Nick and Joe Fuoco presents Metal Mayhem New Years Eve party Wednesday, December 31st at The 3 Clubs 1123 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90038 12 bands.2 stages.3 rooms.GoGo Dancers. DJS.champagne.party favors.drink specials. Vendors.food trucks.VIP Tables and bottle service available Featuring: Michael Angelo Batio band, Nightmare The Alice Cooper Tribute, Little Caesar, plus many more
Tickets $30 in advance . $40 at the door
Doors open 6pm
See you there
Pop culture is not a smooth evolution. It is a pendulum, heavy and rusty, crashing from one extreme to the next. For nearly twenty years that pendulum stayed buried in the dark. We lived through an age where superhero films equated maturity with misery, grit with realism, and hope with childishness. Christopher Nolan set the template. Gotham became a post 9/11 fever dream, a city where justice arrived wrapped in trauma and Kevlar. Brilliant, yes, but also a tonal gravity well.
Then came Man of Steel, which did not only borrow Nolan’s mood but amplified it into operatic devastation. Snyder’s Superman was beautiful and brooding, mythic and distant. He punched through skyscrapers like a god in the middle of a nervous breakdown. He saved so few people that Batman had to join the franchise just to file a complaint, and kind of kick his ass, at least until he heard the now infamous “Martha.” Metropolis stopped feeling like a city and started feeling like collateral damage with a ZIP code.
This version of heroism, tragic and violent and hollowed out, did not emerge in a vacuum. It arrived in a decade infected by a political virus that chewed through norms, decency, and the social contract. It trained us to fear outsiders, to distrust empathy, to see cruelty as strength. It demonized immigrants while selling patriotism like a counterfeit cure. And culture, being a mirror, reflected that sickness back at us.
Hope collapsed. Cynicism became currency. Optimism became the punchline.
But here is the twist no one saw coming. Optimism became the most rebellious thing in pop culture.
That is why the new Superman movie hits like a Molotov cocktail filled with super powering sunlight.
This film turns away from the rubble and steps into the day. It does not apologize for sincerity. It does not wink or smirk to reassure us that it is self-aware. It offers something far more dangerous. A Superman who actually saves people. A Superman who believes in connection. A Superman whose power is measured not in collateral damage but in compassion.
In 2025 that is hardcore.
THE CULTURAL COMEDOWN FROM DARKNESS
To understand why this film feels revolutionary, you must track the psychology of the genre. Nolan’s films were a response to real fear, surveillance, terror, uncertainty. They made sense. But instead of evolving, superhero cinema froze around that fear until the only stories we told were soaked in shadows.
Snyder’s Krypton was a war zone, and his Earth was not much better. His Superman felt less like an immigrant and more like a walking natural disaster trying not to sneeze. It was gorgeous, operatic filmmaking, but it was also the kind of storytelling a culture turns to when it is exhausted and angry and convinced the future is already lost.
Then came the real-world years of institutional decay, weaponized cruelty, and walls built not from concrete but ideology. We were told to fear people crossing borders. We were told outsiders threatened our way of life. We were told that humanity was a closed club and that compassion was naïve.
Which is ironic, because Superman, the greatest hero ever created, is a literal undocumented alien.
But that truth got buried beneath the noise. Until now.
THE NEW SUPERMAN MOVIE. HOPE AS COUNTERCULTURE
The new Superman film snaps the pendulum free and sends it arcing back toward the light. It shows us a hero who runs into burning buildings instead of using them as set dressing. A hero who does not treat humanity as a species to observe, but a community to protect. A hero who speaks softly, stands his ground, and shows up when it counts.
What is shocking is not the spectacle. It is the sincerity.
In an age where irony is the default and cynicism is the algorithmic drug of choice, sincerity is subversive. Optimism is anti-authoritarian. Genuine hope, unbranded and unmonetized, is punk rock.
This Superman does not brood on rooftops. He listens. He helps. He engages. It feels forbidden, almost dangerous, because we have been conditioned to believe that gentleness is weakness and that compassion is politically inconvenient.
This film says no. Hope is not retreat. Hope is revolt. Hope is the refusal to let the darker timeline win.
