Tag: the whisky

Rose Tattoo at The Whisky, Rose-Tattoo-live-in-LA

Garage Rockers vs Skinheads vs Hardcore Kids: Rose Tattoo at the Whisky

Rob Shepyer April 16, 2025

The Whisky ’25: Rose Tattoo’s First US Show Since ’83 When Rose Tattoo announced their first American show since 1983, not only could I not believe it, but I made sure to procure tickets almost immediately. This show would then get cancelled, only for the prospect of Rose Tattoo playing Los Angeles to dissolve and become a big question mark. Would the legendary Australian band ever play in America again? This is a pure rock and roll band that didn’t just go on to inspire Guns and Roses but numerous scenes throughout Los Angeles, from skinheads to hardcore kids to garage rockers. It would otherwise be impossible to see these three scenes merge into one audience. Even for a megaband like The Misfits, these groups don’t come together to mingle in such close quarters. So, when Rose Tattoo announced two new shows in LA years later and then finally hit the stage at Whisky-a-Go-Go on March 6th and 7th, all those scenes were present and pounding their fists for what must’ve been an awfully cold day in hell. The set ran the gamut of a slew of Rose Tattoos classics such as “Nice Boys” and “Rock and Roll Outlaw,” with

Photo Recap: Kingdom Come at the Whisky-a-Go-Go

Janky Smooth Central Command February 7, 2020

It’s been over 30 years since the Monsters of Rock but every band has stayed alive since that epic Los Angeles festival. Of all the bands, perhaps the one that holds a soft spot in my heart is Kingdom Come. A metal band with transcendent power and soul. When they announced a reunion for their 30th anniversary, I made it to the Whisky to see the incredible band showcase their talents to a packed house. The people did not forget. A year later and the band is still going strong. They returned to the Whisky for a stop on a three show tour and every member of the band shined. The Kottak attack ala James Kottak was savage, Keith St. John wields one of the most powerful voices in rock and roll, Danny Stag’s lead guitar-work was Godly, Rick Steier’s rhythm guitars brought the house to their knees, and Johnny B. Frank’s bass was frankly, thunderous. We’ve got pics from the show where you can see the ear candy just oozing out of every pixel. Photos by: Dillon Vaughn related content: Return to the Old School: Kingdom Come At The Whisky

Slug Cult Has Risen: Cancerslug 20 Year Anniversary at the Whisky

Rob Shepyer June 23, 2019

In the world of horror punk, the Misfits and our dark lord, Glenn Danzig created a model that would inspire every band that dared perform catchy, anthemic songs about such topics as murder, sexual deviancy, and all things morbid or B movie shlock. Since them, no one has come close to creating a comparable legacy or body of work… with one exception. That exception is Alex Story’s band, Cancerslug. Where the Misfits had a die hard following known as the fiend club, Cancerslug has the Slug Cult. Where The Misfits infused their punk with the humor, crassness, and swagger of New Jersey, Cancerslug’s music could’ve only come from the muggy, humid, bluesy and Christ-fearing land of Alabama. Where Danzig knew how to capture imaginations and become larger than life on stage, Alex Story surpasses his presence with wolfish prowling, wild moves and a monstrous anatomy. Where the Misfits had a few notable albums, over their 20 year killing spree, Cancerslug has a huge body of work with notable songs on every single album and as time went on, they never compromised or lost direction. For this reason, Cancerslug needs to be considered among the best of the horror punk genre. If

