BIRTHDAY BOOK

This book is one of my treasured recent birthday presents from my better half 

Mr. Twister. 

Heather Firbank, London Edwardian socialite clotheshorse, eventually waxed  impecunious, but in doing so she did an exceptionally intelligent action. Rather than chuck her fashionable wardrobe out when she downsized, she preserved and stored all of these fashionable clothes dating from 1900 - 1925. When she died, the unearthed legacy became the major basis of the vintage collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I'd happily don the first example with a more modern adjustment of the hem; the second with an adjustment of my fitness routine...

 

I AM NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD...

 

I've been nominated by the Los Angeles Press Club for Best Photo Essay for my photographs in California Rocker of James Williamson's "Re-Licked" concert 1.16.15, the Bootleg Theatre, Los Angeles. The National Arts and Entertainment Award would be prestigious. Link for Donna Balancia's article with my photographs is: LINK*

 

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

17

Anyone can look good when they're 17 years old.

Backstory is that I needed a parental co-sign to buy this, my first car, but the parents said I had to stop dressing so hippie/glam. So I went over the top the other direction, all sweetness and light and flowers for this photo of the car I bought. Then back to my habitual. The pics below are more characteristic of me then. It was the late '60s...

 

 

CROQUET IS A DANGEROUS GAME: NEW DISCOVERY EMBEDS BILLY THE KID AS PLAYER

cropped detail of photograph in the link below. Mr. the Kid on left

Croquet amongst the lawless... actually interesting story of discovery of genuine photograph of Billy the Kid and gang at leisure, authenticated. I certainly do not endorse murderers, but the story is sufficiently interesting for the annals of Americana photography history to warrant a forthcoming National Geographic special narrated by Kevin Costner. Click LINK *

  
My better half Mr. Twister just commented, "Armed croquet is a very scary idea. It's already a violent game. They probably shot each other at the end...."

I should add croquet is not genteel the way some of us play it. One of my chums broke a mallet over an opponent's head. Spiking opponents' balls entirely out of the pitch with all your might on every other turn almost compares with use of flamingos and hedgehogs a la Alice in Wonderland...


* https://madmimi.com/p/0867c6?fe=1&pact=33697842892

REST IN PEACE STEVE MACKAY

Rest in peace STEVE MACKAY who passed away today after a difficult spell in the hospital with sepsis and other ailments. He was saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist for The Stooges (Funhouse album,) Iggy and The Stooges (all reunion albums and tours from 2009 - 2013,) saxophonist for a variety of worthy alternative bands in and around his native S.F. Bay Area, and overall nice guy, particularly for such an aggressive genre, says everyone who ever met him or worked with him.

He also was the most frequent commenter on my own blog herein, I suspect because of amusement that someone like me felt she still had so much new to write about the Stooges some forty years on.  He also was the only one in the organization to actually write the words "...the last Stooges show..." implying a double meaning on one of my photographs of the band headlining the C2SV Festival, Sept. 28, 2013 in San Jose CA. 

Please enjoy my gallery of Steve photos from, from the top down,  The Tribute to Ron Asheton, West Hollywood CA, 2010; Tribute to Ron Asheton, Ann Arbor MI (2x); Ron Asheton Tribute, Calif. flipping off Circus Boy singer for destroying instruments onstage. These were other bands' instruments, not the singer's own, his favorite photo  of mine, plus keyboards same gig; headlining the Ink & Iron Festival, Long Beach CA 2013 (2x, with blue lit background); and the last one, my photo of Steve Mackay in Iggy and The Stooges at C2SV Festival,  San Jose CA, Sept. 28, 2013 his final appearance with them.

 

 From the official Iggy and The Stooges source, a message from Iggy Pop on Steve Mackay's passing: "Steve was a classic '60s American guy, full of generosity and love for anyone he met. Every time he put his sax to his lips and honked, he lightened my road and brightened the whole world. He was a credit to his group and his generation. To know him was to love him." - Iggy.

GLAM SKANKS and THE TWO TENS LIVE at Maui Sugar Mill 10/3/15

 

Two lively, amazing bands on the same bill Oct. 3, 2015 at Maui Sugar Mill, Tarzana Calif: GLAM SKANKS and THE TWO TENS. THE TWO TENS are Adam Bones, guitar, vocals plus Rikki Styxx, drums, vocals: noisy and fun with great command.  THE GLAM SKANKS are Ali Cat, lead vocals, signage, hot pants and general sultriness; V Witkin guitars, vocals, hair colors not found in nature, Jaxine Sparkles, drums and glitter look accuracy; and Millie Chan, steadfast bass. They would have fit right in Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco daze of 1974 Hollywood, what with their Mott The Hoople/The Sweet/David Bowie/Iggy and The Stooges fixation. All are confident, accomplished performers.

 

 Band interaction:

Ali Cat of the Glam Skanks serenades Adam Bones of the Two Tens while drummer Rikki Styxx of the latter photographs drummer Jaxine of the former.

 

 

THE DOGS' EXCITING LONG BEACH GIG/ "ARE YOU A BOY OR ARE YOU A GIRL?"

Legendary Detroit/NY/L.A. hardest rockers THE DOGS' rare appearance at Alex's Bar, Long Beach CA 9.19.15 attracted all kinds of humans in both its enthusiastic, packed audience and also onstage. 

Fellow Michigander Jenna Talia, seen above joined THE DOGS on their cover classic "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl" which was the B-side of their famed 1977 "Fed Up/Slash Your Face" EP single (see below), acclaimed by no less than SPIN magazine as one of the real top ten punk singles of all time.  Transgender lead singer of GLITTER TRASH. Jenna sang with rowdy conviction.

THE DOGS are Loren Molinare, guitar, lead vocals; Mary Kay, bass, vocals; Tony Matteucci, drums, vocals. With their always strong original material, infectious energy and that rarest of commodities in rock and roll, true passion, THE DOGS remain one of the best power trios ever, (see LINK* and LINK**) and every rare gig proves an event regardless of surprises. The band has been rocking from 1968 to the present, with assorted sidetrips like Loren's founding and continuing role in Little Caesar. For those newly acquainted with this influential band's history, below are two shots by guest photographer John Lindemann of The Dogs in Michigan in the 1960s, and in Hollywood (with Sid Vicious observing) in the 1970s, and some Dogs' graphics (back cover of 1977 single and characteristic band flyer courtesy of Shelley Mitchell.)

 

PHOTO OPS:

Above, Jenna Talia and Mary Kay of THE DOGS; left, fellow photographers Chryss Butterknife O' Grady and yours truly (guest photographer: Donna Balancia) and Donna Balancia herself, who interviewed THE DOGS on occasion of this show LINK*** 

Investigative reportage proof positive of spontaneity adding Jenna Talia on "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl" when comparing set lists from the gig, left, and rehearsal, right, which was only the night before! ("What Goes In Quiet" and "Her Name Was Jane" were dropped)

More scenes from
The Dogs' rehearsal

 

*http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com/2010/04/dogs-legendary-band-rockin-detroit-nyc.html
** http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Dogs
***http://www.californiarocker.com/2015/10/08/the-dogs-of-detroit-california-rocker