This unusual 'new music' column, co-written by Billy Eye and Judy Zee, was buried in the pages of a gay entertainment magazine called Data-Boy, which had a decades long publishing history in West Hollywood. The magazine was circulated free through the gay bars and clubs all over Southern California and San Francisco; these articles appeared bi-weekly for two years (and then very irregularly) beginning in October of 1980 and read like a diary of a time now long gone.
The emerging Downtown/East LA music scene was highlighted frequently in Billy Eye's articles, where he covered the growing punk underground club happenings in and around the downtown Los Angeles area - with pivotal groups like Nervous Gender, Los Illegals, 45 Grave, Red Wedding, Kommunity Fk, X, The Brat, The Fibinacci's, The Minutemen getting the most coverage.
Judy Zee reviewed performances by a number of artists including John Hiatt, John Cale and David Bowie in addition to the fringe of known musical styles that she was exploring on the west side of LA in clubs like Blackies and Club 88. Judy was especially fond of girl groups and took time to share her thoughts about life in general in early-eighties LA.
Judy looked to all the world like the last hippie in So Cal, with her waist length blond hair, loose fitting dresses and strong California accent. With a keen eclectic musical taste and a penchant for the bizarre, Judy often teamed up with ascerbic Venice artist/scenester Punkasso in some of her 1981 articles. The two rarely agreed with one another and this made for some entertaininig, if mildly confusing, reading. Judy Zee was trying to push the format - to her, that was what the era was all about.
I lost touch with Judy in 1984 but remember seeing a blurb in the LA Weekly in 1986 with Judy Zee's name on it. It was in a regular feature of the paper that listed a notable person's top ten favorite albums and, to my surprise, her picks were all heavy metal. Surprising to me, because in her columns, she never passed up an opportunity to savage the heavy metal poseurs of the early-eighties and referred to a short but bittersweet relationship with Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue (then called London).
Judy Zee stopped writing her portion of the column in late-1981 while Billy Eye continued to contribute only very sporadically over the next few years; that's because they both left the employ of Data-Boy magazine in 1981. Billy Eye is better known as Billy Ingram.
Some of the articles are missing, but we will continue to transcribe more as they are found.
In search of punk life?
December 1, 1980 / / / / / / / by billy eye
"Man who have Jack
sure to draw Queens."
- Confucius
Hollywood Boulevard. First stop on the way up, and last stop on the way down. I honestly don't know which direction I'm going (East I think) but I'm out to find out if what I've heard is true - that punk life is alive on the Boulevard of (Wet) Dreams.
Drive down Hollywood Boulevard and punk rockers can be seen in scattered pockets huddled in front of the storefronts - in blaring blue or purple mohawks, well-worn black leather boots, black ripped jeans held together with safety pins. But what's under the surface? What's the scene down there, man? Your intrepid reporter hung out for a night on Hollywood Boulevard to find out what goes on in the other Hollywood - where 'punk' has a whole different meaning, as Eye would soon learn.
I met up with this guy with a flaming reddish-purple mohawk named 'Juicy,' and his skanky girlfriend 'Trick.' They showed me what the nightlife was like for them. For instance, everyone down here has a nickname, so they dubbed me 'Loner'. Which I thought was lame beyond belief, but it's their world, so...
The first stop on the Boulevard is The Gold Cup, a notoriously sleazy dump of a coffee shop on the corner of Hollywood and Selma, across from the White Castle. This place is relatively scumy, with people just hanging around in the place, smoking cigarettes, drinking bottomless cups of coffee, making deals and wandering back and forth from the White Castle to eat 25 cent hamburgers.
The Gold Cup is where you find out what the word is on the street, where the action is, and (foremost on everyone's mind) where the drugs are. Hookers talk about the freaks they were with an hour ago, heroin addicts doze off in the corner, while dealers walk in and out with just-out-of-bed hair and smelly entourages. We hooked up with our new friends 'Snake' and 'Charles', picked up some wicked hash outside of the Egyptian Theater, then went around the side of the place to smoke it. At least until the movie let out and a crowd formed around us in an instant.