SUPERMAN THE HUMAN, SUPERMAN THE REBEL
The new film rejects the old idea of Superman as an outsider peering in. It insists on something louder, riskier, and more intimate. It insists that an alien can be fully and defiantly human. Not genetically, not legally, but in the ways that actually matter. Compassion. Responsibility. Connection. Choice. The movie argues that humanity is not a birthright. It is a practice. A discipline. A decision you make every day to give a damn. And Superman, more than anyone, chooses it relentlessly.
This reaches its peak in the final confrontation with Lex. It is not a brawl or a demolition derby of gods smashing cities. It is a philosophical knife fight. Superman stands there, grounded and unmasked in every sense, and delivers the most radical line of the entire genre.
“I am as human as anyone.”
It is not denial. It is defiance. A rebel yell of belonging. In that moment he is not the Other. He is the reminder that humanity is big enough, generous enough, and hopeful enough to include even someone who arrived from the sky in a rocket. The rebellion is not in claiming difference. The rebellion is in claiming kinship.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHTER THAN THE DARKNESS WANTS
The new Superman is not nostalgia. It is a counterpunch. A bright, defiant, immigrant hearted answer to a decade of darkness. A reminder that kindness is not weakness, empathy is not naïve, and hope is not passive. Hope is action. Hope is resistance. Hope is a fist raised in the sun.
And right now, there is nothing more punk rock than a hero who still believes in us and who stands tall enough to say, without fear or apology, “I am as human as anyone.”
About the Author
Marke is the producer and co-host of the Saturday Morning Cereal Podcast, the show that celebrates the themes of Saturday Morning TV that we not only grew up with, but that grew up with us. He and the team talk with the talent and creatives who continue to shape the pop culture we love.
Hosted on Spreaker.com. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and visit mattypradio.com for more episodes, interviews, and Comic-Con and pop culture coverage.
Heart wrenching sounds of 13 kitties pulling on heart strings crying out-loud in despairing sadness, lost, scared confused confiscated felines suddenly caged 2 x 2 like Noah’s Ark in precipice subsequent relinquishment at an overcrowded a high-kill animal shelter. Once upon Ms. LaLa’s passing, who is my dear friends’s lifelong besties. suddenly passed away ending her battle with cancer. Rip LaLa. Their bestie bond of lifelong friendship remain through the realms. A precious commodity in these last days and times. But now her fur babies could become ghost kitties due to overcrowded Shelter. Ms. LaLa was an amazing animal activist with such a beautiful soul and her Bestie was honorably there to see all of her last wishes through. A Hail Mary would definitely be needed to beat this very time sensitive demise with us left facing only uncertainties. Ultimately this is when true character is revealed in scenario. United by compassion, strangers became allies. And the prayer chain begins. As I see Felix, the cat clock on the wall of her apartment wall tick tock tick tock. Everything doesn’t stop in life. Everything but time stops. Seated near empty cages I inadvertently recorded the haunting meows of felines past nightmarish screeching, some pissed off and mad as hell and some shakingly scared whimpering alone in the afterlife. That didn’t sound like no rainbow bridge to me. The sounds seemed to emanate from the beyond and still is etched into my being to this very day fourth forevermore. We reached out to friends but it was strangers that became allied missionaries of rescue. Team Hail Mary. An old acquaintance rescued a few of the fur babies. Then another friend stepped up saving five more. LaLas Bestie took the remainder. There are still 2 amazingly kool kitties available for adoption currently. A student wanders in looking for a cat and fell in love with one of the contained kittens in the cat house rescue center that literally had my shirt in it’s paw paws with his arms through the cage relentlessly holding on to me. A huge large room of furies waiting for their great escape. And there’s that Felix the cat clock on the wall but now there’s like endless wall space full of them! We took that as a reference sign that we’re going in the right direction. As fate would have it, this students father used to call her LaLa and she decided to rescue one of the felines and name it LaLa. Unbeknownst to her, I would soon tell her a tailspin that would blew her mind. We formed a profound bond that transcended words. Ultimately, we saved all thirteen felines from an untimely demise. We all connected like kindred spirits. 