Iron Eagle: Blaze Bayley at the Whisky

Dillon Vaughn May 21, 2019

On an earlier evening in May, the Whisky-a-Go-Go buzzed with some of the most fiercely devoted fans I’ve ever seen at the venue. What appeared to be a modest following was actually a concentrated group of true die-hards ecstatic to catch a gig by the legendary vocalist, Blaze Bayley. Conversations overheard before the band took the stage all seemed to point toward a drunken consensus – the crowd was determined to take Blaze to the Rainbow after the gig and get completely wasted with him. Stories were told about past drives out of state and flights out of the country to witness his performances and spoken languages hinted how far many of those in attendance traveled for that very night (after all, these are Iron Maiden fans – a group that truly appreciates the value of a performance, and catching a set in a small club by the former singer of the group is no small event.) Eager chants of “BLAZE” grew to a venue wide roar the moment the man of the evening peered down at the crowd from atop the balcony and signaled the show was finally going to begin. related content: Satan’s First Born: Possessed At The Whisky

Satan’s First Born: Possessed at the Whisky

Rob Shepyer January 18, 2019

Anton Lavey’s church of Satan could’ve only happened in San Francisco. They have a certain way of playing with ideas in Northern California that they can deal in evil and sin while not taking themselves too seriously but also not being perceived as jokes. Anton Lavey’s dream of a new world based on humanist principals was so unapologetic that it could invert any cross. It’s no wonder, that these two forces, satanism and good ol’ fashioned San Franciscan California dreaming, contributed to the birth of death metal in a band called Possessed. related content: The Battle Of The Bays: Obituary & Exodus Clash At Teragram Ballroom Whether you debate death metal crawled out of the San Francisco bay or Tampa bay, we are all in agreement that Possessed’s singer, Jeff Becerra is an icon of the genre. You feel power and wisdom emanating from him when he’s working a stage. His vocals shoot out in bolts, they’re not quite guttural but it’s certainly signature death. It delivers the satanic, thought-provoking, and ominous lyrics home, as if a dark wizard were singing. related content: Morbid Angel At The Regent: A Lesson In Death Possessed began in 1983 and after breakups, reformations, lineup

Children of the Night: Doyle at the Whisky

Rob Shepyer December 18, 2018

I love The Misfits, so naturally I feel inclined to support every member in whatever endeavor they do but it would be a mistake to relegate Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein’s band, DOYLE, to the status of a side-project. They stand alone with their amazing songs and performance. And as amazing as it is to see Doyle, the vegan beast, storming a stage, the real story here is Alex. Alex Story is one of the most visceral, intense frontmen anyone could ever see. I feel like it’s a shame he’s not more of an icon, actually. Nicknamed the Wolf Man, Alex Story summons up lycanthrope ferocity when he performs. His body, neck, ribs, and legs contort to some wolfly design, he prowls off the balls of his feet, really feeling the monster within. It’s like seeing the transformation scene from An American Werewolf in London play out before your very eyes. The set always ends with Alex drenched in sweat and leaving everything behind on the stage. related content: All I Want For Christmas Is “Blood And Tears”: Danzig Halloween Hell Bash At FivePoint Amphitheatre This night at the Whisky was filled with bands inspired by horror, darkness, and evil. I arrived to see

Return of the Old School: Kingdom Come at the Whisky

Rob Shepyer October 11, 2018

It’s my contention that if 80’s metal and grunge were to duke it out today, 80’s metal would come out victorious. I once read about a book called “The Pendulum” that theorized every forty years, people’s attitudes change from collectivist thinking to independent thinking. Grunge swung more like an axe, not a pendulum, to behead metal and change American rock music forever more. Now, in the Trump era, where collectivist notions don’t connect the same way they once did and hyper-masculinity seems to be the means to reclaim male identity, I think 80’s metal would prevail. We’ve had too many years of bands playing shoegaze without any charisma. We want spectacle. We want solos. And most of all, we want balls. You sense this when you see a great 80’s metal band live. I did when I saw Kingdom Come on their reunion tour where they celebrated their 30 year anniversary. related content: Soulfly And Nile: From The Amazon To The Whisky Kingdom Come were one of the original monsters of rock. Straight out of Germany, these guys had an incredibly powerful, soaring hard rock, metal sound that gained plenty of praise and comparison to Led Zeppelin. They were yesterday’s