***NEW MOVIE REVIEW ***
Oct.5,2009 "The Adventures of Girl George & The Arizona Star"
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(To Order Movie: e-mail
[email protected]) *****
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The story of Girl George and The Arizona Star! I mainly watched this for the story of Girl George, but the vast array of other characters in the film are interesting as hell also! Girl George would start out in the place that she would make full circle to and wind back at even up to this day, the San Francisco Bay Area. She left home early and through some fake id's got into the bars and things in the area in the early 60's, so she witnessed the early scene there with all the beat poets and musicians, people like Allen Ginsburg and the like. She also did some time as a topless dancer for a brief period. Girl George first realized her true calling after strumming a few chords playing songs like "Mr. Tambourine Man" at open mics in such places as the "Coffee Gallery" in SF. After performing for a while, Girl George noticed a glamourous over the top Marilyn Monroe on acid type character that she would take under her wing who would perform with her for about 5 years. Girl George admits that Star was the total opposite of her, but the contrast worked nicely and she was interesting. Kris Kristofferson (actor/musician you probably have all seen) would take them under his wing and have them play around town. From there, they went on to Nashville where they continued a wild existence including sneaking into the Grammy's, screaming and dancing on tables, and crashing many parties. Girl George would start writing her own songs here. She returned to San Francisco in the early 70's and even performed for a while with Mike Wilhelm who played in the amazing 60's group The Charlatans, who had started the whole 60's Haight Ashbury psychedelic scene in San Francisco. Created in 2004, the documentary is well put together and tells the whole story with some great, vintage video clips and archival photos etc.. A large cast of characters in the film that are interesting and way fun to watch. The clips of Girl George's TV show (yes she even had a TV show for some time) are priceless; Wavy Gravy, the amazing BLUE CHEER plays a great performance and you see Dickie Peterson showing some fondness for Girl George in his own way, seems like he's flirting to me! Also featured is footage of the "Love-Ins" that Girl George hosted in LA in the park from 1985-1995, the first Sunday of every April where people would gather together and play music and just have a fun time all around. Great documentary with plenty of live music clips, news clips, interviews and more. Girl George, with her attitude and passion for performing could be considered one of the first true punk rock females in San Francisco, she really didn't give a fuck, did her own thing and is STILL doing it today at the Long Haul in Berkeley. Every-Body's Cra-zy But Me!!
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**** Review in Oct,2009 issue of"Psych Trail Mix..Mag"***************************************************
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**** www.myspace.com/psychtrailmix
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*****(To Order Mag: e-mail
[email protected] )
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THEY ARE MAKING A DOC. MOVIE ABOUT.... AL'S BAR "NO TALENT NITE" L.A.1980's-1990's.. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY VIDEO'S OR PICTURES ...I'LL PASS IT ON ....
WISH LIST FOR AL'S BAR DOC.MOVIE..CLIPS OF::: CUPS IN MIDFLIGHT AT THE ACTS THEY DIDN'T LIKE*** THE OWNER AL (MARC) HARASSING THE ACTS ON STAGE ***BARTENDERS.STACY..ECT ***FISH KARMA.SINGING "SWAP MEET WOMAN" S.A.GRIFFIN & BOBBO & THE POETS*** SOMEONE IN THE ACT OF DRAWING ON THE WALLS*** EVERYONE SINGING BEATLE'S SONGS IN THE PATIO **AFTER WALKIN ON A BORE-R-R-ING ACT*********JOEL BLOOM.. Play at Al's Bar..about 1990
"SHOWDOWN IN SONORATOWN"
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***I HAVE JUST POSTED 100's CLIPS FROM MY TV SHOW AT...youtube.com/girlgeorgetvshow * included ARE MORE OF PEARL HARBOR..ROY LONEY..DIRK DIRKSEN..BLUE CHEER..& MUCH MORE..CHECK IT OUT ***
just added:
...MIKE WILHELM..J.C.BURRIS..NAOMI RUTH EISENBERG..BRAD STUBBS..HONEY DAVIS.MARY XMASS...LYLE TUTTLE...TRAVIS T HIP..CAPT.ED'S CLAN..LOVE-INS....WAVY GRAVY..KSAN D.J. NORM DAVIS...JOAN PEZ..THE MOORE BRO'S..JEFF..RICKY LEE ROBINSON..LITTLE BOY BLUE..DAN LANGE.. ..ANGEL SPIT.."THE FRENCH GIRLS" SOPHIE & SOPHIE..GUY MICHEL******************************************************
******LIVE PEFORMANCE FOOTAGE FROM....AL'S BAR IN L.A....1984-1995..."GIRL GEORGE.& the SUPERSTARS of the FEATURE" ..
T.V.SHOW.. 1978 TO 1983....THE STORK CLUB... OAKLAND..1997-2005..STARRY PLOUGH ..BERKELEY..1996..2000..2008..L.A.LOVE IN REUIONS..1985 TO 1995...AND A WHOLE LOT MORE....
