, la merde hits the fan and "Potiche" can be a scream!

Example: the wife joining with her husband's mistress in the striking factory workers' chant of " Pujol, asshole! Pujol, asshole!" (or at least that's how the captions read in English. What little translation I did remember seemed okay for the slang.) Now picture the actualization of Gerard Depardieu '70s disco-ballroom dancing with his fellow acting icon Catherine Deneuve. And the latter even singing her speech during a plot twist at the very end (reminiscent of the oddness of Kitano Takeshi's "Yojimbo" samurai remake ending in a huge dance number.) French farce indeed!

However, like la belle Deneuve herself, there is hidden depth to the pretty picture seen by the world. The undercurrent of the movie is about youthful alliances and promise, and eventual choices we've made over the years that deviate from same far more than planned, plus life's turmoil when they're re-confronted and turned topsy turvy by freak happenstance.

The universality of the leads' star power charisma plus the film's entertaining contradictions (light+ serious, witty+ silly) warrant delving into the "special features." We can witness Ms. Deneuve's incredible patience with M. Depardieu's nonstop clowning around between takes, although he more than redeems himself with a touching address to the entire crew and cast on the last day of the shoot. He, in all aspects, now is the Marlon Brando of France, oui? Outsized talent, outsized everything.

Stickler's point: as usual, non-classic French music can wax a bit soppy to the ears of my fellow edgy Americans, but bear with it for an overall highly rewarding film.

Bonus irony for cogniscienti of French cinema or Deneuve's c.v.: the Pujol business is an umbrella factory, a sly upgrade of 1964's "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg" (still pictured below) a breakout role for the then just out of her teens and sublime Deneuve...

L.A.'s best live acts: THE DOGS, LITTLE CAESAR, MICHAEL DES BARRES BAND (and bonus Canadian Web of Spider)

2011-11-15T12:00:00.001-08:00

Detroit/L.A. rock legends The Dogs live 11.4.11 at the Juke Joint, Anaheim, Calif., a rare reunion in anticipation of their new Dec.1st release "Hypersensitive."

Hey, that's my job! Above, wildly enthusiast Dogs fans outsource
photography while moshing and clambering onstage to yell along with the Dogs' songs they all know by heart. More Dogs' info LINK

Above and below, The Dogs: guitarist Loren Molinare, bassist Mary Kay and drummer Tony Matteucci. Still transgressive, fierce and enduring after forty years performing together (sticklers' addendum- Tony joined circa the '80s.) New historic Dogs' 2-disc dvd, rare videos of live performances and even rarer live tracks-- like the Whisky A Gogo gig with Sid Vicious and Tony Sales sitting in over a montage of vintage photos--available here: LINK.

There's this legitimate reason to photograph The Dogs, Little Caesar, the Michael Des Barres Band and Web of Spider performing live whenever I can (besides the fact which the cynical might note, 50% of them became steadfast clients of my studio sessions.)

No, it's that the first three remain Los Angeles' best live rock acts. (Web of Spider with Canadian Whitey Kirst at its helm is classified more globally, but also in the best live acts cladistically seen often in L.A. category.) Below, Little Caesar playing Brixton's, Redondo Beach, Calif. 10 28.11.

Loren Molinare does double duty as co-guitarist with Joey Brassler of the mighty Little Caesar, known for its tight, hard & fast aggro and the world-class, soulful and powerful vocals of Ron Young. Note Ron's newest fashion statement/experiment (for Halloween?) of Newsboy from Hell.

Cut to The Viper Room the next evening, 10.29.11 with The Michael Des Barres Band/Web of Spider with Whitey Kirst.

Putting on the ritz, the costumed Michael Des Barres Band go all out for Halloween with high spirits via their energetic soul rock and their frontman's famed, interactive rapport with the band's audience...

...while Web of Spider with Whitey Kirst (below) blast their musical onslaught and destroy guitars to evoke seasonal holiday scariness.

A very special PHOTO OPS
Perhaps because these nights flanked Halloween before and after, exceptional opportunities arose for PHOTO OPS.
Above after the Michael Des Barres Band/Web of Spider gig, Steve Tetsch and Evita Corby astride one of the hogs traditionally parked directly outside the Viper Room. Night shot without flash. No hog was harmed in the making this photograph.

Below, Britta Morgan Hayertz, Michael Des Barres, Evita Corby and Steve Tetsch enjoy cinematic-looking moonlight (also shot without flash) outside the Viper Room storefronts; then Michael and Evita.

Above, Evita and Joel Turrisi. These two worked together at The Roxy club in Hollywood almost three decades ago.

Evita and a surprised Whitey strike a familiar pose with a hidden theme. (Whitey was Iggy Pop's most longtime solo career guitarist, and Evita has a very similar picture with Pop himself taken by Natalie Schlossman circa 37 years ago when both were Iggy and The Stooges inner circle...)

Above photo taken by Steve Tetsch, Evita, Whitey and yours truly in a Halloween costume: I was clad all in my own clothes worn during and saved from 1967.

Directly above, co-Editor of Paraphilia online magazine (find my photo-features therein on both The Dogs and Iggy and The Stooges at LINK) Dire McCain gets up close and personal with The Dogs' merchandising, and batty with her little friend at The Dogs' Juke Joint gig below.

Above, Dire communes with Elvis, twice, inside the club and below with Loren Dog and Tony Dog after the gig; and with the addition of Mary Dog and an unidentified Dogs' fan outside the club in the photo at bottom.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

ANVIL

2011-11-14T12:46:00.001-08:00

This is Anvil, above. This is Anvil's famously filmed story LINK. This is Anvil's audience, below. Brixton's, Redondo Beach CA 10.28.11

BP FALLON

2011-11-13T19:22:00.001-08:00

Above and below, BP Fallon delivering a trenchant spoken word piece in the midst of the Michael Des Barres Band set on 10.29.11 as a pre-Halloween treat. (See forthcoming blog.)

Writer, raconteur, much in demand DJ, performer, photographer, Beatles' publicist and fellow Irish U2 confidant, BP had performed his unique takes at another event I photographed in 1995 at the Met Theatre, Hollywood: the "Rock and Roll in Literature" spoken word series. On various nights it featured Ed Harris, Beverly D'Angelo, Bill Pullman, Chloe Webb, Tim Curry and assorted actors, poets and musicians reading Patti Smith's, Bob Dylan's, John Lennon's or the own compositions. See LINK for some of my photographs of same, (and LINK for its context, my portraits of Hollywood alternative elite for one the event's instigators Harvey Kubernik.)

For more info on Fallon's international, multifarious talents, click to his website LINK .

The Best Genuine Rock’n’Roll Films You’ve Never Seen

2011-11-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

Everyone's caught "DIG!", "Some Kind of Monster," "No Direction Home," Mark Wahlberg's weird turn in "Rock Star," etc. Here's the best rock 'n' roll films, both fiction and non-fiction, that you've never seen and should. Some are readily available, others require deep Googling.

STILL CRAZY (comedy, fiction) Didja like "This Is Spinal Tap," comrades? "Still Crazy" is its companion film, done Brit-style, and with a soulful redemption story at its core. Rife with musician in-jokes galore like the former, it follows a reunion of 70's Brit-rockers 25 years later, which prompt fist pumping yells of "rock and roll!" to be immediately followed by doubling over in back pain, as we geezers are wont. And it forecast the Chainsaw reunion tour of Italy I later photographed with Mr. Twister 28 years after their punk glorydays disturbingly accurately, venue-wise.

Great cast with Bill Nighy ("Pirates of the Carribean," and far better, with expansive screen time and more authentic as a rocker than in "Love Actually"), Timothy Spall ("Harry Potter and the Assorted Movies"), Chris Rea ("The Crying Game," the surprised one) Juliet Aubrey ("Primeval's mad Jurassic scientist) amongst others, and a mysterious Syd-Barrett/Richie Manic character buried in ghosts from the past. Everything rings true, rare as we know in films about rockers. Treat yourself to a parallel universe "Spinal Tap."

24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (comedy, non-fiction) I photographed the Happy Mondays in 1990, the film about the subject, its origin and expanded universe of its surrounding phenomenon came out in 2002, and the film's real life main character died about two years ago, completely off the map to my fellow Americans. I just saw the movie for the first time recently on cable. Are we all too late to the dinner table?

Nosirree. Share the fun in retrospect, for the film "24 Hour Party People" remains one of the alltime best music films ever, wholly successful in conveying its subject matter accurately- despite its Python-esque edge- and bringing to life a specialty music understandable to the non-cognescienti. It's also hilarious, insider-joke-heavy which matters not a whit to non-insiders cinematically overall, and features a commanding, intellectually fun and dry as champagne performance by its lead, Steve Coogan (already godhead to myself and others for his "Alan Partridge" satire on punitively vacuous talk shows.)

"24 Hour Party People" traces the beginning, full flowering and decline of the Rave phenom,first pollinated in Manchester, England before germinating worldwide,as it was engineered by a single human being, Tony Wilson. Wilson found the bands, started the music label with assorted deranged partners, owned the main music/dance club and held it all together, all the while keeping his "day job" as a British television personality, both reporting features and even helming the U.K. "Wheel of Fortune!"

The movie follows Wilson's dry-humored (over-educated Oxbridge bombast as sound bytes, and solumnly intoned asides with narration like "This is my date Miss United Kingdom. I like her for herself. I know what you're thinking, and we're still together.") ascent and decline, and that of his colleagues, while being utterly true to its subject and as entertaining as if Monty Python fashioned a music documentary.

