Tuesday, March 06, 2018

Today's Blind Items - Harikari

So, if you were born in the 70s, grew up in LA or thereabouts, and liked indie or at least "indie" rock, there was one area band that you went to see less maybe for the music (although you liked that too) as for what might happen during the show. This band never got the traction of say the Chili Peppers and Janes Addiction, but its frontman went on to national stardom for a certain type of reality tv - a type very much connected to What Might Happen.

One of the times the band performed they were playing at a certain historic So Cal theater (spelled "re") that was almost destroyed by a recent and record-breaking fire (within two blocks). I didn't know it at the time but someone was recording the show, or at least parts of it - including their probably most known song (the one about the rocker turned booze baron). It ended up on YouTube, and is there to this day (near the top of the search list for the song).

When you find the video, you'll notice first his shaved head. Early on in the show, the singer announced that his girlfriend had just dumped him (you can probably guess why), and for that (which is to say some) reason he had crudely lopped off his hair. The set, or at least the part of it they got through, went well enough, but in between songs the singer grew increasingly agitated, drinking beer and gin and snorting something he'd fetch from his pocket. Just after they finished that song came the meltdown, a tantrum about the band, the girlfriend, and women in general. He was slurring his words, and when challenged by one of the bandmates threw a bottle of beer at him. The band left the stage and the crowd was alone with him, the audience and the singer. The crowd was  then treated to a roughly ten minute monologue about his troubles, much of it some combination of self-pitying and incomprehensible. At the end he pulled a knife from his rear pocket - a switchblade, in fact - and threatened then and there to end his life, Harikari style. That's when the lights came on and two men who looked like orderlies rushed onstage and dragged him away.

There is a theory about the video given the size of camcorders back in the day, it's hard to imagine anyone being able to smuggle even one of the smaller hi8 ones into a show. The theory is the singer gave one of his fans advance approval for filming the show, already planning to kill himself at the end. He would have become famous in death to an extent he wasn't yet in life. Ironically, it's his troubles, and getting over them, that made him that kind of famous.

According to a witness at the show, after the orderlies took him away, a certain doctor came out to address the audience about the singer, and drug abuse in general. He was going to get the help he needed, he said, and a couple of women threw alt radio station swag into the audience. He encouraged the young people in the audience to seek help if they had been abused, or were self-medicating, or self-harming. The singer had been a semi-regular caller to the doctor's then radio show, often obviously drunk and on drugs. There was one particular episode in which a neo-Egyptian sex temple leader was the guest, and he called in to angrily denounce the leader, who had sex with thousands of women without protection. Now, of course, the singer was right, but he was obviously not coherent. This is how the singer and the doctor got to know each other, as host, and caller. 

59 comments:

gauloise said...

Dr Drew for the radio show host doctor

spacecowboy78 said...

Dr. Drew and Bob Forrest.

sandybrook said...

Drew Pinsky

sandybrook said...

I was going to say Jani Lane but he's dead. I think space cowboy has it anyway.

Brayson87 said...

Drama queen

Kate k said...

+1

cat said...

I think it's wrong Dr Drew was fired for questioning Hillary Clinton's health. He was hired be CNN for his medical expertise. I saw an infomercial, with Dr. Drew, last week. The man needs to be hired, by some network.

Anonymous said...

I think that spacecowboy has it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-bHkMLgk-M

gauloise said...

I'll go for Seth Binzer, lead singer of Crazy Town (90s LA indie band) who was on two seasons of Dr Drews Rehab show

A dumb idiot said...

Band: Theloneus Monster
Song: Sammy Hagar Weekend

A dumb idiot said...

SP: Thelonious Monster

Guesser said...

The video looks like a pro shot.

gauloise said...

BOb Forrest was a regular on Dr Drews Rehab, too

Guesser said...

@a dumb idiot,the song is a give away. +

A dumb idiot said...

https://www.cnn.com/2011/11/13/showbiz/bob-forrest-profile/index.html

Unknown said...

Where's the shaved head in that video?

Anonymous said...

Without a doubt, I don't think this is the video Enty is talking about, but it does show his tendency to kinda do what Enty talks about -- go off on stage. Clearly he has a pattern and history.

Guesser said...

I was just going to ask about the shaved head,must be a different time. @unknown,must have watched the same one.

MM39 said...

I think it's this one, recorded at the Ventura theatre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDXebASDrh0

Makeupbylizz said...

https://youtu.be/FDXebASDrh0

nicksauntie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
nicksauntie said...

OR: the "Roxy Theatre" in West Hollywood?? That help anyone out?

malcam66 said...

I think it's Henry Rollins.

nicksauntie said...

Its not the Ventura Theater....the blind says its a So Cal theater "spelled RE"....I thought maybe the California Theatre but I am leaning toward the Roxy now..

Hanniam said...

+1 @spacecowboy

They’re immediately who came to mind for me too.

malcam66 said...

ah crap, you guys are better than me. I concede.

AngryLiberalKTS. said...

Bob Forrest was a crazy man!.

Kikibunny said...

I saw them first time in 86 i think, at a little dive called Raji's on hollywood blvd...back in the 80s they opened for RHCP most shows, so ive seen them quite a bit...i would just love to revisit those days, i didnt know he became a drug counselor and i think i remember this story...i wasnt at this show and not sure which club it was.

ladybugmo1 said...

