The Stories Behind The Songs
Everyone Knows Everyone In L.A.
Mary told us that everyone knows everyone in L.A. She said the city is much smaller when you’re from here.
Izzy and Mary spent a lot of time in Hollywood and on the Sunset Strip. They had a lot of close friends in the entertainment industry. They didn’t fawn over celebrities like we did. What we considered celebrities, they just considered friends or personal acquaintances.
When we asked them what celebrities they knew, imagine our excitement to find out that they knew the members of Guns n’ Roses, as well as the guys in Jane’s Addiction.
Izzy had known Slash and Steven Adler since they were teenagers. They attended the same high school. Our minds were blown.
In 1987, I used to work at Hastings Records in Almeda Mall. I worked there from ’87 through ‘89. I was the assistant manager under Roxanne Alvarez. I even had my own set of keys to the store.
A perk of my job was working with promotional reps from various record labels. So when Guns N’ Roses released Live Like A Suicide, I was one of the first to receive a promotional copy.
I don’t need to tell anyone how successful Guns N’ Roses would eventually become. But when I heard them for the first time, I just remember being totally floored by their sound. It was raw and unpretentious. It was a very different sound from all of the other bands coming out at that time.
I wore that promotional copy out on continuous play in the store, at least until Appetite For Destruction was released.
Working in a record store was how I discovered new music before anyone else. I was really big into bands like Jane’s Addiction, Love/Hate, The Cult, Love & Rockets, and INXS. I liked being a trendsetter when it came to new music. I had a knack for picking which bands were going to be hot.
Izzy & Mary knew Riki Rachtman as a local DJ in the Hollywood scene. He used to work at ICE, among a few other places around town. He was also a band promoter for some of the rock bands on the local scene.
In 1990, Riki Rachtman replaced Adam Curry as the host VJ for the Headbanger’s Ball on MTV. I knew of Riki Rachtman. To me, he was a celebrity too.
I had read about his “World Famous” Cathouse through some of my favorite music rags, like Circus Magazine, Metal Edge, and RIP Magazine.
Guns n’ Roses were undeniably the biggest export from the L.A. music scene at the time. There were photos of Axl and Slash with Cathouse swag on.
I knew of Taime Downe from MTV as well. He was the lead singer for Faster Pussycat. They were getting some heavy rotation on MTV with their videos for Bathroom Wall and Don’t Change That Song. They were pioneers of the new “Sleaze Rock” movement.
Izzy & Mary knew Taime from the Retail Slut, where he used to work. The Retail Slut was a clothing store on Melrose that specialized in underground and alternative fashions. This was where bands came to find their image. This is also where Slash got his top hat, or so the story goes.
Taime and Riki were roommates when they came up with the idea of the Cathouse. They wanted to set up a place where they could drink with friends and pick up chicks. They had no idea what the Cathouse would eventually become.
Izzy and Mary met us at Devin and Andrew’s apartment around 10:30p. We hung out for a bit polishing off some drinks and listening to Andrew play guitar. Devin showed us some of the new demo’s that his band, Star-Crossed Lovers, was working on. It was really impressive stuff, but I was already a fan. Everyone else agreed.
After we killed off a couple drinks, we all crammed into Izzy’s car and made our way to Riki Rachtman’s World Famous Cathouse.
The line to get into the Cathouse was crazy long. It stretched down the street for quite a ways. Mary & Izzy grabbed us by the hands and impatiently walked us to the front of the line. The door guy recognized them right away, and we were let in without any hesitation.
We got the rock star treatment, further motivating us to live up to our potential.
The Cathouse vibe did not disappoint. The music was great, the women were amazing, and the place was packed. Izzy and Mary were regulars, so they knew just about everyone there. They introduced us to quite a few people that night, musicians from various bands, and some gorgeous ladies from the Tropicana known as the “Broad Squad”.
Mary introduced us to the guitar player in her band, Dennis Schumann. After the introduction, he whispered something in her ear, and then she disappeared with him.
The Cathouse was a “who’s who” of the entertainment industry. Porn star, Ron Jeremy was there, with a very attractive blonde. There were actors that I recognized, but I didn’t remember their names. We got to hang out with Lorraine Lewis from Femme Fatale. We did shots with Kelly Nickels & Steve Riley of LA Guns. We had a long conversation with Blind Melon singer, Shannon Hoon, about how much we all loved Jane’s Addiction. It was absolutely amazing.
In our drunken state, a couple girls asked us if we wanted to do some blow with them. Devin and Andrew agreed and I followed, not to partake, but just to be a part of the experience.
As a side note, I should probably let you know that Devin, who had once had an issue with drugs, had been clean for about eighteen months at this point. But this weekend had seen him relapse. It wasn’t his first relapse, but I should’ve stepped in and said something at the time. Unfortunately, I was caught up in the decadence of the weekend as well.
Afterwards, Devin and I strolled back to the bar. Andrew had stayed behind for a quick blowjob in the ladies restroom. Devin had received a similar offer, but he refused, respectful, considering that he had come with Mary.
We watched Izzy and Mary as they danced and mingled. The Cathouse crowd seemed to be somewhat “click” oriented, but Mary seemed to bounce in and out of each click like the social butterfly she was, with Izzy in tow.
They would do shots with one group and then move on and do shots with the next. They were simply at home at the Cathouse.
At last call, our drunken quintet regrouped and found our way to the car. We hit a nearby Denny’s recapping the evening’s events. I was a little bummed that I didn’t get to meet Riki, Taime, or anyone from GNR, but I wasn’t going to complain. The evening was fantastic, and wasn’t quite over yet.
Izzy and Mary drove us back to the apartment after Denny’s. We convinced Izzy that she was probably too drunk, and tired, to drive home, so they agreed to stay the night.
Devin and Andrew’s apartment wasn’t as swanky as Izzy’s. It was your basic rock & roll bachelor pad, but we pulled out some blankets and playfully made a fort using the couch cushions. Izzy, once again, nestled in the crook of my arm. In the blink of an eye, everyone had crashed. Right before I drifted off to sleep, I realized I was going to have to leave in a few more hours.
It was perfect night cap to an amazing weekend.