Biographical depictions include Ian Curtis and Joy Division, Happy Mondays and New Order, all ascending and declining as well. Actor Andy Serkis (Gollum) turn as a renegade producer is a hoot, and the music is to die for (as Curtis unfortunately proved.) My personal ethos of non-censorship comes into play in recommending this picture whole-heartedly, since there's an animal cruelty scene that I personally must fast-forward, and a LOT of (don't do as we did boys and girls, do as we should have done) drug-taking, but these indeed further the story.

And it's a singularly fascinating one of a lone, creative man finding himself, as he puts it, "in the right place, with the right music, the right bands, the right record label, the right partners, the right club and the right drugs, all at the right time." The place was Manchester, England, the man was Tony Wilson, and the movie was "24 Hour Party People." They are still yours to enjoy immensely.

EDGEPLAY (documentary) Former bassist of subject turned director Victory Tischler-Blue ("Vicki Blue") cajoles The Runaways, their associates and family to explain what went right and what went wrong in the legendary teen girl group who were monster players as well as jailbait.

Shot without legal authorization of Joan Jett, copyright holder of most of their original songs, it fills this vacuum very cleverly with a soundtrack wafting in and out of the few Runaways' live numbers in a dream-like fashion, very apt for hazy by nature recollections of thirty years ago that can be pleasant or genuinely nightmare-like, depending on the memory invoked. You're not going to envy the Runaways...

SUNSET STRIP (comedy, fiction) "Sunset Strip" should be viewed as a character study companion piece to "Almost Famous" with far more accurate verisimilitude. "Famous" is a wondrous pastiche, lotsa entertaining bang for your buck. But "Sunset Strip" represents the real sh-t. I know. I was there. And here's why you should take my anonymous word for it.

When I first saw this movie I was astonished that I didn't recognize the name of its writer, for I recognized every one of his characters, literally as well as figuratively. The writer obviously was exactly the same age I was, worked in the exact aspects of the entertainment industry that I did, at the exact same time in the early 70's at the exact same spots in Hollywood and knew the exact same people I did (or knew of.) Anna Friel was Genie the Tailor, who did in fact die in an auto accident with several members of British band Fairport Convention. The geeky manager was seemingly an early Geffen clone. The dissolute songwriter was a Warren Zevon-alike, while Jared Leto was, dare I say, a completely interchangeable popstar type of the era. My own future beloved, popstar of that era, lived in the exact same Laurel Canyon mountain aerie depicted in the film (replete with same benevolent landlord), while I worked as a music photographer amongst the main protagonist's doppelganger.

And I did know who he was. He was one of the names you'll recognize on photo credits of the era, who owns a major restaurant here. But he didn't want his name on the writing credits, so I'll respect that. "Sunset Strip" is a highly entertaining character study that is unbelievably accurate in its depiction of an assortment of characters on the perimeter, or the earliest stages of ascent, of the music scene in Los Angeles in the early 1970's. It's all true. And we did go out there every night. . .

I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES (documentary) Producer, eccentric musician and genuine good guy in the business Don Was fashioned a documentary about the mid-1990's Brian Wilson that explained the latter's genius to musicians and fans alike better than anyone ever has. You'll actually understand the enigma, as rare in films as it is in real life.

C.S. BLUES (documentary, and the title here a family-friendly version for this site. It stands for C--k S----r Blues, the scatological song Jagger wrote and the Stones recorded to get out of their one-single-left London Records contract.) Acclaimed photographer Robert Frank had all-access to the early 1970's Rolling Stones touring. He documented just what you'd expect, but artily. It's strange and sad to see You Know Who actually topple over unconscious in a quasi-O.D., and everyone behaving really badly in the process of making legendary music. It will be pretty obvious why this was banned, despite Frank's superb reputation in the art world.

I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND (comedy, realistic fiction) Yes, everything you see depicted here is utterly 100% true about the genesis of Beatlemania in the U.S. Robert Zemekis' first film, and quite well done. Girls really did every single thing depicted here, and all youth celebrated the rebirth of actual rock and roll here during a decade of otherwise mellowmush.

ALL DOLLED UP (documentary) Bob Gruen and first wife Nadya's video documentary of the New York Dolls, young, fresh, outrageous, believable show-offs, so alive. Probably the all-time best roc doc to show actual backstage shenanigans as normal, with priceless live footage. If you know nothing of the NYDolls, you'll understand the appeal instantly, it's that good a documented depiction thereof.

MC5: A TRUE TESTIMONIAL (documentary) Wow. Quite possibly the greatest rock documentary ever, and it's still held up in the courts unwatchable to you the public. Totally portrays historical context, personalities involved, greatness of and uniqueness for the times music canon, and the prototypical rise, fall and rediscovery of this rowdy band of late 60's, mega-influential Detroit legends.

Do you remember hard-assed smartypants John Lydon uncharacteristically being reduced to tears talking about his dead friend Sid Vicious in "The Filth and the Fury," acknowledging they were all too young to know how to help their out of control chum? Multiply that times two and eat yer heart out Barbara Walters, for the interview honesty here, yet without any of the innate fun-ness of the band being surgically removed from the DNA.

Worth every second of the film and special features. Widows of the two deceased end the film by yelling "Kick out the jams, M---r-f----rs!" despite their now boho but matronly appearance. Yes, fun! Work this out already, litigators, it's only the best roc doc ever!

30 CENTURY MAN: SCOTT WALKER (documentary) (review circa 2008, now available worldwide)
It's not released in the U.S. yet, but eventually should be. The subject is American, but his pre-eminence is strictly European. Fans of "Absolutely Fabulous" should remember Patsy's older sister claiming she was the subject of a Scott Walker song, fans of director Minghella's first (and best) film "Truly Madly Deeply" (comedy-tragedy-ghost story: deserves own eventual blog) should remember the woman and her ghostly dead lover singing a raucous cover of "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore," while fans of oldskool retro-60's classics on classics radio should recall "Make It Easy On Yourself" plus many anthemic others done with the same sonorous baritone over an orchestral sweeping vista.

The film is "30 Century Man" and the subject is Scott Walker. Once upon a time in the 1960's, three typical tall, skinny Sunset Strip denizens with long hair and bangs past their eyebrows plus failed C.V.s as musicians moved to England, wherein the intrinsic lack of tall, skinny Sunset Strip denizens with bangs past their eyebrows would allow them to actually stand out. And they did, to eventual mega-stardom.

Precursors of the Ramones' hat trick, these unrelated chums named themselves the Walker Brothers, surrendered to mainstream pop, and had enormous hit after enormous hit there, with their flagship sound of Scott Walker's baritone crooning. However mushy the MOR slop tended to be, at least it was interesting having "one of our own" youth culturers singing this way, and all three looking so shaggable. Believe me, David Bowie was listening INTENTLY to this particular sound, and you can hear it every concert he sings to this day.

Huge hits written by the era's best other songwriters, genuine Beatles-esque fan mobbing, compromises, breakdowns, substance abuse, what photographer/director Larry Clark called "the usual betrayals in the music biz," then it gets weird. Prettiest boy and main voice Scott derails, joins a monestary, emerges as a Jacques Brel interpreter, then a techno-artist songwriter before there actually is techno, then avant-garde orchestrator cum performance artist for music that has no categorizing description, all of which he warbles the highest brow intellectual themes over. He releases his work maybe once a decade.

This is the story of Scott Walker, a man rightly called the most enigmatic figure ever in the history of popular music, depicted from infancy to 2006 in "30 Century Man." The director gives us "listening heads" instead of the talking variety, what with David Bowie coming aboard, Radiohead, Brian Eno and others chatting about Walker's influence upon their own work. Even 60's compatriot Lulu inquires to the only director that's managed to snag an interview with Walker if he's still gorgeous (A: yes, in a tall, skinny, bit of receding hairline, wildly creative, intellectual mien way. Plus he's sober now for decades. The guy laughs a lot for a supposed morbidly reclusive type, too.)

Many depicted fans of old don't "get" his newest work, voicing Luddite disdain for something so far ahead of what's going on now (whenever "now" is: that's the beauty of the avant garde) that they fail to embrace pure innovation for its own sake. You'll see recent footage of him orchestrating in the studio (replete with a percussionist pounding a huge side of pork, or recording sounds under a wooden box,) and explaining his difficult themes with assured ease and aplomb.

Thank God Scott Walker is still around, for this is one former pop star turned composer who is actually working at the peak of creative powers right here, right now, a massive acheivement for anyone, but especially former popstars. Trent Reznor should be so lucky when he's Walker's age. Check out "30 Century Man" when it's released to watch a fascinating musical journey.

Bonus essays on rock-related films with sufficient veracity to warrant inclusion in the Fastfilm blog pantheon, with pix:
THE TOUCHABLES (LINK) and PRIVILEGE (LINK)

THE LORDS launch smoke babies to the sky

2011-11-06T18:02:00.000-08:00

They made videos sufficiently creative (cue: fleeting image of the four group members stomping around in a Lilliputian-undersized children's sandbox) that the general public assumed The LORDS already constituted a band of some renown.

Then each video was deemed part of an ongoing documentary. And the selfsame cinema verite' traced The LORDS' ascent via social networking. According to same, guitarist Calvin (far left, 3 of the 4 photos) credits this 'fait accompli' tactic with securing the band's upward arc in popularity, "Suddenly we had hundreds of people a day 'friending' us," with a tacit suspicion that some of the more fanciful monickers were pseudonyms ("Iamthethin King," "Felix Spansion," "Rosey Futura" or "Iknow Disfusion" par example.)