13 felines on the brink of a devastating fate yet, their story became a testament to the transformative power of compassion. Human character united by empathy cast strangers into allies. We rallied like-minded individuals, forming an unbreakable bond. A poignant coincidence? Together, we achieved mission impossible. Saving all 13 kitties precious lives from an untimely demise. This experience forged a testament to the profound impact of unwavering unity of like-minded individuals together can achieve profound impacts of collective action free spirit compassionate not dictatorship of ease. Heartwarming unwavering dedication of strangers in Unisom by empathy exemplified the hauntingly cats meows screeching echos through the unallied chaos. An unbreakable achievement over once impossibilities. “As I looked into the eyes of all 13 kitties. I knew we were part of something especially Spooktacular.” Unity is rescue. 2025 Tale spin of tails. Testament is a spiritual reminder. Love knows no bounds, nor limits. We navigate lifes escalator with our intentions. Giving selflessly is true fulfillment. Honor thy beloved. We all are kin. Unconditional love transcending death that only can come from within when we choose to elevate, alleviate, and appreciate. Whence We rise above societies darknesses. Slipping through the grip is true escape. Rewire your grind. Houdini level. This is a story of 13 ghost kitties on the brink & a day in of the life of that metal chick poetics. We visited LaLa,I took her a fruit basket. She like my style. Im spicy like her. She notice her surroundings from my head to my baby doll socks. we shared laughter not tears. This death doula vibeness reached new perspectives. LaLa’s bestie Bonnie gathered all Lala’s requested favorite things of variety. That’s a true gift of real love. Common ground matters *The strangest thing along the way was that my phone recorded various erie sound events of “ghost kitties” meowing from empty cages, as if they’re calling out from the great beyond. Rethink that next time you turn blind eye to depop agenda. Life reminds us that strangers can become our closest allies. The universal bond transcends words. *As fate would have it, LaLa, the newly adopted kitty, ran away from the students dormitory….. Somehow we managed to feel she was safe As for me, Ill choose to believe that its LaLas spirit animal still running wild & free.
Music ignites the souls of plenty, and for those hearts it hits, it is quite impossible to imagine any other humans that can’t relate. Despite tragedy, despite chronic illness and loss, music gives many of us the strength of Superman along with the will to carry on. 2025 has been a year of successful tragedy from Ozzy Osborne’s Back To The Beginning farewell concert on July 5th, to Ozzy’s funeral on July 30th.
No matter how big or small Ozzy Osborne’s presence was in any individual’s life, the silence of sadness still sweeps over the world. What have we all gained from this experience that hit some of us as hard as the death of our childhood? Well, in addition to our solid unforgettable recollection of where we were and what we were doing when we learned of Ozzy Osborne’s death, the birth of awareness of the roots of heavy metal to the next generation has begun.
The freshly released film titled “Ordinary Man,” serves as a great documentary for those trial and tribulations of Ozzy Osborne’s last few years. His family and fans were always holding him up as high as they could, and through all the pain, suffering, and laughter, he still never really let them down. His final concert gave every fan closure of that legendary existence that he so timelessly lived. He truly lives on inside of us all.
As none of us are getting younger, including the Gen Z club, there is much to be passed on to create some tolerability and release of life’s daily stresses to the youngsters of today. Ozzy Osborne has massively paved the way with his collaborations and teachings to younger artists such as Yungblud and Post Malone which he felt it an important duty to give to the future of heavy metal. Some of the older blooded heavy metal artists have found it difficult to accept that 2025 will never be the same as 1975. None the less, awareness of the classics to influence the future is certainly a great step one. Legends must go on, rock and roll, and heavy metal are just two of those.
The Rainbow Bar And Grill, which has served musical artist meet ups and spawned celebrity collaborations for years, is still a viable breeding ground for the old die hard rocker club to pass along their knowledge of what makes a great rock and roll or heavy metal band thrive to the young coming of age crowd. As it happens, anyone who attended the recent debut Rainbow Bar show with “The Tragics” has certainly seen the future of punk n’ roll. This band features the two sons, Sebastian and Julian, of long time LA rock n’ roll guitarist Ruby Carrera who has clearly trained them well. They are rocking out in the best way on vocals and bass with this fired up with fresh talent band “The Tragics.” If the energy of Iggy Pop and the charisma of glam rock had a baby, this would be an example of “The Tragics'” sound.
