Famous groupie Pamela Des Barres was spotted backstage as well, acting quite a bit more graciously. (I had lunch with the lady a few years back at a Seattle hotel. Ever the breathless fan, Des Barres repeatedly pumped me for Eddie Vedder's home phone number....) Later in the evening a few members of Adams' backup band were witnessed whooping it up at--you guessed it--the Cha Cha, before heading off for a late-night, all-star jam in a Magnolia practice space. Adams' bassist jammed and jammed on a borrowed instrument before taking a make-out break, and then wailed, "I wanna play so baaaa-yaaad!" repeatedly until the female bass player, who had just plugged in and was in the middle of Cheap Trick's "Hello There," quickly got fed up and handed back the bass.
The next night a sullen Ian McCulloch was overheard moaning that he had to "get out of this '80s thing" as he exited the Moore Theatre where he and his band Echo & the Bunnymen had opened for the Psychedelic Furs. When my friend Babs offered to take McCulloch and his entourage somewhere else, the "Killing Moon" singer followed willingly to Chez Shea. But as soon as the drinks were served he let all around him know that he found Chez Shea to be boring. (This from a man who sported not only white leather "trainers" but a comb-over rooster 'do!)
Next, we have a story of local notoriety among folks who attended the Crocodile on Thursday, November 29: It seems the frontman of an up and coming band was asked repeatedly to desist pouring beer on the sound monitors during another band's set. When he'd exhausted the patience of the club's employees, the guy was chucked out, and a whole lot of yelling--and then crying--ensued. Out on the street our bad boy commenced throwing a hissy fit involving a newspaper stand, providing passersby with a stunning display of angst--until an artery was severed. Nearby Shorty's served as triage center until the paramedics arrived.
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How do you feel about this? Doug Pray's "grunge" documentary, Hype!, is making the rounds on television again. It can be seen every other afternoon or so on the Oxygen network. (The ladies can never get enough of Blood Circus.) I know at least one member of the grunge set who got quite a kick out of switching back and forth from Lifetime (her standby) to Oxygen, as her video image discussed the good ol' days. "Shit!--I've arrived!" she shouted happily down the phone line. I wonder if Tad Doyle shares the enthusiasm? Art Chantry?
I ran into Joe Meice the other day, you know where, as he was hoisting a few in celebration of finishing up recording the new Alien Crime Syndicate record. Meice was decked out in Adidas finery because the master deal-negotiator has now wrangled himself a sponsorship with the fashionable athletic-shoe company. Good work, and I wear a 7.