Speaking (or in this case writing) of social networks, that of charismatic, leonine-maned singer John's (front right, top photo) own Facebook page features these soaring aphorisms:

"If you're being run out of town be out front & make it look like a parade... Good times call for great outlaws. Chandler dissidents. Safe daemons..."

whereas The Lords' bandpage on assorted social networks like LINK and LINK or website LINK feature descriptions of the group as follows:

"A vehicle to bring up; a hot air balloon for a crew piling into the basket. The newborn's imagination from the sun. A group of perceivers, in an army of the night assembled. Wildly differing views united. Film-makers, musicians, artists, visionaries and pioneers here to burn the floor with a fire by friction. See us rise like smoke babies to the sky, no lie, the time now is ripe and practical as a Skype call to Japan."

The entire ensemble is Benjo Vander Broek- bass,
Andrew Tyler- drums, Calvin Pfeffer- guitar and John Mooar- vocals. Yes, they combine trippy and magnificent. And well.

Then I was hired to photograph The LORDS on break from recording at Clear Lake Audio, where all these shots were taken including the one striding outside the studio which they playfully termed "their 'Entourage' shot." Me, I liked the huge commitment of the personnel so immediately apparent, their overall sound and the quasi-reggae of "Ocean Town," seen and heard below.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

EXTRACURRICULAR PHOTOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENTS 2.0

2011-11-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

Housecleaning unearthed a whole trove of photographs I took for real, live assignments while I was still at university (we creative pros always start young.) A continuing series dependent upon my prowess for domestic grime-fighting.

Above, two photographs taken in front of the world-famous Troubadour Club* circa 1972 to illustrate the foibles (and pretensions) of rock journalism. The caption read, "What do you mean my name's not on the list?!?!?"

Models for same were two UCLA film students familiar with the music scene, future cinematographer Reed Hutchinson and future "Knight Rider," "T.J. Hooker" and "The Fall Guy" tv writer Janis Hendler. Note the genuine trendy fashions of the era on both, Reed dressed as an Eagles' fan and Janis in a mix of the then latest London/U.S.A.-ware with a soupcon of antique threads.

And lastly below, future Rhino Records co-founder Harold Bronson, seated, indulging his rock star fantasy in front of the Whisky A Gogo groped amidst a bevy of my friends circa 1972, Elyse Wyman, Nancy Stevenson and Sally McMahon.

*Now even more world-famous with its own 2011 documentary dvd: "Troubadours: Rise of the singer/songwriters" featuring not only its performers James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt et al when they first started out, but also photographs of Elton John's U.S. breakthrough performance in the club circa 1970 taken by Fastfilm's better half Mr. Twister.

MODELS, INC. episodes filmed CHEZ NOUS plus assorted musicians' tales

2011-11-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

The Aron Spelling tv series "Models, Inc.," itself a spin-off of "Melrose Place," shot many scenes at our house for its first eight episodes in 1994. Our unusual-for-L.A. 1912 farmhouse and large grounds attracted rather a lot of location work back in the 1990s when there were still scripted dramas to be filmed. Ratings declined when the storyline was moved away from our home, proof of its innate star power!

Pictured above are: Mr. Twister (fellow homeowner/ Fastfilm better half) and director (the late) Charles Correll whom I already knew as the older brother of my teenhood chum (and current director) Rich Correll; Teresa Hill and David Goldsmith, who portrayed the quarrelsome model and musician enhabiting our house. Of their large ensemble cast, Carrie-Anne Moss ("The Matrix") proved the only breakout performer to date.

Our house tended to be typecast as musicians' dwellings due to our music collections, musical instruments and overall abode funkiness. This scored the ultimate heights when Roger Daltrey, Carmine Appice and Denny Laine performed on our front porch as apex of a 2-week shoot for the (straight to dvd) movie "Chasing Destiny" which also featured Lauren Graham's first leading role alongside Christopher Lloyd and Casper Van Dien.

Both Mr. Twister and I gave Mr. Daltrey our respective best 1970 shots of The Who in a turnabout of folks generally asking musicians/actors for something of theirs as keepsake. By prior agreement, Mr. Twister and I, known photographers, were prohibited from taking shots of this production, but the price was right: that year, our house paid for itself, 100% of its annual mortgage.

THE DOGS' VIDEO CASTING COUP with MIKE HUDSON and EVITA CORBY

2011-10-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

Production stills by me from the S.J.S. Entertainment video production of "Her Name Was Jane" by The Dogs also starring Evita Corby and Mike Hudson, directed by Salvatore Sebergandio. The selection is from The Dogs' newest release "Hypersensitive," due this December. The prolific Mr. Sebergandio (c.v. LINK) has shot videos with his superb artist's eye for everyone from Fear to
Slash to the mainstream Bigs. The one degree of separation garnering his esteemed services for The Dogs occurred via his Las Vegas location shoot for guitarist Loren Molinare's other band Little Caesar.
A rare cover for legendary Detroit-spawned punk/hardest rock trio The Dogs, "Her Name Was Jane" was penned by East Coast fellow punk legends The Pagans. The latter's singer/songwriter Mike Hudson, in another single degree of separation, is related to one of The Dogs via a former marriage. The video's amusing casting coup comes from augmenting The Dogs' own powerful, live performance footage with the lyrics' storyline featuring Hudson himself and Evita Corby as its protagonists.

Above, Ms. Corby looking very Vivian Leigh. Mr. Hudson, who runs the Niagara Falls Reporter newspaper with his wife Rebecca and is now a multi-published books' author of subjects ranging from crime to music, provided the read, his own "Diary of a Punk" found in a critical scene within the song's breakneck-paced punk confines. Ms. Corby is a well-known rock and roll couturier and runs her own vintage apparel store Velvet Threads in Atwater Village CA. Her first brush with visual rock fame came 37 years ago via her appearance on the back cover of 'Kill City' by Iggy Pop and James Williamson.

photograph above by Suzan Carson

"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Evita takes her Dylan Thomas seriously as she flips off Mike after completion of "Jane's" tragic death scene, fully worthy of Sarah Bernhardt in 'Camille' or Maria Callas in anything. Evita's acting debut also included "Jane" slapping Mike silly.

All is forgiven in post-production. Above, left to right: Tony Dog, Evita, Mike, director Salvatore, Loren Dog. Below, your humble photographer joins the same lineup in a photo by Loren Dog.

Here be the compleat video masterpiece:

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

LESLIE KNAUER, Architecturally Digested

2011-10-30T19:09:00.001-07:00

Mary Kay, bassist of The Dogs stays at her chum Leslie Knauer's (see LINK) polychrome digs whenever she gigs in L.A. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Leslie's celebrated joie de vivre erupts equally in her interior design sense as much as in her songs. While waiting for Mary to get ready to be schlepped to the airport, I took these discrete, non-privacy invasive snapshots of Leslie's guest house for Architectural Digest's hypothetical Fauve/Outsider Art/Bizarro World edition to share with you all.

THE DOGS live 10.15.11 at The Redwood with the PAGANS' MIKE HUDSON

2011-10-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Legendary Detroit-to-Los Angeles* punk/hardest rock power trio The Dogs --Loren Molinare, Mary Kay and Tony Matteucci-- played a packed Redwood Bar, downtown Los Angeles 10.15.11 with a special sitter-in: Mike Hudson of fellow legendary punk band The Pagans.

A relative by prior marriage to one of The Dogs, Niagara Falls NY newspaper owner/reporter Hudson was only too happy to trek across country to jam their cover of his "Her Name Was Jane" (see photos above.) "Jane" not only will appear on The Dogs' eagerly awaited new "Hypersensitive" release but also was filmed two nights later by big league video studio S.J.S. Entertainment, roping in Hudson and friend of the band Evita Corby, normally a rock clothing couturier, to portray the song's protagonists. (See forthcoming blog.)

Objectively as well as subjectively, I'm pleased as punch to report that this was one of the best Dogs' sets in the 25 (of their 40) years I've been present to witness and photograph. Their massive sound was correctly full on for the venue, their set proffered a perfect combination of older and newest material, and the band, always peripatetic and active, seemed to be having as much of a blast as its loyal fans.

Below, the backstage blues with Mary and Tony waiting to play and kick ass!

Above, all a musician's essentials: set list, Finger Ease, towel and liquid refreshments. In this case it's bassist Mary's.

PHOTO OPS section:

Above, left to right Tony Dog, Mary Dog, Evita Corby (who starred in the Salvatore Severgandio video production of The Dogs' "Her Name Was Jane" along with its author Mike Hudson of The Pagans,) Loren Dog and Danny DeMuff (1980s Dog.)

Mike Hudson, fun lovin'
attorney Annemarie Sulatycky,
Julie Scher Molinare (Mrs. Loren
Dog,) Jimmy Recca (bassist of
The Stooges circa 1971.)

The Three Graces-

Annemarie Sulatycky, Julie Scher Molinare, Evita Corby.

Below, Rebecca, good lady wife of Mike, gets to know Jimmy Recca somewhat better.

*whereas their spankin' new dvd is called "The Dogs, L.A. to Tokyo." Fuller description and where to order on future blog.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

CANINE BEREAVEMENT FLOWERS

2011-10-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

A dog bereavement floral arrangement, seen at a veterinary clinic prior to its delivery, 'made me sad...

