The Bridge

No, I have not posted in a while.



I was away on assignment. Mmmm, I was working… doing my other job, at a semi-high profile, charity event on the West Coast. Not quite the gigs my people are used to. Certainly not Rock Star. Certainly not me. This prestigious and unique event always runs completely acoustic, and has done so for 20 years.-

-Rock Star Never Unplugs.

I almost didn’t, but I made this dress… Felt the need to represent. Didn’t want him to feel nervous, wanted him to look out and see a sea of his own logos. Wanted things back where they belong, myself in the field – working the lawn, and out of the trenches and able to feel again. I mentioned this summer I worked the rail too much? Well, I was really looking forward to the back, where one can really feel the show. I was also looking forward to workin the show with Baya-Malay.






Shots of my dress, that I designed and made for the event, heavily inspired by the wonderful Chado Ralph Rucci Spring 2007 show.



October 18th, -boarded the plane for the West Coast, and awaited a different set of “Further Instructions”.



Layover – at the scene of the former crime. Charlotte NC. Lighting Strike, “Electrical Storm”.



The Devil wears Prada indeed...



“I’m going away for a little while to remember how to feel, and if I find the answer I promise you, I’ll come back and get you….. To break from what we’re tied to, god knows how much I’ve tried to…Show me, openings, to…Those we do not speak of. --Lets go.”



And all that could have been, the life you didn’t lead: Instructions received…. “Time, WILL compress… “

Burning Zone: Demi-Luke

As promised, here's the sotry of Demi-Luke's first show.


“Burning Zone: Demi-Luke”
(My drawing, unfinished 2006 -Last drawn on the rail at a show in Boston
-or was that Camden? I don't fucking remember. Saratoga? Saratoga - I think)

So, after the whole scopeNew York whoopla, I headed home, packed and slept for about an hour or so. Around 4:45 am, I was on the phone again with Sa Lews, just checkin in. She was already in place, looking out for the fans. I was on my way, leaving the apartment to catch my train to meet up her and De Vars. Oh the trip was great fun, texting my gallerist art crisis shit, texting the girls band crisis crap… I finally made it to Burning Zone around 11 am.

The show was to take place in one of those sexy Disney-crap Casinos; you know, how they take a ruined city, like Rome, or New Orleans, or New York and make a Disney cheesy themed glorified arcade out of it? Yeah, it was one of those. So, I wander through one of the massive themed crap table malls, and finally make it to Pompeii. Aged fauve columns, ruins form “antiquity” and the incessant sound of slot machines and flashing lights. Really, just what I needed after another night of not sleeping.




“I screamed and ran to smash my favorite slot machine!”

So, as it drew time for the show, word had reached the fans about Eve’s replacement. Most of the kids were already cranky and arguing over who got to the show first, who came before who online ect. Well, when they found out that someone was taking over for Eve, a damned Riot near broke out. Well, actually one did. Fans to this day still talk about what a nightmare the Burning Zone line was. Moshing, pushing, shoving, screaming, fists, boots, battle cires, spiting & hair pulling -- and this was just the line to get into the mosh pit! Mallusion, who normally keeps the peace during these things, lost control of the fans and extra Gards had to be called in to restore order to the line of fans waiting to get in.

Everyone got into the show, watched the opening band, and calmed down, over the Line War at least. But still, everyone doubted in the ability of Demi-Luke, how could he, or anyone for that matter replace Eve? Just as it was about time for the band to take the stage, 2 nights after the Infamous scope fire fiasco – the place fills with smoke, and strobes start going off. Everyone packed into the pit – imagine yelling fire in that theater.

The fire department comes - again. Too much smoke in the building – again. Turns out, the bands smoke machines set off the alarms. Here’s visuals:


The pic Sa Lews took of the firemen.

So, to pass the time, Sa Lews & I teased Dragon by calling out south park quotes and showing him pics of my scopeNY installation, which was of him. Poor kids musta been so creeped out, lord knows I was. “Why don’t you take a peeckture! – OK CLEEK.”

Finally the band took the stage. Demi Luke didn’t was anytime. He went nuts. Jumped into the crowd, climbed on his amps, kicked over his amps, basically went fucking nuts. That boy was a crazy donkey bouncing around, breaking shit – and he fucking destroyed that set list. He was amazing on guitar – far surpassing his mother’s abilities. He played so hard, his guitar string snapped in his face, and split his head open. He bled everywhere – and even that didn’t stop him!


This is a pic Dragon took. Don’t tell him, he’ll kill me.

At one point, Celeste even stopped the show to ask lil Demi if he was OK. The boy needed medical attention! But even then, he just kept going. Then Cel went on this rant about Pompeii – and how fucking much the place sucked, and “’Oh it’s a band, and they have a smoke machine…’ fuck that, the moments passed, and I’m just gonna set a fire for real!” So fuckin, Cel takes a lit cigarette from the bass player, and sets the fucking stage on fire! Pompeii as it was meant to be!



