Alice Cooper with Shep Gordon at Bootleg Theater

It was Halloween night and what better way to celebrate the festive holiday than with Alice Cooper. And to top it all off, Los Angeles’ ferocious Kim and the Created were to play immediately following a conversation with legendary rock star Alice Copper and famed manager Shep Gordon hosted by Live Talks Los Angeles. The public conversation was is celebration of Gordon’s new book “They Call Me Supermensch,” The discussion lasted just over an hour as the two legends talked about the good ol’ days of rock ‘n’ roll including: the trouble the two used to get into and all the mishaps that turned into gold which ended up making Cooper the prolific rock icon that he is today. The conversation was quite inspiring to say the least. There were stories about them with Jim Morrison and the Doors, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix. We heard how Cooper and Gordon basically lived off $20 a day between all of them and once a week they literally ate rock soup. We heard the story of how Alice got signed on with Frank Zappa and essentially confused the shit out of Zappa; imagine that, confusing Zappa!

It was a great discussion, but I think the most memorable thing for me was when Cooper discussed music today. Cooper shared: “I don’t get it right now, I don’t understand why a band in their twenties, young twenties, have totally forgotten how to be outlaws, they’ve forgotten what Rock n Roll is all about, they’ve forgotten attitude, they’ve forgotten swagger. When you’re on stage, that’s it, you gotta sell it…you gotta know how to shake your ass, you don’t need to fit in, please don’t fit in, you don’t play your guitar at chest level, your guitar should be at your crotch.” The excited crowd collectively yelled “yes!” and applauded. Without a doubt, Cooper’s wise words were the eptiomy of what followed: Kim and the Created.

Kim and The Created at Bootleg Theater

Kim House, the compelling front-woman of raucous punk act, Kim and The Created is exactly what Cooper wants to see out of young bands today. It’s no surprise he chose Kim and The Created as his supporting act. No fucks given, House and her band of heathens are rock ‘n’ roll outlaws.

Before the show, Kim and The Created were on stage awaiting their time to perform. They were supposed to go on around 9 p.m. but since the interview ran a little late they had to wait for their new cue. House seemed slightly shy and a bit nervous as she was standing on stage as people were coming into the room. This was not my first time seeing Kim and the Created, but this was the first time seeing her in a non-performance scenario. I was a little stunned to see her slightly nervous or maybe anxious is the right word… I actually overheard her saying that she felt like a “caged animal” as she waited, which is quite surprising considering on stage she’s like a feral creature, exuding the utmost confidence and swagger.

As soon as the lights went out the animal roared. House’s stage persona was on the prowl. She was non-stop: banging her head, crawling on the ground, getting acquainted with the fans by jumping off stage and rocking-the-hell-out. At the end of the night she climbed on top of a table and did her second to last song from there. Kim House embodies the meaning of rock ‘n’ roll. There isn’t one show where this rocker does not give her all, sometimes with flesh and blood. That’s how chaotic and physically demanding her performances are.

It was an incredible Halloween night to hear from the stories of rock ‘n’ roll’s past and to see what the future holds as far as rock is concerned.

Words & Photography: Wes Marsala