DEATH OF A TREE and the planned urban degeneration of quality of life

2011-10-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

The above tree is/was an Alleppo pine, 80 feet tall, and a fully drought-tolerant species appropriate to the area. Despite its 300 year lifespan, it is in the process of being cut down. In what seems a juggernaut of conspiracies to erode all possible quality of life issues in urban locales, the new owners of the property were ordered to cut down the tree or else their new purchase would never be insurable. After searching for any possible alternative they had no choice but to acquiesce in a city known for instant litigation if so much as a twig falls on a passerby, otherwise living in their own home purchase would be deemed unlawful by its noncompliance with insurance.

So much for expansive shade, verdant beauty and combating smog with Amazon rain forest-like oxygenation. The new homeowners at least posted the reason for this travesty, and also allowed a holistic consultant neighbor to organize a "celebration of its life prayer ceremony" mid-death of the tree attended by many. The top photo features a daylight full moon (between the telephone pole and the palms left of center) which is not supposed to exist any more than 80 foot trees in cities.

The above photo represents a bit of the immediate area circa 1912. This now enormous basin of suburbs was once described as a perfect savannah a la the Serengeti, meaning enough water to support seasonal grasses and shrubs, (hence the initial dry-farming/limited livestock practices were ecologically sound) but rather few trees for a locale teeming with human and animal life (the vestigial latter I still encounter constantly when trail-riding the area's perimeter: bobcats, coyotes, deer etc.) Therefore each large tree evolved into map markers of sorts. The destroyed Alleppo pine tree was how one identified this locale from the top of the nearby mountain range that separated this valley from the rest of the burgeoning city until more familiar building landmarks were built. And soon its death will be complete.

In my informal survey of mature trees in the immediate locale above, note the mini-grove of California Redwoods adorning the (rare for this city) 1912 domicile of Fastfilm and Mr. Twister, no doubt planted as a grove to reinforce each tree plus positioned to shade the upstairs bedroom from the sunrise; also the gallery of palm trees lining the street that once led to the estate of the area's developer a century ago, traversed by an early morning bicyclist exercising his fortunately unseen purebred German Shepard Dog.

Why "fortunately?" Because this city outlawed purebred dog breeds four years ago with a sterilization of all dogs of 16 weeks of age mandate, with no exemptions (its so-called ones required documents that don't exist in real life plus $500 per dog per year multiple licensing plus business licenses for the requisite kennel license. Kennel licenses are always denied in this locale due to setback zoning laws. So--- utterly deliberate sabotage.)

Its unintended consequence, foreseen by the true animal lovers that fought same, became a metropolis wherein the only dogs that are available are the ones at the pounds bred by gang members and similar: pitbull and pit-crosses make up roughly 75% of its pound populations, with the remaining percentile chihuahuas, chihuahua-crosses and a few true strays.

The faces below represent what is now considered illegal and undesirable for this metropolis which demands that they should have been sterilized at 16 weeks, an interruption in the growth hormones essential for lifelong bone health in large dog breeds. The law now guarantees that the probability their deaths from osteosarcoma be raised to 40%. In simple math, the law requires your large dog breed, such as the ones below, die at age six instead of at least over ten years old.

ROCKER GRRRLS DAY OUT

2011-10-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Above, on the hottest day of the year, a luncheon social yesterday at a vegan eatery with Ms. Mary Kay, bassist of The Dogs (LINK) and Ms. Evita Corby, proprietress of Velvet Threads and rock 'n' roll couturier. Mary is seen multitasking a call to her husband, dining and engaging in frantic gesticulation to the photographer, seen in photo at bottom as calmness is restored. (Photo by Evita Corby.)

Denizen of Las Vegas and occasionally Michigan, Mary was in town for The Dogs gig at The Redwood Bar, downtown LA. this coming Saturday. She regaled selfsame luncheon social with tales of Vegas kitsch and her own proto-punk days in NYC with The Dogs, who lived alternately in Greenwich Village and The Electric Circus Club building where they rehearsed. Patti Smith was their neighbor and Kiss opened for them, as did the Stilettoes, wherein the beauteous Debbie Harry wasn't yet even the lead singer...

Up close & personal with all-star guitarists RICK VITO, GLENN BALLARD and BO DIDDLEY

2011-10-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Rick Vito, famed smoooooth blues/rock axeman for so many of The Bigs (every time you hear Bob Seger's "Like A Rock" in those Dodge Ram truck tv adverts that's Vito's licks,) when he was guitarist alongside Billy Burnette for Fleetwood Mac circa the '90s. This was taken with a medium format Rolleiflex in my studio to resemble, at his request, a live stage shot.

He was sporting the greatest rock jacket since Nudie's bespoke one for Gram Parsons with the nekkid women, pills and weed leaves seen during the Flying Burrito Brothers' era (my photo of same LINK. I'm partial to Sneeky Pete's applique pterodactyl.) The man has style. The man also has manners, as he remains the only client to date that brought yours truly a little hospitality gift for doing the session (a large plastic tiki head.)(I still have it.)

The man also has quite a career, and an interesting new musical direction of late. From his signature tasty blues a la Peter Green meets Jeff Healey seen in the video below (along with aforementioned fashions and sleek Art Deco-esque "Streamliner" guitar)...

to today's Rick Vito, below in a video of Mick Fleetwood's Island Rumours Band, playing his beautiful custom Moore Bettah ukelele (curly koa wood, rope purling and a tiki headstock! I guess he has another signature besides his Reverend Signature guitar) at a gig in Maui, HI.

Collaborator of Alanis Morrissette and rightly credited with jump-starting her post-teenybopper career into its respectable and enduring singer-songwriter one, Glenn Ballard is seen circa 1995 above in his home studio where many of the "You Oughta Know" et al ideas germinated.

Although understandably far more swank 'n' spacious given his success, the Ballard abode wasn't all that far away from our own digs in a part of SoCal that attains ridiculous heat temperatures in the summertime, and I remember being impressed with, besides his talent, the coated window panes in his home studio. They were the same fog-blue that I've tinted his portrait above, which surely supplemented the home air-conditioning with an illusion of cooler climes outside.

And lastly, the man his bad self, Bo Diddley. Inventor of da da da da da, DA dah!--the Diddley beat backbone of rock 'n' roll. And on 5.2.89 guitarist Nancy Luca jumped onstage to jam with him at Hollywood's Coconut Teazser club. The brass! But his sidelong glance that I shot from being up close and personal: priceless.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

SMARMY PHOTOGRAPH

2011-10-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Possibly the smarmiest photo I've ever taken since I've never worked the celeb circuit per se. (I'm avoiding impugning paparazzi since I know a highly talented one, Brad Elterman LINK. His celeb photos are the ones you wished the paparazzi had taken, interesting ones that revealed perhaps why its subjects reveled in charisma from Hollywood glitz glamor to punk rockers. And in a particularly famous series, shooting a desperate starlet disco-dancing topless at the Playboy Mansion, instead of obsessing on Hef, the babes and the A through D list.) Yes, it's later outted lip-syncers Milli Vanilli winning their Grammy for Best New Act, 1989 despite not having sung on their own music releases.

The discrete charm of an IGGY POP magazine cover shoot

2011-10-03T06:30:00.001-07:00

Someone on Facebook asked me if I hung out with Iggy Pop who was this person's hero. Rather than proffer a terse "no not really" I wrote the following about the above photo session.

A: You have good taste, because although Iggy has owned up to his setbacks in life, many of them incredibly self-destructive, he has overcome them all, stayed with his unique artistic principles and forged real success from them, eventually garnering his much-deserved, worldwide recognition.

I'm a photographer, which is like "staff." That means I'm there to do a job on a limited time basis (and The Stooges have their own photographer which would be the ultra-talented Robert Matheu) so I don't have a lot of "face time" with these artists. The most access around Iggy was in 1990 for a magazine cover studio session with Don Was and him.

I'm not a naturally chatty person, so I told two of my three assistants (pretty girls, one under twenty years old. Had the clients been gay, I would have tried to hire good looking young men for eye candy) that their main job was to chat with Iggy and Don so I could stick to my technical concerns and cameras. When I did make small talk with Iggy, he showed his famous charm and prescient sympatico by choosing a conversation topic dear to me-- masterful Japanese film director Akira Kurasawa-- with no prior prompting as to my own tastes.

He's a smart as well as intuitive guy, and for someone who's one of the art form's best ever practitioners, one with a lot of interests beyond rock and roll. And for a down-to-earth touch, he had borrowed that fabulous star-spangled leather jacket from a friend of his then guitarist Whitey Kirst (LINK) just for my photo session. (Results above and below. Trivia: as this was the pre-digital era of media, neither photo was retouched as the deadline was far too tight for post-production detailing.)

PROTO-HALLOWEEN for October

2011-10-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

This was shot in the 1960s in Westwood Village, a tony burg of well-heeledness in Los Angeles wherein Day of the Dead figurines would have spelled exotica. A teen without any professional counsel whatsover, I shot black and white at first because it was cheaper, then later because most of the periodicals to whom I'd sell photographs only printed b+w anyway. An eminence grise myself these days, I've added some sickly, pale color undertones here to play up its Tim Burton-esque qualities.

