No Thanks, Lonesome Spurs, DJ Eric ILL
Cleopatra Records Christmas Party
Red Dragon Studios
Hollywood, CA
Dec. 8, 2006
By Lucky
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)
Photos By Lucky (Lonesome Spurs/DJ Eric ILL)
Photos By Marisa (No Thanks)
It's the holiday season, so whoop-de-do and hickory dock down to Hollywood for some Christmas rock and some damn good entertainment courtesy of our good friends at Cleopatra Records. (You ROCK Brian! Merry Christmas!)
The venue for tonight’s festivities was a secluded and foreboding building on Highland just south of Sunset. If fact, I drove by the sucker like three times before I could locate it. Once I honed in, a quick park job and a long look at the posted street signs (didn't want to get towed!), I was in.
The party was not quite in full swing upon entry, but that was cool with me as we headed straight to the open bar for some holiday cheer. An over-the-top 6 foot blond Santa’s helper was tending and oh my lord I wish I had her under my Christmas tree. Wood ensued. Damn!
The crowd was growing quick and I spotted a lot of Hollywood's rock and roll scenesters and some major celebrities in attendance. But my biggest thrill was looking over in a corner and seeing Sky Saxton (The Seeds) hanging incognito. Rumor has it that Sky may be getting scouted by Cleopatra or something like that. You now how shit spreads and gets distorted with each retelling.
So the crowd was chitty chatty, the vibe lifting, and swirling throughout the waves was the upbeat sounds supplied by non other than everybody's favorite, DJ Eric ILL. This guy has really been making more and more of a name for himself, between his regular gig at The Rainbow, hailing overlord of late night after parties, Sunday's at The Beauty Bar and a zillion fucking other gigs stretching from San Francisco, Hollywood and Vegas baby!
This set was a mix of deep tracks from various way cool artists. Not your standard fare. I levitated over to give Eric a quick Happy Christmas and found out that later in the evening we were going to get a dose of some original music created by ILL and friends. More on that later.
Like two desperados fresh off a dust covered Greyhound, Lonesome Spurs took the stage. This iron hot Cleopatra act has released a debut CD and is now riding the range to bring their act to a saloon near you. Consisting of Linda Kay Parker and Danny B Harvey, this duo creates their own brand mix of Honky-Tonk, Rockabilly and Garage.
Linda Kay Parker has this aura about her, sweet country gal that will stick you with a bowie knife. She plays her 4 stringed guitar and provides some percussion via a tattered suitcase and a kick. Awesome custom outfit will have the hillbilly in you a swoon. Something tragic reigns within her heart and those eyes, dark and dangerous.
As a half-baked fingerpicker myself, I was stunned by the unique style of Danny B Harvey. This boy plays like he was born and raised in a dirt road juke joint. There are imitators and the real deal. Danny is the real deal. Eat your heart out.
Lonesome Spurs sported an incredible set of selections off their new CD and also treated us to a Johnny Cash, Bo Diddley and more medley. Also at one point they were joined on stage by none other then Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters. Man can that girl belt it out, body and soul. She had a bit of trouble getting the too cool for school crowd to join in on a clap along, but that didn’t phase her one iota. This gal has still got it baby!
You owe it to yourself to check out the band, and there are plenty of opportunities coming up. In fact according to the bands tour list, they have a gig scheduled at Corcoran Prison next September. I wonder if my uncle Charlie Manson will get to go to the show.
So it was time for a quick smoke and a piss in the co-ed bathroom (one at a time please) and then we were hankering for No Thanks.
You have heard the term “super group”. Some so called super groups are more super than others. Hollywood has been blessed with a new super group that I must say is pretty damn super.
So here is the mix, take one part Kenny Price (Blackboard Jungle, Jet 68, Vidal Sassoon, Hollywood slut boy), a dash of Jamie Scrap (Filthy Ritz, Jet 68, L.A.DJ and occasional barfly), a pinch of Joel Patterson (Blackboard Jungle, thrift store stalker), a few drops of Johnny Cornwell (Dig, self help indulgent) and a sweetener substitute Kevin “Bombay” (Strip veteran and perfect world seeker). Now bake at 350 degrees and voila, No Thanks.
Regular guitarist Matt Fuller (not sure if he really qualifies as regular since this was like what, their second show?) was playing elsewhere that night hence the sweetener substitute. Sorry I didn’t get to see you Matt!
The mood was loose and jovial as No Thanks cut it loose with Johnny Thunder’s “Born to Lose”. Many a rocker in the house recognized this classic and approved accordingly.
Mid song a madman jumped on stage to join in the vocals. Hey I know that fucker! It’s Danny Nordahl from Motochrist.
Covering classic punk dirt rock mega hits was the menu for this evening, and a good ole classic for the holidays was next. “Homicide” from 999. Yeah, resign to it. The band sounded well rehearsed, however knowing the busy lives of some of the characters I wonder how the hell that was accomplished.
The three chord power attacked continued with The Jam’s “Modern World” and ultra classic “Search and Destroy” by the man Iggy Pop. “I’m a street walking Cheetah with a heart full of napalm.” Sounded pretty damn convincing. Hey somebody get Jamie Scrap a fucking beer!
Buzzcocks fans got a treat in the form of “What Do I Get”. Nothing at all and liking it fuckers. And Television groupies rocked to Richard Hell’s “Blank Generation”.
Billy Idol’s first band Generation X had a smash with “Ready Steady Go” and No Thanks made it theirs.
To prove that they can write a hit of their own device, No Thanks kicked out their newest and only original to date, “No Thanks”. It makes me sick that these guys write one fucking song and it is a smash. No lie. This song is catchy killer fun. Fuckers.
Closing up, No Thanks creamed the crowd with “New Rose” from The Damned. Having shown their hand, No Thanks is a winner.
After the set we had a nice chat with Kenny Price (someone get him a towel please) and then a quick vamoose. Oh but wait! Here comes DJ Eric ILL with the original material he promised. I’m not going anywhere.
From the sound of it, DJ Eric ILL has been holed up in a recording studio with other multi-talented artists to createsome ultra polished beats utilizing electronic kits, a damn great guitar player and guest female vocals. Blown away comes to mind, and jealous as hell I must admit too. Gimme a copy Eric!
“Suburban Snake” slithered its way into the hearts and minds and pup tents went up amongst the damping panties while “Sugar Girl” soared the cosmos. Kind of trip hop that fucking ROCKS! “Sugar Girl” is going to be huge on the European dance circuit.
More mind altering substance was dolled out in the guise of “Doomsday Parade” and the east coast inspired “Upper East Side”. Bravo Eric ILL. Fucker!
So with that show in the books, we headed out into night to seek sustenance. Rainbow Bar and Grill for a late night dinner anyone?
www.myspace.com/nothankstheband
http://www.myspace.com/djericill