Roky Erickson

Once the fresh-faced Texan rebel behind the 13 Floor Elevators, Roky now hides his demons behind a thick grey beard and a high slung Gibson. I saw him cast a powerful, yet poignant shadow from the Forum’s stage some years ago to a sparse crowd of Roky believers. I was one of them. If you ‘sort of’ like his music, then you SHOULD go and watch him play. He’s a really fucking loud and great guitar player and a crazy good singer. He sings a lot about aliens and ghosts and that kind of stuff, so if you’re into that too then you’re winning at a Roky show.

Dead Moon

I love Dead Moon. Some people are on this planet purely to play rock and roll; Fred Cole is one of these cats, Toody too. This band hosts the most badass co-front woman in rock history. Fred has a falsetto that can demolish P.A. systems and looks like he’s close to blowing a brain vessel. Toody gets her head down and plays the toughest bass you’ve ever heard through a haze of sweat-drenched insanity. I’ve seen them play twice. Once years ago in a small bar and more recently in a large room filled with Spanish punks—they destroyed both times. There’s no time for toilet or bar breaks at a Dead Moon show, you have no choice but to stay put and dance and sing your fucking head off!

Prince

He is a multi-instrumentalist and is mental good live. Although he’s an older gentleman now, he’s as fit as a 25-year-old. He struts around on stage in stilettos and doesn’t stop dancing or singing, all while playing 17,000 instruments all at once. He controls the sound quality of his set from the stage by dictating to the P.A. guy what to turn up and what to turn down, incorporating all of this into the song. He likes women too. There are always lots of women in his band, no sausage fest here. He played for three hours when I saw him, THREE HOURS! I had a train to catch back to London, but he kept asking me if I wanted more, was I now warmed up enough to really party with him. I couldn’t just run away, and I’m glad I didn’t. It was an epic show.

Reigning Sound

One of my favourite bands of all time, but I’ve only had the opportunity to see them play once. Best live show ever! It’s like church, but if church was a super cool place, a place where they let you be who you are or do what you want. A place where you have this amazingly soulful, yet hard as nails singing voice blasting from the pulpit making the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and the congregation shakes their asses. I’m a super fan and that is all I have to say.

KISS

Paul Stanley LOOOOOOOOOOVES MEEEEEEEE. He tells me so every time I see Kiss play (it’s been a few times). First he asked me if I was ready, he said ‘ARE YOU REEEEEEADYYYY?” then he said he loved me “I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU,” then he told me that I “wanted the best so I got the best.” I wasn’t really asking for anything, but nonetheless chuffed that he cared so much and was looking out for me. This might happen to you if you go to a KISS show, but don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t. He can be a very fickle guy. Sometimes he struts away from you with such an attituuuuuuude…. Don’t take it personally, though. If you ever find yourself in the midst of a KISS after show event, watch out for middle finger handshakes from Gene. He will try and do sex on your hand.

-Betty Pondikakis