“Rock me Jesus, roll me Lord, wash me in the blood of rock & roll!”
Jayne County was fucking brilliant last night at the Viper Room!
She and her incredible band opened with a driving rendition of “Night Time” where she declared that she “hates the day – because I look bad. You can see my double chin. But ha ha! Not tonight!” That’s when she pointed to her double chin- hiding scarf pulled up under her neck. Hilarious!
She belted out her dirty, funny repertoire with incredible energy. One highlight was a preacher riff in the breakdown of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Resurrection” that turned into a blessing session of nearby audience members as she implored us to remember the dead heroes – Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Thunders, John Lennon – and keep their music alive. I, for one, felt reborn and was convinced that rock ‘n’ roll isn’t dead. “It just needs a little re-forming.”
Then there was the concert ‘lighter waving’ moment perfectly timed in the set for “Max’s Kansas City,” and the finale song “Fuck Off” made me realize why Tina and I started our band in the first place. “Gimme an F! Gimme a U!….” she belted to enthusiastic response. You can imagine the rest. A dream come true for those of us who may be worrying about using that word…
Thank you Ms. County for the best concert I’ve seen since The Stooges last year!
And our lucky and talented friends Lady Sinatra opened, by the way – warmed up the crowd with a great set!
The fabulous Jayne County, then and now……
