Being Patriotic to a Rock ‘n’ Roll Rhythm

Feeling the need for some red, white and blue ink, I shot into Tattoo Mania on the Strip. Located smack in the middle of the Whisky, the Key Club, the Viper Room, the Cat Club, the Roxy and the Rainbow, Tattoo Mania is like a beauty parlor at a truck stop-simply gab-o-licious, especially when you’re a rock ‘n’ roll gossip columnist.

On Monday, tattoo artist Mike Roche, the bass player for True Sounds of Liberty, was working next to ink-slinging guru Mark Mahoney. Mahoney’s assistant, Cisco, could give Rona Barrett a run for her money.

By the time I left, I got the skinny on Britney Spears’ latest tattoo, TSOL’s latest tour, Leo DiCaprio’s latest hang (the newly reopened Grand Ville) and the Sunset Strip’s latest rock ‘n’ roll feud. Plus, one of them compared rock promoter Josh Richman to Mother Teresa.

For hours, I was crippled by laughter, pausing only to salute the Statue of Liberty tattoo on Mahoney’s forearm.... My favorite cross-dresser, Falling James, says his band the Leaving Trains is about to drop a new album. My other favorite cross-dresser, Sex With Lurch’s Tomkat, says the band recently shot its first music video at the Malibu Pier, where he’s surfing in full drag. Luckily, he shreds.

Dropped off a pair of Halloween socks to the Viper’s Sean G, who’s recovering from foot surgery while on the job. That’s hard-core.... Popped into the Whisky and was treated to a cool performance by Storytyme, a Long Beach band that sang a rad Spanish country song while dressed in American cowboy gear and waving Old Glory. You know what they say, when the kids are united, they will never be divided.... While Twiggy Ramirez was spinning records at the Viper Room on Monday, I spotted my new favorite fashion statement: A star-spangled T-shirt emblazoned with the words No Fear. That’s what I’m talking ‘bout.