The band played on, Demi went wild – out of the flames flew a Grenwahlden – but he just turned and smacked it with his guitar and kept right on going! Finally the boy solidified himself as the new fan favorite at the tend of the set. Demi-Luke climbed up to the highest amp, and from nearly two stories up – JUMPS into the crowd – and god help them, landed on mostly girls! Two of them, Larissa and Tyler-Anne were friends of mine! They caught him, and no one was fatally hurt – but man did Larissa and Tyler-Anne give him hell the next morning!!!



Personally, I love Demi-Luke. I followed his mother, and looked up to her for years. That was pretty bad ass of him to play with his skull cracked open like that – Nothing like that pussy Via & the shit he pulled that night he had too much caffeine! Oh but that’s a long story for another time.

Good night kids.
(Sorry to everyone who's pics I stole & thank you to AV for giving me advice on how to draw durring the Virginia Beach show when I was working my Demi-Luke pic.)

scopeNew York 2006

Wait Wait Wait-Before I get to the Demi-Luke post… Let me just share this other story real quick. Who can forget scopeNew York 2006 or it’s ill-fated Press Preview?! Well, it just so happens, that the night Demi-Luke joined the Celestial tour was March 11, and as many of you may remember, that was also the same weekend as scopeNew York. So the night before, Demi’s big debut, I was with the rest of the cool New York art crowd.



I’m sure everyone remembers the infamous night of March 9th – when during the doomed Scope Press Preview, everyone was evacuated from the building, when the fire department was called – JUST as the preview was to start. Many smelled a conspiracy, but… somebody evidently smelled smoke, and what the hell, called the fire department. There was no press preview, but the fair did make al the major New York papers, just, not the way it had intended…or had it?

Any ways, here are some pics from opening night of scopeNew York – March 10th. These were taken around 9pm, while I was “performing” in my installation. During my, “performance,” I took pics, sent text messages, and talked a lot with my girls Sa Lews and De Vars about the upcoming concert on the 11th.





“When I come to terms, to terms with this…I will be safe in my frame.”











OK, so there you have it. Now remember the scopeNew York Press Preview Fireman incident when I upload my next post.

Last Tour's Politics!!!

Think I mentioned earlier in this Blog that there were a lot of things I’d wanted to post about, but that it would be a bad idea to post about such things, given the fact that many people back at Band’s Camp were still a little sore about what went down on the last tour. “Don’t go bringing up last tour’s politics” Well, things have settled down now, and… don’t really want things to settle too much now so – figured I’d come along, disturb the waters again so to speak.


Portrait of Eve

A big area of controversy, on this tour was the battle of Eve vs. Demi-Luke. Fans still remain split down the middle in a bitter fight over which is the better guitar player.


One of the tamer pre-show debates… no biting in this pic sadly.

As some of you familiar with Celestial may well know, there have been MANY incarnations of the band. Such a rotating roster, over the years of the band, it has had over 20 different members. Midsummer – my friend & fellow Gard - put it best, when to a drummer when mentioning he’d once been Celestial, “Big deal, who hasn’t been at this point.”

Yet while the line up is constantly in flux, one member in particular, has logged the longest stint with the band was Eve. Standing nearly six feet tall, with wild purple hair and day glow w green eyes – and always in torn leather and lace, Eve was a graceful, brutal beauty. Her fiery stage presence and energetic guitar playing made her a fan favorite for years. Eve endured more tours, stage fights, overdoses, internal politics & fan wars then any band member who proceeded her, and was loved nearly as much as Celestial. No one would have ever imagined her leaving.


Just blurry enough…

And yet mid tour, and with no apparent reason at all, Eve abruptly announced her departure from the band just hours before a show, sending shockwaves though-out the Celestial community. The fans were still reeling in horror and disbelief, when Eve made another stunning announcement; she had a successor, her son. “Celeste, I’m leaving. Don’t worry; my son will take my place. He’s just as good a guitar player – if not better.”

This was mind blowing, no one, not even Celestial knew of Eve’s son! Sure, Eve got around, but a son? But it was true! Some how - Eve, who is no more then 28, was in deed mother a 22 year old son, Demi-Luke – and he was in fact an amazing guitar player!

As Sound check proved to Celestial, Demi-Luke could “-not only fill his mother’s boots, but take Eve boots, kick Eve up the ass with her boots, pull them out of her ass – puke on them, set them on fire, lick the vomit off, and spit it back into his mothers eye.” With such a glowing review, you’d think little Demi-Luke would have been better received; yet many fans remained unconvinced.


Another Gloriana shot.

Demi-Luke was going to have to do some crazy shit to live up to his mother’s legacy. Let me tell you, that kid didn’t waste any time. –More on Demi-Luke’s first show tomorrow. For now, I’ll leave ya with this: As to Demi-Luke’s father, it is a complete mystery. Eve slept with so many damned rock stars, it could be anyone. No one, not Celestial, Demi-Luke or even Eve herself has any clue as to who that boy’s father is.