On this day in 1977

The 30th of June in 1980 was rather dull, so I'm going back a few years, to the summer of '77. We've just missed my "review" of the Germs' first gig, but I will publish that separately, soon, I promise!

School was out and I was living at home in Manhattan Beach, working part time for this crazy numerologist lady, and my friend Jade, who used to live on my block, was staying with me. (She had since lived in the valley, then Hermosa Beach, then in Nowheresville, Texas, from where she was visiting. During her visit she got a call from her mum and learned they would be moving back to England.) Robert Williams (R or RW) was a drummer I had met hanging out at the Santa Monica Civic a couple years before, when Jade and I went to go see a band who shall not be named. He had left a message the day before saying that his latest band, The Best, were playing at the Whisky. Tiger was my boyfriend, Steve Tigerman.

My best pals, Mary, Trudie and Helen had gone (on vacation) to New York City. I was still heavily into the remnants of the glam scene and obsessed with martians and anything outer space; for the past couple years I had called myself Mar Star or Mar Tian, although by now I was also known as Kari Bromo.

30 June 1977

I talked to R. for two seconds; he was going to sleep. There was no guest list - bah! Jade and I went to the beach - nay, toad! Then went in the pool. While I was out there Jade called Phreddie and asked him to drive us to the Whisky. It did work out though Tiger was mad cuz I forgot to call him again.

Phreddie is a killer driver, with language to match, too! He made an "erratic" U-turn and a cop pulled him over. The cop was real nice though - asked where we were going. He said something like he couldn't help not noticing Jade's shirt [Wow, in this day and age couldn't you sue for harassment?! He was not referring to any logo or decoration...] and to me he said, "What's your name, Lipstick?" I forgot he was a cop and answered, "Mar Tian."

When I walked to the back of the Whisky with Tiger I thought this guy in a car looked like RW but it wasn't his car. [Did I add that I was also still a bit obsessed?] Then I went in and let Tiger in. [That good ol' back door at the Whisky!] But I guess that waiter saw cuz he kicked Tiger out. I was sitting down by the door and R. and that chick walk in, but I wasn't sure it was him till I saw his tennis shoes. [Funny, nowadays that makes me picture white shoes that tennis players wear, but back then we called all sneakers or sports shoes tennis shoes; these would have been black Converse style.] But I didn't wanna go running after him. But when I was going upstairs he was coming down. He said I was dressed as a punk! [Wish I could remember what I was wearing; probably some thrift shop duds...] But he had seen me wear that before! I go, "But look at you!' He was wearing some weird striped pants.

I sat upstairs. Tiger came in; the waiter gave him a hassle but I had given him my ticket stub. Nicky [Beat, of the Weirdos] had got him in. The Whores were pretty good!!! [With Geza X and Pat Delaney; they can be seen in Up in Smoke; later changed their name to The Deadbeats.] Needles and Pins were ....eh... Oh, they could be good if they got a new band! [Sage advice probably; I think they appeared on some compilation but I'm too lazy to try and go find it...] I saw JB and he looked at me weird like where do I know her from, but I didn't talk to him cuz of Tiger. [Sorry, I have no idea who JB was, but Tiger was a bit on the possessive side...]

We sat in a booth for the Dils, who played five minutes and were great then the guitarist threw down his guitar and jumped off the stage. [For those not in the know, the Dils also appeared in the battle of the bands in Up in Smoke, which was filmed earlier that month at the Roxy down the street.]

But I couldn't believe The Best! Their music wasn't that punk but they sure dressed it! Robert had slicked back his hair and had black under his eyes. They were pretty good. Afterwards we went backstage. R. and I ignored each other, cuz of Tiger and maybe cuz of that chick, too. (She sort of reminded me of me and doesn't seem like she could be the beautiful Romanian.) [I would often still chat to Robert on the phone and he'd tell me about his latest conquests, but I don't recall any details of this one.] Anyway, that's weird that Tiger's friend Alek (who said "The Germs suck one!") knows Robert.

So then Robert says hi and asked how I'd liked it. I said, [perhaps uncharacteristically sycophantically, as I did really like the Dils and Whores!] "You were better than the other bands," and he goes, "That's not saying much!" He said that he thought the Dils were OK and Tiger said something about their quitting the stage. I said, "How can you tell when someone makes a mistake?" Tiger and people started talking about the Doors.

The Zippers were good - the singer is so neat looking! [I guess they played after the rest of the bands? This comment was squashed into the margin...]

On this day in 1980

Context: I had recently moved into The Manor (the Stern brothers called it Skinhead Manor but that was kind of silly as there were no skinheads - thank God) on Leland Way in Hollywood; rent $125 pcm. The house had about eight bedrooms and a rehearsal room in the garage. I had also recently been beaten up by a bunch of HBs (jocks turned thug/punks) at the whim of some HB girl who thought I was standing too near her boyfriend. (The girl who knocked at the door was my future housemate, Gloria, not the HB chick, who someone told me committed suicide a few months after this. I think the other girl was Rachel, although it might have been Critter, if I had not met her yet...)

29 June 1980

I woke up at six am cause someone was pounding on the door. I answered it and I didn't have my contacts in. There were two guys and two girls and I swore one of the girls was the one from the Fleetwood! It made me kind of nervous to have her in the house.

It was real hot and I was gonna go home and go swimming but Maicol Sinatra had put me on the guest list for Cabaret of the Undefined at Club 88, so I went swimming at Frankie's [Frankie Marley; lived in West LA] instead, yet still missed half of it. Andy [Sevrin? I can't think of another Andy offhand.] was over in the morning, surprised that I lived at the Manor. I had watched Pressure of Honesty rehearse the day before; I couldn't believe how different Chase looked!

Oh, after I went swimming we went to Venice - I hadn't been there since that time I went to that party with Earl - sigh - where I had met Frankie [early July 1979]. We watched the Chiefs [I spelled the word correctly but the band spelled it "Cheifs", which always bugged me!!!] rehearse, who were real good, and drank strawberry daiquiris; then went to a very strange BBQ party in this sort of junkyard with all kinds of neat stuff.

Anyway, as I said, missed half of the C of the U. I saw the Boneheads, Butch, couple others. It was fun outside. The Boneheads were a pretty fun dance band. Something seemed weird about Trudie playing the piano; later I remembered she had always hated bands with keyboards. [Post Keith Emerson at least!]

Butch were boring. [Who were Butch? I can't remember!] Johanna Went was okay.

It was an okay show, overall. Gave Andy and Chase a ride home; these Australian guys who were staying at the Tropicana said they had heard there was a party at my house; I said there wasn't but one of them came round anyway and I was really rude to him; just went into my room. I felt kind of guilty about it later, but I was so tired and pissed off.