Moving on to 2026, don’t forget to explore the biggest music networking and technology producing NAMM event yet. NAMM is celebrating 125 Years of existence at the Anaheim Convention Center, CA January 20th-24th, 2026 commemorating this special milestone with expanded programming, and plenty of live tributes. A grand melting pot of all types of musical instruments, music genres, and musical artists through the decades is what breathes out of NAMM year after year. California has it’s perks, and 2026 will thrive in whatever the future of musical collaborations hold. So, stay metal and save your soul! RIP to our beloved Prince Of Darkness.
We’s back w/ Dan Crenshaw and this time he’s got a new solo project…HOW LONG THE NEW PROJECT’S BEEN AROUND?
DC: Crenshaw Band Started And Album Done Now Featuring Ira Black From Dio Disciples VIOLENCE ..Les Warner From The Cult ..Crenshaw On Lead Vocals ..Crenshaw Ira Black Doing Bass Tracks For Album..
WHATCHA DOING FOR NAMM?
DC: i’ll Be At Namm With Many My Rockstar Friends, We Get To Meet Up Usually once a year between our touring Schedules looking forward to it lots shows ill be doing guest spots
WHATCHA DOING AFTER NAMM?
DC: after namm tours being scheduled as we speak u.s.and europe.
ANY LAST WORDS FOR YOUR FANS?
DC: last words thank you all for supporting Garden Of Eden And Now Crenshaw Also Happy Holidays To All And Happy New Year .
Dear Brent Kendell JD, CPA
I’m no lawyer, but I do know one of the exceptions to our 1st Amendment right to free speech is deceptive commercial speech, thus illegal. Las Vegas hotels advertise a $29 hotel rate but with a resort fee the total can be over $200. Since this fee is mandatory, it is not a fee, it’s more like fraud. Can I sue and get my money back?
Yes, you are correct. Deceptive commercial speech is unconstitutional in federal court. State court is a different matter. While federal law trumps state law, someone has to file suit to stopf this blatant illegal practice.
Mandatory resort fees are very deceptive. Instead of suing Caesars Entertainment, or MGM Entertainment, or Wynn, your best approach is to protest with your wallet. There are many laws that are illegal federally but considered legal in state court, or are simply ignored. A violation of your Civil Rights is an example. Las Vegas tourism over the past few years is way down, some estimates are close to 20%. Nevada gaming revenue has dipped as well. Social media has done a lot to expose the hidden fees, i.e., a $12 cup of coffee, a $15 dollar bottle of water, $30 parking fee, and the list continues. Nobody tells you when booking a room at Resort World that the pool closes at 6pm despite continued sunshine for hours. Close a pool? $20 can of beer?
The resorts continue to pull ‘bait and switch’ tactics with hidden taxes. Nowhere else in the world does a bottle of beer, at the bar cost $10 and when receiving the bill the total is $11.87, because of taxes.They don’t want to round it to $12 because they’re playing you for stupid.
Very few tourists are fooled by the hidden resort fees. Las Vegas continues to insult the public with revenue making parking fees, window fees, ATM fees, pool fees, and the fee scam goes on and on. Circa adult swim? More deception! No swimming allowed. Fifteen pool guards will insist you can’t go underwater or hold your breath. You can stick your feet in the pool but no swimming.
While there have been attempts to sue the state of Nevada over deceptive resort fees, most of these implemented laws are ignored and Nevada continues to impose deceptive advertising. One court case made the total amount (including resort fees) be included in the grand total.
Greed will prevail. The more straightforward resorts will see the customers flock to their hotels. Some say Las Vegas was better when run by the mob. I tend to agree. Don’t waste your time
and money suing in federal court. Complain! Protest! Make youtube videos! Refuse to pay their ridiculous fees.
Yes, you are correct, deceptive commercial speech, e.g., resort fees are illegal. If you refuse to pay these fees.. maybe Las Vegas will learn a lesson and become more transparent, but don’t expect any change until Caesars, MGM Grand and Wynn learn their lesson.
As a wiseman once said, (OK, it was me!) Get the word out! The gig is up! The cat is out of the bag! Refuse to pay the resort fees and even consider going somewhere else on your vacation until there is a change in the law and a change in the system.
Have you got a legal question? Drop me a line.
