The fifth annual Fucking Fabulous Film Festival goes down in Georgetown this weekend, November 11–13. Featuring full-length and short films from around the world (see preview, page 81) at the new, indie RUNG Theater, F4 is one of my favorite Seattle cinematic events, mostly because it's so punk rock in aesthetic. And they have a strong musical component once again, with two shows for filmgoers and non-festival heads alike. On Friday, November 11, the Femurs, Coconut Coolouts, and Honey for the Bears play Nine Pound Hammer, and the next night at Georgetown Records, you can check out Razrez, the Blakes, and the Emergency. Tickets for the movies and the music run cheap, and you can get the rundown on the whole event at www.fuckingfabulous.org.
Speaking of fabulous, New York's Diamond Nights return to Seattle for two more shows of Thin Lizzie-riffin' rock. "[You can expect] the same outfits both times, presoaked with sweat for the second show," says Diamond frontman Morgan Phalen. "True eBay gems if you can get them off us. Actually, that shouldn't be too hard." The last time the band came through Seattle, they impressed a cozy school-night crowd—and the city equally impressed the band. "Considering it was a Sunday night, I felt the late-night pool and wet-underwear party at the hotel was a success!" says Phelan. This time through he jokes that the band hopes for a "wet underwear party with less underwear." Diamond Nights recently returned from Germany, and I asked Phalen to relay some of the more important customs the band learned while overseas. "German girls are very comfortable with walking around nude in front of people," he says. "'Zeit Ihr gut drauf?' roughly translates as 'Are you having a good time?' The answer is yes." The band play an in-store at Easy Street in Queen Anne at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 10, and a headlining slot at the Crocodile later that same night.
We've recently had somewhat of a respite from the bad news of bands flipping tour vans on the road. Unfortunately, that spell of safe driving ended on Friday, November 4 when DMBQ/Shonen Knife drummer Mana "China" Nishiura was killed when a driver in another car hit the band's tour van, rolling the vehicle and ejecting China. The cultishly adored Japanese noise/garage-rock act (who, I recall, reduced my hearing to a dull ring one night at Re-Bar) got in an accident on I-95 near Delaware, sending the rest of the band—and their manager, Panache magazine's Michelle Cable—to the emergency room. Cable underwent surgery for a head injury and it's expected that, by press time, all remaining members of the band will have been released from the hospital. DMBQ were on a national tour slated to land in Seattle at the Sunset on Sunday, November 13—that night has been turned into a memorial gathering for China, with openers Federation X, San Diego's avant-hardcorists Dmonstrations, and Lesbian taking the stage. Our condolences go out to China's fans and friends. 