MICK FARREN

2011-09-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

In the center above, Mick Farren, prolific (at last count-23 novels and 18 non-fiction works in addition to fulltime journalism and multiple daily blogs LINK,) acerbic, genuinely funny and thoroughly modern intelligent author extraordinaire caught in my
photo amid a spoken word with a rock band bridge move betwixt his writing career and that of his music one (The Deviants and precursor The Social Deviants, unfortunately less known in my native United States. Fellow Yanks, they were Brit equivalents of the Mothers of Invention throughout the late '60s with a bit of MC5, Bonzo Dog Band and overall anarchy thrown in. Farren himself concocted Phun City in 1970, mother of all large-scale Euro-summer music festivals. Also his lyrics have been sung by no less than Metallica, Motorhead and Wayne Kramer.)

Once ex-pat to Los Angeles and now re-pat back to England, he's currently said to be recovering from some anonymous but serious malady. Get well soon and for as long as possible: our planet needs all the multi-tasking counterculture/pop culture iconoclasts out there in public that it can muster.

TALES TOLD OUT OF SCHOOL 3.0: in which we hear a jazz great

2011-09-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

(Third in a series of tales told out of school, both literally and figuratively, how my Swiss Cheese brain remembers such events which may or may not be accurate at all. Preface: I attended a girls' private prep school in the 1960s with a student body who often mimicked the creativity of that era with its own high spirits, a pendulum reaction to the heavy course load and voluminous homework from which many of us still haven't caught up on lost sleep some forty-plus years on and from which many of us still retain permanently stooped posture via carrying heavy textbooks. Well, it's not like there existed alternatives to those heavy textbooks. We didn't have personal home computers because no one on this particular planet in this galaxy had them yet. So let's roll back the roiling mists of time to The Pleistocene of my youth.)

Shhhh, I'm trying to reconstruct a memory here, as there's no verification online, nor in the pertinent school yearbooks nor amongst those left alive to tell the tale.

I really think it was Les McCann who gave a performance/seminar on jazz piano-playing for one of our school assemblies (meeting hall-type confluence of the entire student body for mandatory entertainment: "chapel" was the morning intel gathering for same.) It was a friendly, powerfully funky, improv-jazz pianist with massive groove to spare that I recall, the timeline fits, and hey, like, who else?

Further clarification: chapel featured the procession by music of the entire school into an auditorium for announcements, all to live piano accompaniment of Protestant Christian hymns. The one time I was asked to play, I proffered "Mellow Yellow" by Donovan (a very druggy chart hit of the 1960s) in order not to be asked again. McCann aside, school assemblies followed more along the lines of the pictures below (photographers unknown) mixing lectures, travelogues, science talks or humorous skits. Wooly Bully!

Although this was a lilly-white exclusive private school for girls at the time, Mr. McCann would have been the epitome of a good sport for even showing up much less wanting to entertain us. Or maybe it was his sense of humor at play, as he was associated with the Westlake School of Music (no relation.) He was witty, gracious beyond comprehension, and so very engagingly warm to a student body 98% bereft of jazz knowledge (the percentage reflects the smallness of the school, the 2% sole exception being "Ms. R.F." whose senior yearbook personal profile description included "Yusef Lateef...Pensativa...A Love Supreme...the melodic, lyrical, powerful sounds of jazz" and for bonus points of a good topical, Malcolm X-ish fervor, "...Burn, baby, burn!" [motto of the Watts riots.])

Now you can un-shhhh, turn up the sound and listen: fuckin' A this is great!! Sit back, enjoy, and don't let those uncontrollably stompin' to the beat feet knock over your furniture. There's two Youtubes forthwith for your Eddification ( hah hah, more later ) the first being the actual performance, and the second just a still photo for visuals but with far better stereo sound. ( Amazing backstory follows both. )

The cut was recorded live at the 1969 Montreux, Switzerland Jazz Festival pretty much ad hoc when its promoter brokered a jam combining separate acts. This band had never played together with all heard here--Les McCann: piano, vocals; Eddie Harris: tenor sax; Benny Bailey: trumpet; Leroy Vinnegar: bass; Donald Dean: drums,--had no sound check whatsoever, and didn't know the material planned for the set. McCann really hadn't been a full-time singer in his musical forays at all. And Eugene McDaniels' song of casual frustration from the African-American community boiling over into rage at society at large had been written two years before by a former pop crooner (then Gene McDaniels recording "100 Pounds Of Clay," etc.) turned activist, and only previously recorded as a sincere but plain piano, midtempo ditty by Roberta Flack.

And yet...this erupted. Wowza! Lashing, slashing, hunk of funk stabbing staccato beats born of righteous indignation and talent delighted to be playing with fellow superstars. So instantaneously classic at its inception that the album of same, "Swiss Movement" charted bigtime immediately and this cut became an improbable crossover singles hit. This was the first mainstream radio broadcast song I for one ever heard with curse words left intact within. And I even love it despite its stray anti-dog-owner lyric. Such remains the power of its torrid groove.

McCann, much constrained by the infirmities of old age, still performs live with a band, bless his heart. And now, for some conjecture concerning the late Eddie Harris (no relation.)

Insofar as we visual artists often try on another's style to see how it's done, I've always suspected musicians do the same. It can be unknowingly ( i.e., George Harrison having to cough up royalties to "He's So Fine" for his similarly tuned "My Sweet Lord," ) or completely unsubstantiated, obscure, subjective speculation such as my contention that "Sister Ray" by the Velvet Underground might have been influenced by Eddie Harris' "Listen Here." Again, the timeline certainly fits. The Harris' also improbable crossover singles hit here:

and below, for brevity's as well as humor's sake (the original V.U. "Sister Ray" runs about 17 minutes) is the clever Lawrence Welk mashup with the Velvet Underground (with John Cale a much changed man...)

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

EXTRACURRICULAR PHOTOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENTS

2011-09-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Housecleaning unearthed a whole trove of photographs I took for real, live assignments while I was still at university (we creative pros always start young.) This 1971 print eventually illustrated a satirical piece on West, the "lifestyle" magazine of the Los Angeles Times from 1967-72 and its assorted provincial ilk. People-wrangling courtesy of yours truly; yes, at one point I knew all these folks, attrition and relocations winnowing it all down to but a handful today.

It was shot at then new-ish Marina Del Rey in coastal west Los Angeles, easily accessible to us students of Westwood's UCLA. Within this mass of oh! the humanity, there's a biker/attorney, a Confederate scuba-diver, a roller-skating, southpaw guitarist (my roommate and fellow art school student,) a future Century City litigator, his trendy girlfriend with an antique press camera, assorted sports implements, the biggest sombrero anyone had ever seen, and an actual child. Yeah, and someone in swimfins holding a chicken.

Someone pointed out that this represents an awful lot of people for a little sailboat, that we were lucky not to capsize it, and that the modern parlance for our nautical flash mob now would be called a "takeover." And now for something completely different, as our fixation with the then spankin' new Monty Python's Flying Circus would have dictated quoting...

The academician in her laboratory below was Dr. Thelma Moss, Psychology Professor and head of the Parapsychology lab/clinic at UCLA (yes, such went the '60s and early '70s) with the unseen interviewer at left most likely the writer Don Strachan (Feb. 12, 1942 - Oct. 14, 2011) contradictorily dressed in "straight" mufti and waist-length blond ponytail. He was a fulltime alternative press journalist, author, bon vivant and hippie raconteur extraordinaire (many of his stories remain unprintable unfortunately for Fastfilm readers, as there's much drug content.) My photograph probably graced either the Los Angeles Free Press or its spin-off The Staff (such bisections also were symptomatic of the '60s and early '70s.)

Dr. Thelma Moss, former screenwriter (this was L.A.) and onetime participant in LSD therapy pioneered the era's serious studies of Kirlian photography, a voltage-induced corona effect of living things or any solid matter in photographs likened to "auras," a popular '60s obsession. Also much enamored of Kirlian photography over the ages were: David Bowie, the scientist whom Bowie later portrayed in the film "The Prestige" Nikola Tesla himself, the Journal of Applied Physics and even the modern IEEE, as the process itself was precursor to xerography.

I did and do consider the shot below a very good, sober, professional photojournalism in situ portrait for me, considering it emanated from my early 1970s' far crazier self.

2 favorites, THE MICHAEL DES BARRES BAND and THE RAW ROWER RANGERS together at last

2011-09-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

From Silverhead to Silverlake (LINK and LINK,) the rollicking Michael Des Barres Band rocked and rallied in full cry at the Silverlake Lounge with harmonica sitter-in Jimmy Wood, headlining a 9.8.11 show opened by, amongst others, our favorite Stooges' tribute band The Raw Power Rangers.

Below,

birthday
boy
bassist
Paul Ill

Above, David Arnson dances
to the Barres band, having
transmogrified back into himself
from his earlier persona

in the Raw Power Rangers.

As "Iggy Pop," the silver opera-gloved Arnson was obsessed with the floor for much of the evening, an amusing take on the legendarily unpredictable antics of his namesake circa 1970. Don Bolles (the Germs, countless others and normally this combo's drummer) became guitarist "Ron Asheton" for the Raw Power Rangers' offering of Funhouse, the Stooges' second LP. Andrew Scott as "James Williamson" sat in to do his blistering version of "I Gotta Right" as the set's big finish.

Still obsessed with the floor.

PHOTO OPS Section:
Above, Andrew Scott ("James Williamson" of the

Raw Power Rangers and Evita Corby (one who would know.)

Below, Kim Fowley expounds in front of
the young lady who toted MDBB bassist
Paul Ill's birthday cake onstage.