Brent Lee Kendell, JD, CPA Brentkendelljdcpa@gmail.com
Paul and I headed to the Greek Theatre for Robby Krieger’s 60th Anniversary Celebration, and let me tell you — the place was buzzing like a beehive with a backstage pass. The lineup read like a love letter to rock: Billy Idol, still sneering like rebellion itself. Perry Farrell, cosmic and theatrical as ever. John Doe of X, carrying all that iconic punk soul.
And here’s something worth noting: There was only ONE woman on the bill — and it damn well should’ve been me. I sing with Robby all the time at my gallery. But it’s show business, baby. You roll with it, you laugh, and you keep your mic warm. The night brought a cavalcade of ’90s stars, each one a nostalgia bomb. My longtime friend Norton Wisdom painted live on stage like a tornado of color and emotion — shifting with every note, every drum hit, every breath of the crowd. Speaking of drums, Stephen Pearcy jumped in, smiling ear-to-ear. The whole evening was surprise after surprise, the kind of show that reminds you why rock ’n’ roll grabbed the world by the throat in the first place. The Greek was gorgeous. Perfect weather, end-of-season sparkle, and Robby — Robby — proving that age is nothing but a number written in pencil.
He played for two and a half hours straight. No breaks. No slowing down. Just pure, genius-level guitar work from a man who refuses to stop. His son Wayne sang a few songs, and every time he steps into the spotlight, he channels something uncanny — like Jim Morrison is whispering through him. Wayne is stocky, wild around the edges, probably partying harder than he should, but that’s the charm. After a lifetime with Robby, he’s become a living echo of Jim.
Digital Wildness at LACDA — Man vs. Machine, and the Machines Are Winning. Downtown at LACDA, the digital art scene is exploding. Every month, strange new sound creatures slither in through the doors — tech kids, AI dreamers, misfits, experimental musicians — the kind who build instruments out of code and then pretend they can control them.
Spoiler: they can’t. It’s more like riding a mechanical horse that’s glitching in five dimensions.
During the monthly Thursday Art Walk, the galleries on Fourth and Main and Fifth and Main open their doors. The area may not be charming, but the crowds? Packed. Electric. Hungry for art. We recently had Kat Museum do a four-month experimental residency — four months of sonic madness. LACDA is always looking for new artists, new troublemakers, new visions.
If that’s you, tell them Tequila sent you. They’ll listen. Tequila TV, Retail Slut, and the Underground That Never Sleeps. Over at Gallery Dig It All (Eye Comanage), we’ve been hosting monthly gatherings for my long-running project, Tequila TV. My show has been broadcasting in West Hollywood for 40 years — four decades of championing the underground, the brave, the loud, the weird, and the wildly talented.
Big news:
We’re launching a pop-up with Retail Slut, one of my favorite legendary shops. Helen and I are curating a Senior Invasion from December into January — yes, senior punks showing the kids how it’s REALLY done. Helen’s also doing a show at The Monty celebrating Retail Slut’s rebirth.
Last month, Mojo made a surprise appearance — a rare and beautiful thing — alongside Richard Eastman and Reid from Green Jellø. The room vibrated with stories, history, laughter, and that underground magic you can’t manufacture. We’re stationed at Melrose and Larchmont — the perfect HQ for scheming, painting, performing, gossiping, and keeping the spirit of rock ’n’ roll alive. Sean Shimmer, formerly of Green Jellø and now leading Shimmerbed, also hosts evenings there, spotlighting the newest bands clawing their way into the scene.
Vampires at Victorio’s, Nervous Gender, and Other Beautiful Night Creatures. Halloween was unholy perfection. We hosted the best vampire gathering at Victorio’s Restaurant in North Hollywood. We featured Nervous Gender, one of my all-time favorite bands. I’ve been booking them since 1982, and they’ve only gotten sharper, stranger, and more powerful. They played with Atomik Kangaroo, turning that sleepy restaurant into a sonic riot. I’ll be doing more events there — keep your eyes open and your veins ready.
The Doo Dah Queen, Missing Parades, and Punk Rock Bowling on Pause. Pasadena is preparing to crown the new Doo Dah Queen at the Old Town Pub. No parade this year, which is why it’s now the “annual — or occasional — Doo Dah.” But the crown still finds a head, and the celebration still rolls.
It looks like Punk Rock Bowling is taking a year off, too. Politics has gotten so messy it’s spilling into everything, even our fun.
