Buzz Clubs

Greek’s lounge steals the show

Saturday night’s hot ticket was the Greek Theatre’s hospitality lounge, where stars dished and dined in between performances by the Sex Pistols, Dropkick Murphys and Reverend Horton Heat. Among those who showed up to mosh to the oldies were Gwen Stefani, Mark McGrath, the Cult’s Ian Astbury, American Idol’s Ryan Starr, Transplants singer Rob Aston with girlfriend Kelly Osbourne, and musical dreamboat Morrissey. That firecracker of a performer, Pistol John Lydon, proved he’s ready for his Broadway close-up. All he needs is his own punk rock musical. And check this: He already has an understudy. Lydon rolls with his own body-double. Go Johnny go!

Phair party sounds good

Singer Liz Phair is inviting 200 of her favorite Angelenos to a bash at the sound check Wednesday before her show at the Avalon Hollywood -- formerly the Palace. The swanky new nightclub boasts a $250,000, custom-designed, EAW sound system. We’re already lining up for the Cake/Cheap Trick double-header on Sept. 21.... Hats off to promoter MacAfrica, whose annual birthday party at the Key Club on Friday was a show-stopper. With all the guests wearing colorful hats, it looked like Mardi Gras.... And speaking of parties, we popped into Lava Lounge last week for owner Michelle Marini’s birthday bash. As the band Postmortem Depression rocked the crowd, Marini passed out vintage pop art buttons. We lucked out with Duran Duran and Guns N’ Roses pins, but the big winner was the Lava’s doorman, Christopher Rommelmann, who scored a button of Farrah on a skateboard. Cowabunga!

And speaking of shredding, pro skater Chad Muska rolled in to Deluxe on Tuesday night and handed a box of vintage Thrasher mags to promoter Hartwell, who’s nuts about skating history....James Lang, the owner of South Bay Skates (a radical skateboard museum and retail shop in Torrance) says the Lighthouse, the Hermosa Beach club, just started punk rock Tuesdays.... Popped into North for a late-night sampling of chef Monica May’s bread pudding and spotted that cute little ‘N Sync-er Lance Bass kicking it at the Sunset Strip bar and restaurant. North owner Marc Smith tells me he and partner Cedd Moses just signed the lease on a downtown bar called Golden Gopher.... Ran into Bouncing Souls singer Greg Anttonito at Guitar Center in Sherman Oaks and he slipped me a copy of his wife Shanti’s new CD, a sassy pop gem called “This Moment.” ... Now for some guilt free clubbin’, Deep is raising money for a Sept. 11 firefighter’s fund tonight. Dig deep.

-- Heidi Siegmund Cuda