ROLLIN’ ROCKERS GATHER THE GREEN TO FIGHT AIDS

Former Go-Go Kathy Valentine might have a gold mine in the new band she unveiled Sunday at the Variety Arts Center, but the day’s real payoff was the $10,000 raised by the Rock Against AIDS concert.

Though it sold less than half the available tickets, the eight-hour concert was the most impressive cross section of local grass-roots rock acts to rally behind a cause since the legendary Masque benefits, which established that first generation of L.A. bands--led by X and the Screamers--as a real musical and cultural force.

Rock Against AIDS might not have been a milestone like those 1978 Elks Building concerts in support of the Hollywood underground rock club, but it reaffirmed a sense of purpose within the community that has descended from that period.

“We normally don’t do a lot of benefits, but I think this is a pretty universal cause,” said Dream Syndicate’s leader Steve Wynn in the band’s dressing room.

“There’s a lot of things you can support or give your time to because you feel it’s worthwhile and you’ll be helping a lot of people but not yourself. Here, you’re saying deep down, ‘Look, this could affect me at some point.’ If you don’t give what you can while you can, then you have nothing to complain about if something happens to you.”

Carmaig De Forest, whose recent album “I Shall Be Released” contains scathing political commentary and wry examinations of relationships, stood in front of the picturesque downtown Variety Arts Center in the late afternoon sun and discussed the matter of AIDS.

“It touches on sex and death--things that are close to everybody, and things that we have trouble dealing with rationally,” he said. “We react to (AIDS) emotionally rather than as an issue. . . . When you have to change your life style, and see your friends die. . . .

“There’s always been a strong connection between the underground rock scene and the gay community, through a lot of the downtown promoters and stuff like that. It’s kind of been there in the underground, and in terms of pushing it up into the more mainstream community. . . . I think this kind of thing helps.”

That was one of the goals that L.A. Weekly music editor Craig Lee had in mind when he began organizing the benefit, following the AIDS-related death of a friend, local deejay Jim Chernik. “One (goal), of course, was to make the money,” Lee said Monday morning. “One was to increase awareness of AIDS among the kids. One was to make a statement that the rock community cared and supported the (issue). . . . I also wanted to reduce the fear of people that have AIDS.”

Lee was slightly disappointed that the event sold fewer than 700 tickets (at $15 each)--less than half capacity. But because virtually everything--from the bands’ performances to the Variety Arts Center facilities and staff--was donated, the return was substantial (the proceeds go to the AIDS Project Los Angeles organization).

Lee said that several potential big draws, including Wall of Voodoo, X and Lone Justice, were out of town or otherwise unavailable.

“Still,” Lee said, “it was an ambitious thing and I feel good about it.”

“Does everybody agree this is just like the elevator at (Disneyland’s) Haunted Mansion?” a woman said to her fellow passengers as the center’s elevator shuttled another contingent of fans from ground level to the fourth-floor ballroom.

The opportunity to move back and forth from one show in the ground-floor main theater to another upstairs was one of the benefit’s best touches: free-market music in its purest form.

It also brought home the range of the music represented. After a taste of De Forest’s lively, topical folk-pop in the 1,000-seat theater (supported by his amplified ukulele and kicked into overdrive by a flavorful backing trio), you could ride on up and sample the pop-rock of Play the Siren.

If you weren’t into the campy between-acts skits in the theater --where most of the evening’s gay orientation resided, and where the issue of AIDS was most specifically addressed--you could relocate and slip into the love-in atmosphere induced by the Holy Sisters of the Gaga Dada.

Valentine’s group, World’s Cutest Killers, was probably the attraction of most interest, since most of the other bands--including such diverse entries as the basic guitar-rocking Dream Syndicate, hard-rocking T.S.O.L., the psychedelic Three O’Clock and the doomy Kommunity FK--are fairly regular attractions around town.

World’s Cutest Killers pairs Valentine with guitarist Kelly Johnson from English pop-metal girl group Girlschool. Tall and willowy, wearing black leather and vinyl and wielding a tiger-striped guitar, Johnson provided a striking foil for rhythm guitarist Valentine, who was groomed like a Playboy Mansion vision of a perky, sparkly rock star.

The quintet’s music also suffered from a slightly packaged feeling--which certainly won’t hurt its high MTV potential, but which is disappointing when you consider the freshness that marked Valentine’s previous associations--the Textones before the Go-Go’s.

There was a touch of the latter’s pop catchiness in a song that sounded like “Paris Life,” and elsewhere Valentine, Johnson and their three male musicians recalled everything from ABBA overkill to Who energy to Joan Jett toughness.

The band finished promisingly, though, following a crushing, semi-metal version of “Endless Sleep” with its best original, “Big Guys” and a rip-roaring version of the Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray.”

The Rock Against AIDS bill also included Phranc, Jet Boy, Lovedog, Downy Mildew, Bloc, Lock-Up, the Brigade and El Grupo Sexo.