Still Fighting

Rock star cognoscenti turned up at the Alligator Lounge Saturday when Dave Grohl gathered his fellow Foo Fighters to perform an unannounced set at the low-key Santa Monica nightclub.

By all accounts, the Nirvana-drummer-turned-frontman performed a gang of new material from the Foo Fighter’s upcoming album, and the street buzz is that it’s slick, strong material. . . . Rage Against the Machine had to cancel a surprise midnight performance at Hollywood’s Opium Den on Monday after its singer, Zack de la Rocha, injured his ankle at a feisty Glass House performance in Pomona. The band has promised an IOU to the Den after it gets back from touring with U2, so just check with the club. . . .

Billboard Live remains miffed at recent “Club Buzz” reports suggesting that the West Hollywood club is in turmoil, and execs were particularly vexed over reports that the employee turnover rate at the Sunset Strip club is high. After contacting the National Restaurant Assn., the execs learned that Billboard Live’s employee turnover was below the national average. “The average turnover rate for established California restaurants is approximately 86%,” says Keith Pressman, the club’s president. “We are far below that average.” There’s still talk on the streets, though, about the below-average music bookings. . . .

Silver Lake’s long-running drag club, Dragstrip 66, is gearing up for the May 15 launch of its first offshoot, Hubba Hubba, a Thursday night club aiming to be a gritty party experience. Hubba Hubba will be at Rudolpho’s, 2500 Riverside Drive, and its first night on the town will kick off with a performance by Extra Fancy.