Now this is more like it! Last week's Camel-sponsored KBA Annual Bartender's Ball at the Showbox boasted pa-lenty of rock star hijinks. Murder City Devils provided the musical entertainment, but lead singer Spencer Moody managed to get his ass kicked out of the soirée soon after. His offense? Engaging in a food fight that was allegedly started by Sub Pop President Megan Jasper. MCD drummer Cody Willis also got booted. His crime? "Appearing menacing." Supersucker Eddie Spaghetti was ejected after a battle with a bouncer in the ladies' room. Other Star People's Jennifer Finch was kicked out for some unknown reason, probably because she used to be in L7. The next night at the Bartender's Ball in Portland, the Devils were getting the icy cold shoulder from the Camel folks, who clearly regretted hiring the band for both nights.

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And speaking of Ms. Finch, her current rotten band Other Star People opened for Echo and the Bunnymen last week at the Fenix. The crowd was there strictly to see Echo, who, aside from the near-faultless Ian McCulloch, took the stage looking like a bunch of jackasses! The hired-on drummer and guitar player festooned themselves with silly golf hats, which they appeared to be wearing seriously, while guitarist Will Sergeant topped himself with a woeful captain's hat that forced his impressive-for-a-guy-his-age mop into his face. McCulloch's rooster-do seemed to come from a measurably lower part of the back of his head than a few years back, if you get my drift. And not once in the evening -- show and after-hours party -- did he unzip his leather jacket, leading me to wonder whether he was gut smugglin'. Oh Ian, say it ain't so.

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The Marlboro miles keep rollin' in: Sugar Ray was in town to play another one of those secret shows for Marlboro smokers. If ol' Soul Asylum got $50 grand for a night in Seattle, and the Violent Femmes $30 Gs, I can't imagine how much Mark McGrath and Co. received. Afghan Whigs recently went on the road for the ciggybutt giants, and for that kind of money, what kind of idiot wouldn't?

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Recent Sub Pop band Jesus and Mary Chain have officially split up, according to British online publication Music 365. The website also reported that the Brothers Reid are carrying on with solo projects: William is releasing Taster, a six-track EP, on his own Hot Tam label next month, as well as some other forthcoming projects under the alter-egos of William, Ravenscraeg, and CNYK. Jim has put together a new band called T.V.69.

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Hitting the big time: C Average have parlayed their friendship with Eddie Vedder into an opening gig with him for the Who at the House of Blues in Chicago, November 12 and 13. Way to go!

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More bad behavior! On the eve of their European tour, Mocket frontman Matt Steinke threw a hissy fit about an old $60 parking ticket, and when he didn't get his way (meaning it was to come out of the scant $200 dollars the trio was planning to feed themselves on in Europe), he quit the band! No amount of kowtowing by co-frontwoman Audrey Marrs and her mother would change his mind, causing the band to cancel the tour. Marrs is understandably fed up, as well as frightened. After e-mailing the tour contact in France with the news, she received this angry response: "Super!!! You can owe me about 4,000 French francs for booking work, 8,000 francs renting the van, 4,500 francs for renting driver.... See you next week in Olympia, and I guess I'll smash your face if don't pay. Clear?" Hissy fits -- #1 on the list of things I love about Seattle.

Bands Behaving Badly