Galaxy Feels Burned by Burnin’ Groove After Fracas

Burnin’ Groove may have burned a bridge when it comes to playing at the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana.

The band from Fullerton closed a local-music night at the club last weekend with “Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” touching off a bout of stage-diving, attempted slam-dancing and assorted clashes with club security--not the sort of scene that management envisions for the upscale, sit-down theater.

“I am pretty hesitant to book that particular band again,” said Tammy Gardner, the Galaxy’s manager, who felt that Burnin’ Groove should have stopped playing and calmed the crowd when the musicians saw things getting out of hand. Gardner said one guard and one customer suffered minor injuries, and some tables were broken.

Burnin’ Groove’s manager, Jim Cerrone, said “inexperience on the part of security” contributed to the fracas.

“At Club 369 (where the band plays regularly), things get crazy, but their security can pick out who’s going to cause trouble before it happens, and everybody’s free to jump around.”

Gardner said the Galaxy won’t rule out booking more shows by “hard alternative” bands similar to Burnin’ Groove, “but we’ll be very selective and have extra security, and the bands will know in advance that if we have any problems, we’ll stop the show then and there.

“We would like to promote the Orange County scene and do local shows, but if we have any problems, we’ll have to take a serious look at it, which would be terribly unfortunate, because Orange County has a lot of good bands.”

*

The Galaxy presses on with two consecutive local-band nights this weekend: Friday it was reggae group Common Sense and funkateers Slapbak. Tonight it’s alternative rockers On (formerly Primitive Painters), Spigot and Thorn Hill.

Meanwhile, Burnin’ Groove, which has been getting a look from several major labels, revs it up tonight at Club 369 in Fullerton, with Fuel and Trip the Spring.

*

The Brian Setzer Orchestra will play a free concert Friday at 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Hard Rock Cafe at Fashion Island Newport Beach, 451 Newport Center Drive. The show will be part of a fund-raiser for COPES (Child or Parental Emergency Services), which provides shelter for Orange County children at risk of abuse or neglect. Other events and attractions will include a charity motorcycle ride, a custom motorcycle exhibition and a traveling, interactive-audio display of Jimi Hendrix memorabilia. (714) 640-8844.