LOOM-WOVEN SILK SCARF

2011-09-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Maria Damon, Poetry Professor at the University of Minnesota and Stooges' fan extraordinaire made me this gorgeous, loom-woven silk scarf/muffler. Thanks so much!

STRAY PHOTOS from the '70s and '80s

2011-09-18T15:55:00.001-07:00

Above, the still beauteous to this day Crickette posing on astroturf outlined to resemble the apartment complex's missing courtyard swimming pool, rare in non-ghetto SoCal communal living. This remains a good example of location shoots I'd put together when so inspired between jobs. (I've always seemed to have good looking and compliant friends to model.) We hauled in all missing pool accessories. Circa the mid-1970s.

Above, all this brother and sister wanted was a photograph of themselves together. Somehow this is what we ended up with. She was a photogenic, very animated rock singer who then married a quite well to do local sports arena owner. The life-sized dinosaur was cardboard, later utilized in a campaign portrait of a local political candidate who then won.

Above, hot air balloon in which Mr. Twister and I later were aloft, the Antelope Valley, Calif. circa the mid-70s.

Above, for my photo feature in Crawdaddy Magazine on Japanese monster toys, beloved of the era's punk rockers. This assortment was gleaned from the respective collections of writer Paul Diamond and myself. My own did not survive the terrible 1994 Northridge earthquake whose epicenter was a mere three miles away and killed our across the street neighbors. Except it was via the destructive proclivities of the unsupervised children of the
builder we'd hired to repair quake damage, and he was livid as well. At least the quality work made up for it.

De rigueur rock photo, Paula Pierce of The Pandoras (LINK) circa 1984 just after the band's bisection.

Vaguely haunted-looking for daylight train scene, Tennessee, '70s.

Above, my "tourist" photo of a Communist rally at the Colosseum, Rome, Italy, October 1978. The next time we were in Rome for Chainsaw's Euro-tour in 2003 (LINK) they still were demonstrating, this time against the then spankin' new war in Iraq, "Pace! Pace!"

Above, my "tourist" photo of Pompeii, same trip, 1978.

Mr. Twister rises above it all, Rome, 1978.

Someone really rising above it all later in the 1980s, affecting Bruce Dern's frequently psychosis-prone film characters.

THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE

2011-09-14T20:24:00.001-07:00

By the whimsies of the fates I recently photographed, for their respective promo purposes, these two seemingly philosophically polarized bands on the very same day. Though opposites in matters of faith, they shared far more traits than one first might suspect. Both sang with conviction and performed with finesse while remaining thoroughly entertaining with just a soupcon of Retro-cool. And both espouse, through their art, human decency through personal actions.

The young lady above is Reesi Rocca, whose energy, drive and moxie I genuinely admire. Her touchstone is Michael Jackson and similar bigtime shows of chart toppers: her singing delivery and moves certainly match them. It's a big show with a full band, backup singers, costume changes and well-performed modern hiphop choreography. One family of fans drove approximately 150 miles to witness this show, carting one very happy little boy who presented Reesi with long-stemmed red roses.

Husband Darryl and she are practicing but non-proselytizing Christians, content to be decent people in show biz, letting their actions speak for them and exclaiming "God bless!" when they're especially pleased.

BONUS photo op from the shoot: pictured below, Reesi and MJ, the family Golden Retriever who, as a certified Service Dog is allowed to come into clubs and venues serving food to add bonus promotional contact with Reesi's adoring public after any show.

Earlier in the day I photographed a Hollywood concert by

The Heathens, an ensemble of atheists who are also professional musicians. The venue, owned by a local atheist society, can't display its appellation on its own building (and instead is named after a famously intellectual tv star from the 1950s of similar mind) since such would be eminently in danger of oppositional fanatics vandalizing it.

The Heathens included fine artist/web designer/videographer/ chamber music arranger/rockin' tribute band member (LINK) and
Fastfilm colleague Joel Pelletier who sang many numbers solo self-accompanied on guitar and keyboard before the band assembled onstage. His own deconstruction of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields," a famously orchestral avant garde piece for a chart hit of the '60s, remained a wonder of arranging economy as well as of insight to its emotional context.

Other Beatles' material remained relevant such as John Lennon's "Imagine," somewhat of a hymn for atheists with its calm, quietly optimistic, secular take on equality for all humans. Otherwise much of the Heathens' repertoire reminded one of Tom Lehrer and the early 60s' folkie era with satire aplenty. They fervently sang of their philosophy, and as the society chairperson reminded the audience, they made sure they always endeavored to do good to highlight same. (The society's next project was participation in an AIDS walk.)

BONUS photo op from the shoot: a Heathen's glorious, custom leopard-printed Gibson guitar and ukelele, seen below.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

MY (heretofore) LOST DOGS PHOTOS

2011-09-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

Newly excavated photos of punk legends
THE DOGS circa 1988, discovered in the archaeological dig that is our domicile. Left to right, Loren Molinare, Mary Kay, Tony Matteucci. See LINK or search within this blog for their numerous, fascinating tales

1988 MYSTERY BAND

2011-09-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Housecleaning my photo files remains akin to archeology chez nous. Take this recently unearthed find. I shot this photo circa 1988 in the foothills of L.A. at night with two movie lights powered by a generator. The fellow far left was David, proprietor of the Hollywood nightclub X-Poseur; otherwise, it's fill in the blanks. Anyone have any clues?

WHITEY KIRST & THE WEB OF SPIDER

2011-09-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

California hard rock fans had been destined to witness brand new supergroup Whitey Kirst & The Web of Spider open for Iggy And The Stooges this September. Fate fabricated other plans, breaking Iggy's foot onstage in Romania (up on Youtube already LINK) just
before the U.S. leg (hah!) of their 2011 tour season. As this happened within days of W.O.S.'s planned Hollywood appearance, the band suddenly found themselves gigless en route (a long one as some trekked all the way from the Great White North.)

Enter fun lovin' attorney, fellow Canadian-born, full-time Disney-employed, part-time guardian angel Annemarie Sulatycky. She rustled up some ad hoc gigs (two of the three) which provided fans of bluesy but metal-esque hardest rock a chance to espy these superstar players in rather smallish clubs instead of the arenas which might better contain their massive sound. L.A's respective Three of Clubs, Skinny's Lounge and Redwood Bar were the lucky venues, and anyone who made it to these shows saw a helluva good band. My shots were taken at the Sept. 5th one at Skinny's.

The band's pedigree as follows: W.O.S. singer/songwriter/guitarist Whitey Kirst was axeman for Iggy Pop's solo outing band known variously and vicariously as The Trolls or The Fuckups, from 1990 through 2003 along with his drumming brother Alex Kirst (recently killed by moron hit and run driver.) He recognized, on my business card, the spiffy Star-Spangled Banner, redwhite&blue leather jacket worn by Iggy at our 1990 studio photo session as belonging to a friend of his. Even at the time The Ig had admitted he'd borrowed it just for our session, impressing me with his resourcefulness. When I apologized online for misspelling Whitey's last name as "Hirst" he graciously wrote that he hoped the typo would get him into the San Simeon, California Hearst Castle.Bassist Stefan Adika was same for the L.A. Guns and an ensemble I'd seen (obviously before its figurehead's passing) the Dee Dee Ramone Band. Tommy Clufetos drums heavily, showily and passionately for Ozzy Osborne as well, having gigged with Rob Zombie, Ted Nugent and Alice Cooper heretofore.

Tommy Clufetos

Stefan Adika

Leap of
faith
from
drum kit by
Whitehorn
Kirst

Photo Ops section:

Left to right, Whitey Kirst, Stefan Adika, Josh Kirst, Jimmy Recca, Annemarie Sulatyky

Below, Annemarie Sulatyky and Jimmy Recca (formerly bassist of the 1971 vintage Stooges and the post-Stooge/post-MC5 Ron Asheton/Machine Gun Thompson enclave The New Order.)

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

MY DOPPELGANGER INK DRAWING

2011-09-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Somewhere on this planet there is another ink drawing that looks exactly like this. I painted it twenty minutes before I painted the one scanned above. Perhaps an explanation is due.

In 1968 I attended summer school at Stanford University taking all fine arts classes-- clay sculpture, painting and life drawing (For the uninitiated, that means nude models daily. Cumulatively with my later UCLA Fine Arts Degree, that means I've seen more naked bodies than most rock stars.)

I painted the doppelganger to the above art for a painting class with a Rapidograph India Ink drawing style for the tree trunks incorporated into the overall ink wash painting technique for more visual interest. The assignment had been plein air landscape, and my chosen subject was harsh noonday sun over a promenade of a glade of trees overlooking an escarpment (many Stanford habitues said they recognized the locale immediately. I wonder if it's still there?)

As with my recent Cleo Viper photograph (LINK) I recognized the rare-for-me attainment of perfection (to dispell accusations of hubris, I'll define as art which cannot be improved.) No sooner had this realization materialized than so did an ad hoc buyer. The passerby offered me an amenable sum and I sold it to her on the spot. To fulfill the assignment I immediately painted its identical twin, the one in the above image, in the next twenty minutes.

Mr. Twister has oft chided me that I've had been a good artist if I'd ever spent more than twenty minutes on a painting...

IGGY and THE STOOGES, LIVE, Tribute to Ron Asheton, 4.19.11, Ann Arbor MI, PHOTOGRAPHS AND STORY

2011-08-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to my Tribute to Ron Asheton with Iggy and The Stooges piece (pp. 3 - 18 plus cover) and my piece on The Dogs, a worthy Michigan-born band also still here forty years on (pp. 97- 111.) Both are
copiously illustrated with my photographs...