The view from Hollywood Blvd. and Ivar - 1980
Adventuresome music isn't a big part of the lives of these 'punkers.' They may look punk, but Van Halen is king with these guys; Rush and The Plasmatics are favorites as well. 'Juicy' and company are content to pretty much just hang around all night and half the day, looking for ways to make little bits of money. Business in America being what it is, if you want to make duckets, you need something to sell. What does a person with no possessions sell?
Everyone sort of scattered when 'Juicy' got in some old man's car, and we all agreed to meet up later back at The Gold Cup. It seems the term 'punk' (on the boulevard) refers to someone who sells his dick, so these guys and gals were 'punk' only by that definition. And by the fact that they had shaved heads or purple mohawks, of course.
Rather than make the 'scene' again at the Gold Cup, 'Loner' disappeared forever and wandered instead over to Al's Bar downtown.
Got there just in time to see a really cool band band, but I can't remember the name. That hash was really good! This was last Saturday night, so if you played Al's that night, excellent job. I remember the lead singer was dressed in a torn-to-shreds bride's dress dyed black with red paint spattered across it, black lipstick, and he played guitar.
Now it's my sworn duty to now turn you over to Judy Zee.
All Judy Zee has to say is: thank you for each of your letters. And to those who haven't written yet - I am waiting!!! I'll have more to say next issue.
Musical Missives
All the news and views that will
fit in an eleven pica column width
by Billy eye
August 6, 1981
"Most of the music papers were slow to pick up on it. In 20 years time, critics will probably write great, dewy-eyed retrospectives on how good it was in these clubs and how these innovators were doing this, that and the other"
- Gary Kemp, Spandau Ballet
Let's remember that Bow Wow Wow's manager, Malcolm McLaren, was also the guiding force behind The Sex Pistols. One of his favorite publicity gimmicks was to set up tour dates for the 'Pistols' and then cancel them, pointing to censorship- when in fact no tour was ever planned at all.
It's a nice gimmick, you must admit- generate interest, generate enthusiasm, generate sales. But as always, it's the music lover that misses out.
Why not Why Nut?
Well, Billy Eye does an about face. Six months (or so) ago, I saw the group Why Nut and wasn't too impressed. But now, Why Nut has returned after a long absence - and they are terrific!
This three man team, led by masterful guitarist Emilio, have succeeded in creating an exciting, intense sound. At times the vocals blend together with the instruments (guitar, bass, drums) so well it's as if a new instrument has been created, at other times, the vocals are overpowering and wholly independent. All of the musicians are fine and the material exhibits a broad range (compared to other punkish bands at least).
Why Nut is definitely evolving into new areas - the group members have been on the scene for quite a while and, if the show I saw was any indication, they will become an important force in the emerging downtown music scene.
Around the town...
Neighbor's Voices plays Al's Bar on Friday, August 28th. This is a different kind of band - a truly funky sound with staggering, loquacious vocals backed by brilliant musicians. See them!
I want to thank Chuck Wild of Missing Persons for a great pair of custom made black and white checked Vans tennis shoes. Hey, I was only kidding about accepting bribes and gifts. (But I took it, didn't I?) I guess he noticed my old pair was being held together by staples from the back issues of a certain magazine for which I write.
For fans of the new psychedelia, try a dose of Killing Joke's new LP (it's great), and also try Judy Zee's latest article, which follows directly.
LA ROCKS???
by Judy Zee
Me pals and I have been doing some thinking on the subject, and here is some of what transgressed.
It's a stupid assumption that psychedelic music must "replay acid experiences". First of all, acid experiences cannot be replayed. Second of all, it seems as if there is a fear or distaste of association with the mind expansion induced by hallucinogens, which happened to us during our tripping youth in the sixties and seventies.
'Psychedelic music' is a floating description, not an iron label, anyone intelligent would realize that those whose music is of this description might have absolutely nothing to do with psychotropic substances at this point in his life. (Please excuse this columnist's passion in these words, its just that writers in this town have been very snottily crushing notions that certain psychedelic '80's music is indeed psychedelic at all.)
For now, 'psychedelic' is a complimentary and descriptive term for flowing, in touch, mind freeing music. Lets have more of it!
