Saluting KROQ’s Richard Blade

Doesn’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you got until it’s gone? Found myself actually a bit nostalgic over the news that KROQ’s Richard Blade is retiring to the Caribbean at the end of this month. Sure we poked fun at the Flashback Lunch deejay, who came on board in ’82 and never seemed to lose his appetite for Depeche Mode. But Blade, who also deejayed weekly at such clubs as the Palace and Yankee Doodles, would fill our lunch pails with the occasional Sex Pistols number or a Social Distortion tail-kicker, and we were always grateful. . . . Speaking of Brit poppers, our favorite Brit-mod-indie club, Cafe Bleu, celebrates its fourth anniversary tonight with live performances by L.A.’s the Autumns and the U.K.’s Steadman.

Cafe Bleu is still anchored at Tempest, mostly because its owner, Michael Najjar, is such a nice guy. A whole lotta shaking going on for Cafe Bleu co-promoter and super-duper rock photographer Piper Ferguson, who just shot Jessica Simpson and her 98 Degrees boyfriend, Nick Lachey, for Rolling Stone. Ferguson’s busting out on the funk with Sweethearts of the Rodeo, a monthly alternative country dance club starting May 17 at Goldfingers in Hollywood. . . . Speaking of hot new thangs, my hairdresser tells me Linq on 3rd Street is the new ultra-zone for the chi-chi dining set.

And speaking of hair, Hollywood was all a-gog at the Pretty Ugly Club at Dragonfly last Wednesday because Bryan Rabin had a bad hair day! The Cherry promoter, who always looks luscious, is growing out his bleached mane in the name of rock’s big comeback. . . . Monday’s Scream 2000 All-Star Jam Band includes a buncho nuts from OtherStarPeople, Caviar, Buckcherry, as well as Jack Atlantis, Taime Downe, Alexis Arquette, Bronx Style Bob and Dave Navarro, who teamed up to perform the music of AC/DC. Opening bands are Broken and one of our new faves, Fireball Ministry, a Black Sabbath-type band with Fluffy’s Helen Storer on bass. For those about to rock, we salute you.