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***** GIRL GEORGE & S.A. GRIFFIN 1984 **********************
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ERE ONCE WAS AN OPEN MIC IN BEAUTIFULL DOWNTOWN L.A...EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT YOU'D COME IN AND SIGN UP.AS FAR AS I CAN FIGGER.."NO TALENT NITE"..WAS STARTED BY A BUNCH OF POETS..HEADED BY S.A.GRIFFIN & BOBBO..
OF "OPEN ENDED IT"..AND "THE CARMA BUMS"..
THATS WHO IT REVOLVED AROUND WHEN I FIRST FOUND THE PLACE IN 1984..SEEM'S TO ME THIS WAS THE BIRTH PLACE FOR "SLAM POETRY" TOO..ART WAS KING..ART WAS SOMETHING YOU WERE..NOT SOMETHING YOU JUST DID..
.NOW THIS PLACE WAS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART...IF THE CROWD LIKED YOU THEY WOULD SCREAM AND SHOUT THEIR APPROVAL...BUT IF THEY DIDN'T..THEY WOULD THROW THEIR PLASTIC CUPS AT YOU..MAKING SURE OF COURSE THAT EVERY LAST DROP OF BEER WAS DRANK FIRST..WORSE THEN THAT IF YOU BORED THEM..THEY WOULDN'T EVEN BOTHER THROWING THINGS AT YOU..THEY WOULD JUST DRIFT ON OUT TO THE PATIO..HAVE A SMOKE TILL THE NEXT.. MORE INTRESTING ACT CAME ON....IT WAS DO OR DIE...YOU'D BETTER BE GOOD..ORIGINAL..FAST..AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW EACH WEEK..OR YOU'D BE THE NEXT LAMB TO SLAUGHTER..... ITS NOT LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO GET ANY SYMPATHY FROM THE MANAGEMENT...
THE OWNER MARC KREISEL..(AKA.."AL") LOCKED IN THE SOUND BOUTH,ABOVE THE CROWD IN THE BACK..GOATED 'UM ON..SAYING OVER THE MIC.."WE PROMISE NO TALENT & WE DELIVER"..YOU GOT 15 MIN. FROM THE TIME YOU HIT THE STAGE..TILL THE TIME YOU WERE OFF...IF YOU TUNED YOUR GUITAR FOR 15 MIN..THAT WAS YOUR ACT..YOU WERE OFF.....NEXT !!!...ALL THE MIC'S WENT OFF..AND THE ELECTRIC OUTLETS ON STAGE WENT DEAD TOO..MARC WOULD SAY "THIS IS WHERE YOU COME TO PAY YOUR DUES"..NOW YOU SEE WHY THERE WAS AN IRON GATE BETWEEN THE OWNER MARC AND THE ACTS..(EVERYONE CALLED MARC "AL"..BECAUSE THAT WAS THE NAME OF THE BAR WHEN HE BOUGHT IT AND NEVER CHANGED IT..HE DIDN'T MIND EVERYONE CALLING HIM "AL")..IT WAS BRUTAL..FOR ME IT WAS HOME..THE FIRST TIME I WALKED IN THE PLACE IN 1984 WITH CARLOS GUITARLOS..ME WEARING MY VELVET CAPE & SWORD...THEY APPLAUDED AS WE WALKED IN THE DOOR...I KNEW THIS WAS THE PLACE FOR ME..I WENT ON STAGE AND THEY ALL STARTED SINGING ALONG WITH ME..RIGHT OFF THE BAT...I PLAYED EVERY THUR. AT 10:30..FOR 12 YEARS..TILL I LEFT LA TO COME BACK TO MY HOME TOWN BERKELEY,CA..I'LL NEVER FORGET AL'S BAR..I WROTE ALL MY SONGS THERE..NEW ONES EACH WEEK..I WROTE FOR THAT CROWD.. ABOUT THAT CROWD..TO THAT CROWD..AND WHO WERE "THAT CROWD" ????..
ARTIST..POETS..MUSICIANS..ART STUDENTS..BOHO'S
...WHO WERE ALLOWED TO DRAW,PAINT,GRIFFITI..ALL OVER THE WALLS AND CEILING OF THE PLACE..SOME WERE REAL WORKS OF ARTS..SOME JUST SCRIBBILED NAMES..THIS WAS OWNER MARC KREISEL'S ART PIECE..AND A FINE PIECE IT WAS....
MARC KREISEL HAD AL'S BAR FROM 1979 TO AUG.2001**