 Los Illegals and The Brat at Circus Disco John Cale at the Whisky July 9, 1981 because previous to this I was a dishwasher." - David Byrne, Talking Heads
June was 'birthday month' I guess, with two clubs hosting birthday parties of sorts. A party for Eddie Ayala was held at Circus Disco in the 'Trapeze Room', complete with cake and music from both his band (Eddie is the lead singer for Los Illegals) and The Brat.
Los Illegals is a powerful group and not playing to their full potential tonight, but that is to be expected. Everyone was here to party. The more relaxed 'Illegals' here were more playful, I liked that a lot. Eddie has an excellent voice, the band was tight (with added help from The Brat's own Rudy Medina on guitar- a definite asset- he really is one of the most accomplished guitarists around).
A smaller, but just as enjoyable party was held at the Brave Dog a few days later for John Tagliavia, bass player for Red Wedding. John is an engaging (and flirtatious) performer and his stomping bass and piercing background vocals help give Red Wedding that celebratory (certainly not celibatory) sound they are known for. Pricilla B is one of the most bizarre and entertaining performers Eye've seen in a while and she did her latest performance/art piece at the Brave Dog recently. She began her rewritten cover of 'Summertime' ("my daddy is sick, and my ma is out lookin'...") by opening a large watermelon, digging her hands into it and pulling out it's wet entrails, allowing the juices to run from her fingers, down her arms and over her body like a bloody scene from Andy Warhol's 'Frankenstein' or something. The big news (but you know about it, don't you...) is that The Psychedelic Furs will be at the Roxy on July 29 and 30 - that's a Wednesday and Thursday, so eye'll see you there, ok? Buy me a drink. Local favorite Wall of Voodoo is also scheduled to play with the Furs, so you can count on this being one of the best shows of the summer, they really rock live. Incidentally, Wall Of Voodoo was booked to play a surprise gig at Al's Bar a few weeks back (maybe you read the ad in the Weekly that teased the "surprise IRS recording artist" date) but the show was cancelled at the last minute, which was too bad. An intimate setting like Al's Bar would have made a show by Wall of Voodoo a particular treat. They probably won't be playing the smaller clubs much any longer. A LEGEND Rock and Roll original Jerry Lee Lewis will be at the Palamino in July - he is terrific live! I saw him last year at The Palamino, he was pale as death and they had to carry him from the car (parked next to the door which is adjacent to the tiny stage) to the piano. The legendary rocker's been sick (or something), but the energy level of his performance was incredible and his band is deliberate and disciplined. Like a train rolling along behind the conductor. Jerry Lee banged out an incredible show, never playing more than two thirds of any song - and then the crew carried him off the stage and into the waiting limo again. He was clearly having fun forcing his band to stop playing on a dime, at his whim. Of course, the Palamino is kind of a drag, because it's a scary Valley cowboy-clone bar in all its trendy, 'Urban Cowboy' glory. But it is a venue where you can view a performer close up, when there is someone worth watching, which is almost never. Jerry Lee is the exception - see him before he dies or ends up in prison. Check out his new album covers, cool stuff. TSOL, Circle Jerks, Black Flag, X, Devo, B-52s, Split Enz- this is the kind of music you will hear after midnight on KCSN, even on weekends, in the Valley. 88.5 on your radio dial. The soundtrack for after-club driving in the valley late at night. |
Eddie Ayala and his group Los Illegals were pretty good this night, they play a modified pop sound - psychedelic influences with a latino flavor. Their intention, I think, was to excite the audience to dance, which they didn't, but everyone did listen intently and in a discotheque atmosphere like this, that's saying a lot. Very little separation between performer and crowd here, and seeing the band in an intimate but reasonably well lit space is a treat. 
The Brat played a bland set, with lost vocals and uninspired performances by most members. I have to confess, Eye wanted to like The Brat with this viewing, especially after talking to guitarist Rudy, who is conscientious and congenial (talented too). The Brat started out strong, they're an excellent band, but they continue to give mechanical performances lately. 
John Tagliavia's Birthday 
The always bizarre but ever fascinating performance artist Johanna Went (shown) joins Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs for a benefit for No Mag on Sunday the 12th at The Whisky. from Dogmeat
