Mona Lisa as The Demon (All Photos By Gail)
Kiss Mona Lisa is a series of artworks in which renegade street-cum-commercial artist Mr. Brainwash gives Leonardo DaVinci’s iconic masterpiece a Glam Rock makeover. One iteration of the series was on view at the artist’s eponymous Art Museum in Beverly Hills this past December when I stopped in for a look-around.
Continue reading Members of Kiss as The Mona Lisa By Mr. Brainwash
“Another Shot of Poison . . .”
It seems like a lifetime ago that I was writing a monthly column (for the now long-defunct Request magazine) called Doctor Feelgood: A Remedy for the Rocks In Your Head, in which I discussed the continuing careers of various beloved ’80s Hair Metal Bands. During those years, I became friendly with a lot of musicians, including Rikki Rockett, drummer for the band Poison. Continue reading Christopher Long’s A Shot of Poison Gets Tenth Anniversary Reboot!
Judging from the date stamp on the above photo (origin unknown), this image comes from to us from several years in the future! In this photo, we see two “Action Figures,” as they are known, created in the likenesses of Ace Frehley of Kiss and Punky Meadows of Angel, two guitarists from rival ’70s rock bands, dressed in their distinctive costumes of that era, shaking hands in a gesture of solidarity and friendship. Let the homo-eroticism begin!
Serving It Up Hot!
Can you believe it’s been seven years (seven years!) since British glam rock revivalists The Darkness released a new album? I can’t, because that means it’s been more than seven years since I had a brief but truly memorable phone conversation with legendary producer/ engineer Roy Thomas Baker. Baker was in the studio with The Darkness at the time, producing what would become their sophomore CD, One Way Ticket to Hell…and Back.
The nut of that conversation was that Baker turned down my request for an interview with Modern Drummer magazine regarding his groundbreaking work with numerous influential drummers. Despite a presumed awareness that Modern Drummer was neither Tape Op nor Mix, but a magazine about drummers and drumming, Baker told me straight up that he “couldn’t imagine why” he would even consider doing an interview for any magazine that wouldn’t put him on the cover. Just being serious. Continue reading Recommended Listening: The Darkness, Hot Cakes
David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt), best known by me as lead vocalist for the late great glam-cum-moody-electronica band Japan, was born on this day, February 23, in 1958. Favorite Japan Song: “Television.” Happy Birthday, David!