plan b

For a while, I was back in the saddle. The room was a sea of black hoodies, spikes and patches, the music was hard and fast and I missed Europe. Plan B's a big space. It was Acme before this but that means really nothing to me because I had never been there either.

My boys, Riot Cop, opened up for the Agent Orange show which was a big deal because A.O. is a quintessential punk rock/surf rock band from back in the day. During the second band after Riot Cop, I decided to push my way through the crowd to the bathrooms on the other side of the bar. When I got there, I saw the women's toilet was closed but the men's was open. I went in and some older lady with Lita Ford hair and pink panties was pulling up her pants and exiting the bathroom. I guess she didn't want to wait for the ladies' room to open.

After that band finished, I headed up to the bar with the last of our free drink coupons. That's how we got paid tonight: in free drink coupons. No wonder we never have any money to go back to Europe. Anyway while waiting at the bar, I notice the Lita Ford lady leaning against the bar. She turns to me and says, "Got a light?" I reply back and tell her I don't smoke. She says back, with a drunken, half-lidded stare, "Noo....I said, do you have a light?" Again, I say no. She looks at me for a few seconds, apparently pissed that she's not getting anywhere and says, "What are ya, a faggot?"

"Yes," I reply, "but I still don't have a lighter."

Lita Ford was not going to upset me but the scene was rearing it's ugly head and I remember the bad along with the good and took off my rose covered shades to see this scene for what it really was.