PRECIOUS METAL LIVE GIG REUNION to SAVE THE TATAS with FRIENDS GALORE

 

It's the one year anniversary of the live reunion of PRECIOUS METAL (photo feature held back to let the beneficiary charity, Chemowize Foundation [see LINK] have the greatest initial coverage spread.)

 

  This gig was not only a gift to those present at the rare occasion but also vicariously to Australia, New Zealand and all who have been continual fans of Precious Metal‬, everyone's favorite all-female metal band.  After a 20 year plus absence, Precious Metal reunited on October 25, 2014 with all its original members (Leslie Knauer, vocals, guitar; Janet Robin, guitar; Alex Peterson, bass; and Carol 'Control' Duckworth, drums (too much geography stymied absent Mara Fox) to headline the Save The Tatas breast cancer benefit at The Mint in West Hollywood CA, utterly sold out of course. The raucous but joyous occasion was organized by cancer survivor Alex Peterson.

Not being one of those 'save the best for last' types I immediately offer two of the show's biggest highlights. Above, actor/director/Monkee Mickey Dolenz jams on "Daydream Believer" and " Stepping Stone" with P. Metal; below Leslie's boyfriend Al Teman unexpectedly proposes marriage to her in the middle of the set whilst all around them cheer! She said yes, and the wedding subsequently took place just after Christmas, December, 2014.

"YES!"

    

 

Alex's daughter Elle was part of the backup singing group Triple Threat.

Below, badass guitar whiz Janet Robin ingests her guitar a la Hendrix while her father, who has attended all of her local gigs since forever, stage-invades to dance with Leslie.

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Many friends of the band appeared at this benefit. Below, a one off reunion of Kanary, Leslie's power trio with Tony Matteucci and Mary Kay, both of THE DOGS. Kanary astounded audiences for twelve years with their hard rock proficiency and Leslie's prolific, eclectic songwriting. They released half a dozen CDs to much acclaim. 

   

Below, Leslie's daughter, "Boycrazy" actress Alexi Wasser (LINK and LINK) offers refreshments onstage.

Precious Metal founder, original drummer Susette Andres jams with Leslie and Alex.  

Below, Ali Handal, another guitar whiz and another survivor with ties to similar charities, shredding! She also is pictured revealing the spandex she wore under her skirt, noting its essentialness for any gig harkening back to 1980s artists.

Left, jam with Alex Peterson, Kelly Zirbes, Tony Matteucci, Mary Kay, Susette Andres, Donna Sweikow and others. Below, Brie Howard, drummer of the trailblazing 1970s band Fanny. A few no-shows on the marquee card (below left) didn't diminish the festivities one iota.

 PHOTO OPS:

Above left, drummer Johnny Ray and author, broadcast radio DJ, screenwriter Nikki Palomino. Right: Carol Control and Leslie Knauer backstage.

Left: beauteous trio Mary Kay of THE DOGS, Leslie Knauer, Victoria Randall of Triple Threat. Below, a radiant Leslie backstage...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

 

I LOVE all the fantasies of Halloween and its celebrations.  Above, screen capture from Disney's Fantasia, "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence; self with fellow Halloween celebrants, 45 years ago. These celebrations help us forget true horror in life. Below, fair use photos © David Bailey; © Kurt Strumpf/AP

 

THE WITCH'S (REAL!) HOUSE IN BEVERLY HILLS 90210

 Just in time for Halloween, I passed the famous "witch's house" in Beverly Hills 

 on my way home from the Baron Wolman photo exhibit (LINK*) this last week. In our city 

that considers anything older than one year to be a tear-down, it's a true gift to the 

streets that this home was saved much less so lovingly restored. Here's its unusual 

tale, pedigree, and a look inside courtesy of Alison Martino's fine reportage: LINK**

*http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com/2015/10/baron-wolmans-groupies-and-other.html
**http://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/exclusive-look-inside-witchs-house-beverly-hills/

BARON WOLMAN's GROUPIES AND OTHER ELECTRIC LADIES-- EXHIBITION and BOOK

No one took better care to illuminate the true beauty as well as creative freak splendor of women in the late 1960s than Baron Wolman.

 Like fellow photographer David Bailey (LINK) he celebrated rather than sensationalized this wildchild and highly creative female demographic. Indeed, his well attended photography exhibition on 10.22.15 at Mouche Gallery in Beverly Hills drew rather a few of them, come to celebrate his new book Groupies and Other Electric Ladies, published by ACC Editions.

Below, Baron Wolman is seen peeking out between the three surviving members of The GTOs (the groupies/performers/recording artists troupe that his photos helped in immortalizing,) Mercy Peters, business exec Linda Parker and famed author Pamela Des Barres (formerly Miss Mercy Fontenot, Miss Sparky and Miss Pamela Miller, respectively) with extra beauteous Catherine James (since all are still beauteous) finding the sweet spot leaning right next to the photographer. 
 

Catherine James, also seen below with her writer friend Donna Lethal, was cited in the now classic Rolling Stone Magazine "Groupies" issue (initial showcase of these photos, photo top left) as its classiest representative. She remains a class act, what with a well received autobiography Dandelion (my take LINK) that covered much ground about her successfully surviving child abuse. 

Wolman was chief photographer of Rolling Stone from its inception to 1970, and photographed every single music icon from that era you could name.  Of his many '60s' subjects in RS, perhaps his best remembered were the formal studio shots in the "Groupies" issue, published Feb. 15, 1969. The first major expose on the subject (and the sole piece waxing sympathetic amongst others following,) Editor Jann Wenner advertised the significance of this issue in the New York Times in advance of publication. 

Baron Wolman then branched out into fashion, celebrity, sports and aerial photography over the years, eventually relocating from the hubbub of Northern California to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I had to have my own copy of these iconic as well as
gorgeous black and white portraits, so Mr. Wolman is shown here signing his book for me, left. Below right, the late Miss Cinderella of The GTOS, onetime spouse of celebrated musician John Cale. 

The invitation to the event displayed the book's cover graphics as well as the exhibition information.  Wolman has many other published books of his photography on myriad  subjects available.

BIRTHDAY EVENT - ELYSE WYMAN SHOW

 For my birthday, Mr. Twister and I spent a quiet evening with friends in the midst of a noisy, crowded art opening. The occasion was Conceal/Reveal, a mixed media exhibit by Elyse Wyman at prestigious Gallery 825 in West Hollywood. Elyse, my onetime college roommate and fellow art student at UCLA is flanked in the above and below photos by Mr. Twister, left, and Kirk Henry, right, who also were roommates in the same era.

Hitherto known for her paintings, her work here is recombinations of objets trouve like bikini mannequins tossed out from department stores (some with their original sizes intact,) arrows from her husband Scott's archery endeavors, and painting.

Below, Twister and Kirk chitchat while our friend Rico Cardinale, whom I've known since 1966, congratulates the artist; also, a tiny art critic poses beneath one of the works.