The Runaways – Queen City Sounds and Art

David Libert, photo courtesy David Libert

David Libert has lead a storied life in his more than fifty years in rock and roll as a musician, songwriter, tour manager, booking agent, producer and, briefly, drug dealer on Sunset Strip. He recently collected many of his memories of that career in his recently released autobiography Rock and Roll Warrior (September 23, 2022, Sunset Blvd. Books). In his youth Libert was a member of The Happenings who scored hit records including “See You In September” and a cover of “I Got Rhythm” that spent several weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles charts peaking at number 3. While in that band Libert was the de facto guy that did all the unglamorous things in a band that a manager usually performs and that lead to his stint as the tour manager for Rare Earth before taking on that role with the band Alice Cooper from 1971-1975—arguably the group’s most productive creative period. After moving to Los Angeles following that run with Alice Cooper he came to represent George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Bootsy’s Rubber Band and The Runaways. Libert also represented Living Colour, Sheila E., Vanilla Fudge, Cactus and a bevy of other artists. Libert turned 80 on January 20, 2023 and his autobiography and his recollection of his life and career are extraordinarily lucid and entertaining. In the interview listen for Libert’s amusing and interesting story about Guns N’ Roses.

Listen to our interview with Libert on Bandcamp and to order a signed copy of Rock and Roll Warrior please visit Sunset Blvd. Books.

The Worst’s single “Monomania” from its forthcoming second album Yes Regrets (out June 3 on RascalZ RecordZ) combines determined punk rock grit with power pop tunefulness. Singer Brooke Binion often gets compared to Joan Jett for a good reason because she has that sort of forcefulness but tonally her vocals are more reminiscent to these ears of one of Jett’s former bandmates in the Runaways: Lita Ford. The latter even on her more metal solo albums had/has a huskily melodic power in her voice. For the music video Joshua James Hand shows Binion performing on a dimly yet colorfully lit stage juxtaposed to running through fields of snow into a forest as though running from something and getting lost only to find a mirror that stops her in her tracks confronted by the person responsible for that desperate state of things. The song, as the title suggests, is about how we often pursue something thinking it’s what we want and need having convinced ourselves of the viability of that thing because it worked for us before. Specifically the chorus of “you go chasing feelings/you’ll be sorry every time” speaks directly to the cycle of undermining our lives that everyone can find relatable if you’re the kind of person that has a passionate streak. It can be hard to admit to your shortcomings and mistakes but this song by The Worst makes it somehow seem okay and absolutely necessary even if you stumble. Everyone does. Watch the video for “Monomania” on YouTube, follow The Worst at the links below and look out for Yes Regrets out June 3 with production by Will Holland and includes guest drumming from Nikki Glaspie (Beyoncé, The Nth Power) and features members of Morphine, The Distillers and SeepeopleS.