I haven’t thought of Raji’s in years. I had some good times in that place.

pkelly491 said...

I initially thought it was Henry Rollins too.

Krusty Demon said...

Pantages Theatre?

Orgonite Rocks said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
T. W. said...

Looks like Bob Forrest is more famous for being a drug counselor on celebrity rehab than for singing. As long as he actually helps people then good for him.

Hanniam said...

And I’m thinking the El Rey for the venue.

Poppymann said...

GG Allin
Bite it you scum!

Unknown said...

Totally seth binzer or crazy town, whose nickname is "shifty switchbalde"

Mr Selfdestruct UK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kikibunny said...

Crazy town is not indie

plot said...

@cat

I agree that Drew shouldn't have been fired for questioning HRC's health (weren't we all?) But Drew is a bad doctor and addiction specialist. He has no business helping anyone in crisis. I'm also convinced that like Dr. Laura, a whole lot of the call ins for Drew's radio show were staged by actors.

Kikibunny said...

I remember one story he would tell onstage about the guy who shoveled elephant shit for no pay at the circus....lol...it strikes me funny that hes a drug counselor...i dont watch TV, but I want to see this! Is he funny? Anyone watch?

Craig said...

I have no idea who any of these people are but as an aside, the reason the venue would be spelled 'theatre' is because that's the original English spelling. Just like 'metre' 'centre' and 'litre'.
Still in full use today be it a movie/show theatre, an operating theatre or a theatre of war.

Sharper Teeth said...

@Poppymann I know this isn't the answer, but GG was the first person to pop into my head. Alas, no mentions of any Lil Smokey in the blind.

Monkey Mich said...

Haha @Poppyman I was thinking about G.G Allin as well.

Jx-Noelle said...

@plot - I agree with the staged callers... I recently caught Dr Laura via satellite radio and wow she’s surly and self righteous! The callers totally concede to her awful advice.

Brian said...

The Ventura theater makes sense, as that's where the record breaking fire was. None of the Hollywood theaters were in danger of burning down.

GoogleSleuth said...

I couldn’t agree more. Good doctors don’t play up drama in their patients’ lives on national television.

Dan said...

Welp, the second result on Youtube for Sammy Hagar Weekend is a video recorded in '89 at Ventura and the first comment on that is a guy saying eight years ago he has a full VHS recording of the show.

Bob sporting chopped up hair, dark glasses and a squirelly look - even for him.

Skibunny said...

I watched. He comes across way more likable than drew. He comes across as a learn from my mistakes funny wise man.

ameliazc said...

Yep. Back in the 80s, if I saw Bob Forrest at any given gig (mostly Raji's - remember the infamous pole?) I would immediately think, "Oh no: he's gonna spill beer on me." And he did.

Good on him for turning his life around! MusicCares has helped out SO many people. :))

Unknown said...

Holy shit those videos are awesome. Bob is a bad ass.

Unknown said...

Neither is Jane's Addiction,Red Hot Chilli peppers,or Alice In Chains but that's how he/she labeled them

Court b said...

Re means spelled theatre

Ligeia said...

This has to be Bob, I use to love "love line with dr drew" and he always called in, it was the best part of the show when he did lol But I cant find a video to match the blind , theres the one where hes rolling around on stage but he dont have a shaved head in that

ElleElle said...

My fave conversation from LoveLine:

Caller: "I've been jacking off so much, my penis is going right."
Adam Carolla: "Start using your left hand!"

bootsy said...

I'm going for the Crazytown guess simply because they were close relatives of Jane's Addiction and the Chili peppers so fits this part perfectly.

Unknown said...

Thank you for showcasing your impecible knowledge of olde english spelling nuances.

... and to think the rest of us were trying to erroneously figure out the singer/venue.... when all along the real clue was in the spelling of "metre, centre and litre"

Do Brits spell "Loser"... "Losre "?? Just askin

Itttt said...

It's definitely Bob Forrest/Thelonious Monster, performed Sammy Hagar Weekend July 29th 1989 at the Ventura TheatRE yes RE, almost burned down in the massive Thomas Fire, and Dr. Drew came out onstage. This is indeed the video in question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDXebASDrh0

He even reaches into his right pants pocket and seemingly pulls something out to show to the audience at the "we're gonna snort some coke" line at 36 ish seconds in.


Loveline for the call in show on KROQ...remember Poor Man and the "I woke up in a pool of blood, I think I killed my girlfriend" prank call into the show, that cost him his job and ended up as a "case" on Unsolved Mysteries"?

My favorite LoveLine call had to be the one where some 15-ish year old girl called in and said her and her girlfriend had rashes/infections of the vijayjays and really stinky vaheens they suspected were the result of eating food out of each other's hoohaws. Poorman asks what food products they are using and the girl says "egg salad and tuna salad". Hopefully that was a prank call.

Craig said...

@J F. I just wanted to add something to the conversation and as someone who knows nothing about any of this I picked up on the fact that it was pointed out that the spelling was different. Sorry you got offended. If it helps any I'm quite capable of spelling cunt.

Stevie Nixed said...

Haha good one. :-)

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