Paraphilia Magazine, issue 12 LINK

Top photo, Iggy Pop at the Tribute to Ron Asheton with Iggy and The Stooges gig, below, The Dogs

More on the entire Ann Arbor visit, Iggy and The Stooges show and assorted important personnel throughout that trip here LINK and here LINK.

TRIBUTE! Part Troisieme, Funhouse...

2011-08-23T16:23:00.001-07:00

Above, "Iggy" definitely knows the finer points of performing.

Below, "Iggy" clambers on top of the liquor bar and proceeds to become very unkind to the lightbulbs.

The Raw Power Rangers were back at it doing "Funhouse" by The Stooges, 8.21.11 at West L.A.'s Liquid Kitty. David Arnson channeled the in-your-face youthful exuberance of the silver opera gloves & dog collar clad "Iggy Pop" climbing up the liquor bar and assorted women, while Don Bolles, onetime drummer for The Germs as well as the RPRs filled in as guitarist "Ron Asheton."

A Raw Power Ranger ("Dave Alexander,") geddit?

"Ron Asheton"

"Rock Action"

For more Raw Power Rangers' action go to LINK!

Photo Op section, left: the back of Don Bolles ("Ron Asheton") and his friend's beautiful Retro-inspired visage; below right: Van Nuys neighbor, equally beautiful but bereft of makeup Kimberly Yee and onetime Creem magazine film reviewer, writer Brian Zabawski

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements
such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

an INGER LORRE story...

2011-08-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Nymphs, signed for big bucks to Geffen when it mattered, were a New Jersey band relocated to Los Angeles in the early 1990s. They were compared to every hard rock category under the sun at the time -- Goth, punk, metal, grunge -- but to me they sounded like a female-fronted Roxy Music insofar as having a distinct band sound that quite differed from their peers, and for having as much dry humor as venomous bite in their songs which were primarily the work of singer Inger Lorre. The band derived its nomenclature from the post-larvae insect stage, not the semi-deity, nubile Greek maidens, although Lorre qualified.

For a while they were quite the P.R.-generators, probably in response to Geffen delaying virtually everything about their eponymous release. All the music media carried the story of Ms. Lorre pissing on the desk of company A&R person Tom Zutaut in front of him as visceral protest. She then revived the glam look of elaborate feather boas and showgirl headdresses onstage which would have been anathema on anyone else of that era. She had a quasi-ever-so-slightly flat but fierce melodic delivery that one might speculate was closely observed by Courtney Love, with occasional spoken word interludes of Biblical references. Then Inger became known for extreme tardiness to her own gigs, then for a (now acknowledged) heroin addiction alongside alcoholism. She was so talented, but it all got away from her.

I had looked forward to photographing The Nymphs (before their soon and inevitable implosion) as part of a multi-artist show heralding some sort of awards that Music Connection Magazine sponsored. Featured performers included Brian Wilson, Barbara Eden ("I Dream of Jeannie!") and lots more. This was one of the few occasions that got away from me as well, as somehow the one roll of film (of at least eight rolls needed to cover the whole show) with what was then one of the first post-Landy (his controversial shrink) appearances by Brian Wilson plus The Nymphs' single performed song disappeared from my camera bag. Mortified, I did however get the card of someone who had these shots and paid him in advance from my own pocket for same with his own promised accredation to fill in for what inexplicably was missing, since it was important to the assignment.

Fortunately for me a second chance at least to shoot Inger unfolded. For the awards' after-party there was a jam band with Frank Infante and Clem Burke of Blondie plus others upon whom we can't seem to agree nor remember. Inger had shed her feather boas for the see-through number depicted in my two photos above. She then begged, BEGGED, BEGGED the band to play "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges, pleading with them worthy of James Brown's immortal "Please, Please, Please!" so that she could warble and wail her favorite Stooges song, which one gathers heretofore hadn't fit into their set plans. She sounded as obsessed as a rabid concert fan bellowing a favorite song request, for which I commend her. It's great to have someone else's music mean that much to someone even when that someone is a performer/songwriter herself.

The Nymphs went their separate ways soon, Inger eventually attaining successful to this day clean and sober-ness, and augmenting her music career by also becoming a successful fine art painter (see similar on Elastica's Justine Frischmann LINK) with many group shows. This makes sense, as her own quite excellent drawing of assorted modern-life demons and temptations circling down a whirlpool and/or toilet bowl adorned the cover of The Nymphs' debut release. Drummer Alex Kirst joined his guitarist brother Whitey in The Trolls, the solo band of Iggy Pop. But there can be no complete aggregate Nymph reunion: Alex Kirst was killed this last January, 1.13.11 by a hit and run driver in Cathedral City, California.

Vintage The Nymphs in dim lights but live!

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

R-A-M-O-N-E-S!

2011-08-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

These Ramones' photographs were shot on assignment. At site I realized my autofocus wasn't working, and my manual focusing skills varied unpredictably in low light (what prevails between the stage lights to be metered) so I quickly rethought everything for the unnecessary three-song limit, a short time to be sure with the Ramones' speedy ditties averaging 90 seconds per song. I'd go for nontraditional images of the band in higher aperture/depth of field to keep focus sharp, rather than low aperture/spot-focus freezeframes of the familiar Johnny Ramone leaping in the air, Joey Ramone hulking over his 45-degree angled microphone stand, etc. action shots. (I'm reminding those outside our field that flash isn't allowed. Fine by me.)

I was satisfied with these images that ended up resembling horror movie posters, not what one normally associates with this band's visuals, but which apply in context of their songs' subject matters. Dee Dee Ramone worked out best for same.

Below is Lemmy of Motorhead joining the last of The Ramones for their final show in the song he wrote about them, "R-A-M-O-N-E-S!"

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

CLEO VIPER, retro-burlesque at The Viper Room

2011-08-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

Cleo Viper, a young retro-burlesque dancer from Italy, appeared as one of the opening acts for The Michael Des Barres Band (see LINK) on 8.6.11 at the Viper Room in Hollywood. I accidentally got
one of the best shots I've ever taken, above, of her "Butterfly Metamorphosis" act onstage replete with flapping wings action.
It was the first and only photo I took of her: one glance told me I wasn't ever going to get better than this. It's uncropped and unretouched (just color-balanced from its RAWfile to restore accurate stagelighting look.) I'm proud of this one.

My live photograph as well as her own studied look do indeed harken back to the Belle Epoque era, as I'm a devotee of Art Nouveau from my art studies. It's what my late grandparents hypothetically might have encountered, which would have been themed exotic dancing with perhaps a moral --a nod to freedom and free love perchance within the butterfly's casting off her binding cocoon--accompanying the strip tease.

The glittering costume unfurled to an eight foot wingspan over her lithe dancer's mainly unclad physique festooned with tattoos of, amongst others, SpongeBob SquarePants. Her graceful act remained entirely enjoyable throughout, even to us Hooters-eschewing hetero females.

Cleo Viper also entertains penchants for other retro eras, such as the Roaring '20s, incorporating Charleston flapper dancing into some routines plus of course accurate costuming to be shed. Check out her act, biography and touring schedule at the Cleo Viper site here LINK.

THE MICHAEL DES BARRES BAND LIVE at the VIPER ROOM

2011-08-14T09:53:00.001-07:00

The Viper Room sizzled 8.6.11 to the tail-feather-shakin' all rock&soul stylin's of the Michael Des Barres Band (for more info on its charismatic frontman, see LINK.) Harmonica great Jimmy Wood (see
my photo of him playing with then full time singer Katey Sagal at the legendary Palomino club LINK) and Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens (above) joined the fun jamming to "Hoochie Coochie Man" and venerable minimalist hardcore lust-lullaby "Wild Thing" amidst band originals like "Baby Saved My Ass."

Hard workin'
MDBB rock out
for some
serious fun.

the traditional kiss from onstage

I accidentally took one of the best photographs I've ever taken with one of the acts which preceded The Michael Des Barres Band, such that she deserves her own separate piece which shall be the next one forthwith, LINK.

Photo Op section: Rock couture designer Evita Corby and Stefan Arngrim share a cinematic moment or two outside the Viper Room after aforementioned sizzling gig.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

STOOGEWEAR! Pt. Deux

2011-08-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Get all this hot fashion right here! LINK!
Your Stoogewear wardrobe soon will feature this fabulous Rock Action logo (designed by talented Kim Baise, fulltime artist as well as fulltime mom) T-shirt in appealing and cool colors, plus assorted accessories.

The surly Stoogechild featured in the Youthwear Division photos is Ruby Matheu, daughter of the Iggy and The Stooges' staff photographer, pictured outside of sullen model mode in the third photo from the top with promoter/marketer Leanna Asheton (actual daughter of the band's drummer Rock Action) who graciously performed stylist duties for the session. Leanna's brother Aaron Wallis also modeled. Ruby's own illustrations of this clothing line adorn the seamless backdrop behind the two, and it's my own skull ring in this last photo.

TRIBUTE! Pt. Deux, Led Zeppelin, Heart a la faux

2011-08-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

It's Led Zeppelin performing all their greatest hits live in 2011! Or at least the closest today's fans of classic rock can sidle up to same, given the non-existence of the band in its youthful, mighty heyday. Heartbreaker, this Zep tribute band, remain sufficiently superb musicians to pull it off, to look the part and to fill their own coffers to the brim from excellent, large venue gigs, such as this one at the Orange County (California) Fair, 7.30.11. Lest one think less of a series of rock shows that featured tributes to Aerosmith, ABBA, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Journey, Morrissey and Jimmy Buffett amongst dozens, one should add that the Fair's other attractions included the real Bob Dylan and his band, B.B. King, Paul Rodgers, Weezer, Chris Isaak, Melissa Etheridge, Steel Pulse with The Wailers, and Blue Oyster Cult...