But here’s the truth I stand by:
You can’t control what THEY do. But you can absolutely control your joy.
For the first time ever, on December 3, 2025, heavy metal icons Metallica will take the stage at the Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre in Bahrain. Just 3 days later, they will be part of the 2025 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Yas Island, near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and will be performing during the after-race concerts.
Tickets to the show in Bahrain will be available via Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre’s official web site, www.beyonaldana.com.bh. Tickets for the after-race concerts are being held exclusively for those already holding tickets for the race.
This will be the third time for Metallica performing in Abu Dhabi after making their debut on the island in 2011. The after-race concert is touted to be life-changing as they are a perfect addition to the 2025 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Growing up in Long Beach, there were many influential punk bands in the LA/OC area. You know the names, Black Flag, X, The Gun Club, Germs, Adolescents, Vandals, TSOL, etc., and then there was Secret Hate. A band whose logo you saw everywhere, just as much as the Black Flag bars or Misfits skull. Billed as a heartfelt compilation honoring the late Secret Hate drummer Rick Selga, featuring unreleased tracks, post-Secret Hate projects, and bands shaped by his legacy. The album features 4 iconic Long Beach bands and musicians that helped shape the punk legacy in Long Beach.
Secret Hate the legends of the Long Beach scene whose influence can be heard in almost all the punk bands in Long Beach and whose song “The Ballad of Johnny Butt” has been a cover staple and made its way to the major label debut for Sublime. The tribute features the bands GlueFactory which features Mike Davis (Secret Hate), Greg “Mudd” Lowther (Falling Idols, Corn Doggy Dog, Perro Bravo, Hamapple), Randy Bradbury (Falling Idols, Pennywise, Tender Fury) and Chris Bradford (DeadBeat Dads, Carpit, 3rd Alley, Hamapple). Das Klown the street punk band fronted by A.J. Ransdell, Rick’s roommate at the infamous Castle in Long Beach. Hamapple which features members from The Vandals, Falling Idols, 3rd Alley, Perro Bravo. I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Mudd and A.j. to discuss the project and the impact of Secret Hate.
In your opinion, what is the biggest impact Secret Hate had on the punk scene?
Mudd: Secret Hate was a major influence on The Falling Idols. Our singer, David Quackenbush, grew up in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach. He and his sister went to Hughes Middle School before moving to the same neighborhood where Trey, Randy, and I lived. David and his friend AJ (later of Das Klown) were younger than the guys in Secret Hate and the Crewd, but they were influenced by the “war stories” passed down from the older kids. We started The Falling Idols around the same time Secret Hate was forming. Bands like The Stingers. Rhino 39 and the Suburban Lawns had already paved the way for kids to start bands and build a local scene. When Reggie Recktor joined the band on guitar, their songwriting took another leap forward. Reggie was a skilled guitarist who brought in suspended chords and unexpected voicings. Mike, in turn, pushed vocal melodies that were unusually sophisticated for a fledgling local punk band. Reggie, inspired by Bad Brains, even brought reggae into the mix with the original Ballad of Johnny Butt.
AJ: They made people think, and if you were truly listening, you knew it was something special. Intense, uniquely soulful, and kind of scary. Back then it went over most people’s heads, and they really didn’t get it till it was gone. In my eyes, they were the best in Long Beach and an inspiration for all the good ones to come after.
Where would you rank Secret Hate in the legacy of Long Beach punk?
Mudd: Eric, Bud, and Brad of Sublime were younger than us, and they may have been influenced by The Falling Idols in the same way we were inspired by Secret Hate, the Crewd, and the earlier Long Beach bands. Eventually, Sublime discovered those bands too—and went on to cover Ballad of Johnny Butt on their self-titled album. That exposure inspired Secret Hate to reform, with Blake and Bob on guitars, replacing Reggie, who had sadly passed away a few years earlier. Mike, Kevin, and Rick continued to inspire and influence music in Long Beach and beyond. In the early 2000s, Eric Wilson formed the band Shortbus, which recorded Odd Walking Man, a song written by Mike and Blake. Secret Hate had a demo of that track that was never officially released.
What impact did Rick have on your drumming style?
Mudd: Rick had been more than an inspiration—he was a mentor. He always encouraged The Falling Idols and generously let me use his drums because mine were junk. Rick embodied what it meant to be a “band guy.” He believed that a rising tide lifts all boats. He never tore other bands down; to him, music was a community not a competition. I also remember a Halloween party we played at Reggie Recktor’s house, where I used Rick’s drum kit. After the show, Rick and I talked about drumming. He complimented my approach and suggested some ideas for playing faster songs like using eighth notes on the cymbals instead of sixteenths, or trying non-surf-style beats. I told him I’d never taken lessons and was thinking about it. He said he hadn’t either, and maybe that’s why we both played in our own unique, unconventional ways which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Originality mattered, especially in the local scene. Great musicians are everywhere, but the standouts are those who are original and connect with people.
Living with Rick can you share a memory you have that made an impact in your life or always makes you smile?
AJ: I left home when I was fourteen. One of the houses we lived at was called “The Cave”, and Secret Hate practiced in the garage. I loved just sit and watch Rick play the drums. He had great style and did it with such ease. He grew up playing to R&B, so he knew all the moves. Rick was hilarious and definitely knew how to charm the ladies. I remember one time I didn’t want to go to school so I popped a hole in my bike tire. When he figured out what I did – he fixed the tire and made me go anyway. Rick was like a brother to me and always had my back even when I was wrong. He wanted me to be better and was always concerned about my wellbeing. I could count on him. We kept in touch till the very end. A few of us were there when he passed and I got to be there for him and his family. He held my hand and told me he was proud of me and that moment meant everything.
Can you tell a story about Rick or Secret Hate that has lasted with you?
Mudd: Before I learned about his health issues, I ran into Rick on the beach in Sunset Beach. We’d known each other for over 30 years. We had a great conversation, reminiscing about the old days. I thanked him for being such a genuine influence on me. In typical Long Beach fashion, he brushed it off, and we talked about Mike Davis and his remarkable ability to elevate an average musical idea into something much more. Rick told me that Mike was one of the brightest people he had ever known.
What does this album mean to you?
AJ: Being part of this tribute album is an incredible honor. Secret Hate wasn’t just a band I admired—they were a defining influence on my musical journey. Their music shaped me, and their presence was a huge part of my life.
Mudd: After Rick Selga passed away, Mike Davis reached out to Long Beach Records to see if they might be interested in releasing Odd Walking Man and a couple of other demo tracks. This tribute album was a joy to put together. Mike Woods of Hamapple really wanted it pressed on vinyl. I usually resist that due to the costs involved, but for this project, it felt right. Vinyl was the medium when Secret Hate and The Falling Idols were dreaming of giving our friends and co-conspirators something to hold and hear. Brent Cheshire, who had done the “Secret Hate 2.0” flyers and album artwork, was the obvious choice to design the cover. Bill Ranson (aka Vex Billingate) of the Suburban Lawns had attended art school with the artist who drew the cartoon of Rick on the back cover. Since Rick, Mike, Kevin, and Reggie were all influenced by the Suburban Lawns, I liked the idea of that vicarious connection. I considered using a photo of Rick but felt the hand-drawn artwork showed more thought and effort in honoring a true legend.
We’s back w/ Madison Orange and here’s what she had to say…WUZZUP!
MO: Hi everyone! I’m here doin’ my thang, hoopin’ DJin and traveling the world.
What is Pink Leopard?
MO: •PiNK LEOPARD• is a girl-power collective that fuses DJ tech house beats, vocals, & hypnotic LED GoGo Dancers into an epic sensory experience. Transporting you straight into the heart of the 90s and early 2000s. Nostalgia, rhythm, and cutting-edge VIBES.
How’s DJ thing going for ya?
MO: Great! Please check out my spotify and soundcloud MadisonOrange
Any events ya wanna plug?
MO: I’ll be DJing Bodies and Beats body paint neon rave at Club Berlin on Oct 4th. Find the info on my instagram @madisonorange
Any modeling gigs?
MO: Ive been focusing on music, not so much modeling.
Turn ons?
MO: I love dogs!
Turn offs?
MO: I don’t like shoes in the house or when people slurp.
Who the Hell is Mrs Valdez?
MO: I have no idea.
Any last words for your fans?
MO: Yes! Follow my socials to know what events to come meet me and catch me DJing while I LED Hoop at the same time!