The "Heart" women, Nom du

Tribute Dog 'N Butterfly, joined the Heartbreaker guys for some supergroup-type jamming. I had forgotten that the earliest incarnation of Ann and Nancy Wilson's band dressed as if they all were going to the Renaissance Faire...

Heartbreaker, in their own youthful, mighty glory heydays right now, present a fun replication of thunderous Zep verisimilitude, from musicianly proficiency with its quirks (yes, the mandolin was played by "John Paul Jones" not "Jimmy Page" on Ballad Of Evermore as with the originals) to their studied look, correct not only in costuming, but respective relative heights and girths. Vocalist Jefrey James is dead on as "Robert Plant" in both timbre and stage moves, "John Bonham's" Moby Dick is as bombastic as its progenitor's. It'll always be a good show: they rock!

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

Mr. TWISTER, FASTFILM in the news!

2011-07-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

Off to Lompoc (site of W.C.Fields' The Bank Dick. He made the town's name sound hysterical with every repetition) and its guaranteed, always glorious weather for the Western Combined Sighthound Show, and its Golden State Deerhound Club entry for Lyonhil Karis Eden Pedecaris (so named after the Candace Bergen character in The Wind And The Lion and Sean Connery's [as the Berber Rizuli (!)] Scottish burr muttering of "Yer a lot of t-r-r-r-rouble, Mrs. Pedecaris." Deerhound puppies are indeed, but outgrow it) and yours truly. We won American Bred Bitch (so very apropos) but nothing further up the ladder. Below, Mr. Twister and Sarahbelle the Golden Retriever, the latter having a Walter Mitty moment in front of the place for the Number 1 dog winner.

We also made the local news: check out LINK towards the end.

RUBY FRIEDMAN ORCHESTRA LIVE at the ECHO

2011-07-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

The always incredible Ruby Friedman Orchestra live at the Echo, Los Angeles 7.24.11, in prep for their London/U.K. promotional jaunt next week. Replete with hoedown stompers to power ballads with real emotion, their original repertoire remains heartily and lustily all over the map! Lots more on the RFO here LINK.

HEY, that's my job!
Drummer Alex Elena personally outsources rock-documentation from onstage mid-song.

Which reminds me: their portraits but not noms des musique/cladistic nomenclature have been elucidated in these virtual pages, so to rectify, the Orchestra's own description of membership here forthwith:

Alex Elena -- Marching Beats, Orders, and Ranks
Ulf Bjorlin -- Tenderloin Tromboner
Adam Zimmon - String Swooner
Dorian Heartsong -- Vagabond of Bass Vagaries
Ruby Friedman -- Non-Servile Servant and Whistling Dixie Girl
Nicholas Johns -- Ivory Ebony Space Sounder
Nick Page -- Banjo and Iron Horseshoes Player
Jodie Schell -- Will-O-The-Wisp Backing Mega-Mouthpiece

Photo Ops: Above, Paraphilia Magazine's editor Dire McCain and staff photographer Richard Meade, R-Rated antics in the middle, flanked by Dire's pal Christine and far right, Rico Cardinale, hairstylist extraordinaire and Fastfilm's friend since 1966.

Dire and Richard looking marginally more respectable.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

STEELY DAN LIVE

2011-07-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Steely Dan live at the Greek Theatre (of 'Get Him To the Greek!' film fame of late) in 1993, a classic journalist-tell-the-story-in-one -shot: left Walter Becker, right Dan Fagen. This was their first live reunion since 1979, the Dan having preferred percolating cauldrons of esoteric but mainstream-popular studio releases (bless their hearts) to performing in the interim.

for SCOTT "ROCK ACTION" ASHETON

2011-07-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

THE DIRTY KNOBS plus AHAB

2011-07-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

Fun double bill last night of The Dirty Knobs (side band of Mike Campbell, guitarist of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) and Ahab at Harper's in Tarzana, the San Fernando Valley portion of L.A. not isolated by the major freeway closure that night.

Campbell and band both write and cover exceptional material, with Campbell's plaintive but bouncy wail alternating vocals with guitarist Jason Sinay. Gene Pitney's "Town Without Pity" became an epic instrumental worthy of Mick Ronson's cover of Rodgers & Hart's (!) ballet (!!) "Slaughter on 10th Avenue." The Knobs played the first surf medley in years to sound both soulful and joyfully sleazy, reminiscent of what the late Johnny Thunders brought to such numbers.

I also loved the band's bluesier tunes with chugging bass lines a la Arthur Alexander (think Lennon's Beatles' take on "Bad Boy.") In fact, despite the band's promo listing their influences as fairly standard 1960s elite like The Byrds and The Beatles, I believe The Dirty Knobs, perhaps even unknowingly, have ratcheted up their innate quality to compare to those who influenced that selfsame 60s' league in the first place. The Dirty Knobs deliver compelling rock/R&B/bottleneck slide guitar/surf music, always with a distinctive, great dirty groove.

Ahab, who thankfully might be rechristened Smoke & Mirrors in the near future, play their mix of originals and covers with boisterous expertise, thanks in part to new members Tony Matteucci (also of The Dogs) on drums and lead guitarist Apache, once of Little Caesar. Apache ushered in a similar sense of band camaraderie as shown in my photos.

Fast Film

I HEART...

2nd newest video for THE DOGS' Hypersensitive

STRAY PHOTOS from 1969 and 1971

Current events for Feb. 2012: BIRTHDAY PARTY and SUCCESSFUL BAND SHOWCASE

MY SUPERGIRLS TV ADVERT

PEACOCKS at the horse ranch

Christopher from AZUR

FAIRPORT CONVENTION live at UCLA, 1973; STEVE EARLE live 1989

DEPECHE MODE LIVE 1993 Think Piece

STRAY PHOTOS 1.9.12, rock and not

JIMMY RECCA plus GALLERY 800 ART SHOW 1.7.12

A H*O*T*T*I*E IN DISTRESS, 2.0

FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS of 2012

IGGY and THE STOOGES LIVE 12.1.11 at the HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM

Detroit/L.A. legends THE DOGS release new "HYPERSENSITIVE" cd/downloads in JAN. 2012

JAMES WILLIAMSON Trussart guitar PHOTO SESSION

"TOMMY AND THE BIJOUX"

BOB GRUEN BOOK SIGNING EVENT

MR. TWISTER, CHAINSAW, CHRISTOPHER MILK photo feature in new PARAPHILIA

CUTE COUPLES of the early 1970s

ANDREA WALKER

NIAGARA and DESTROY ALL MONSTERS Retrospective Art Show

POTICHE reviewed for my non-European friends

L.A.'s best live acts: THE DOGS, LITTLE CAESAR, MICHAEL DES BARRES BAND (and bonus Canadian Web of Spider)

ANVIL

BP FALLON

The Best Genuine Rock’n’Roll Films You’ve Never Seen

THE LORDS launch smoke babies to the sky

EXTRACURRICULAR PHOTOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENTS 2.0

MODELS, INC. episodes filmed CHEZ NOUS plus assorted musicians' tales

THE DOGS' VIDEO CASTING COUP with MIKE HUDSON and EVITA CORBY

LESLIE KNAUER, Architecturally Digested

THE DOGS live 10.15.11 at The Redwood with the PAGANS' MIKE HUDSON

CANINE BEREAVEMENT FLOWERS

DEATH OF A TREE and the planned urban degeneration of quality of life

ROCKER GRRRLS DAY OUT

Up close & personal with all-star guitarists RICK VITO, GLENN BALLARD and BO DIDDLEY

SMARMY PHOTOGRAPH

The discrete charm of an IGGY POP magazine cover shoot

PROTO-HALLOWEEN for October

MICK FARREN

TALES TOLD OUT OF SCHOOL 3.0: in which we hear a jazz great

EXTRACURRICULAR PHOTOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENTS

2 favorites, THE MICHAEL DES BARRES BAND and THE RAW ROWER RANGERS together at last

LOOM-WOVEN SILK SCARF

STRAY PHOTOS from the '70s and '80s

THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE

MY (heretofore) LOST DOGS PHOTOS

1988 MYSTERY BAND

WHITEY KIRST & THE WEB OF SPIDER

MY DOPPELGANGER INK DRAWING

IGGY and THE STOOGES, LIVE, Tribute to Ron Asheton, 4.19.11, Ann Arbor MI, PHOTOGRAPHS AND STORY

TRIBUTE! Part Troisieme, Funhouse...

an INGER LORRE story...

R-A-M-O-N-E-S!

CLEO VIPER, retro-burlesque at The Viper Room

THE MICHAEL DES BARRES BAND LIVE at the VIPER ROOM

STOOGEWEAR! Pt. Deux

TRIBUTE! Pt. Deux, Led Zeppelin, Heart a la faux

Mr. TWISTER, FASTFILM in the news!

RUBY FRIEDMAN ORCHESTRA LIVE at the ECHO

STEELY DAN LIVE

for SCOTT "ROCK ACTION" ASHETON

THE DIRTY KNOBS plus AHAB

A HOT*TIE IN DISTRESS, 2.0