The Viper Is Loaded for Good Times

So there I was at the Viper Room, sitting in a booth reserved for Scott Weiland and Billy Idol (oi!), when Duff McKagan and his new band Loaded took the stage. In a week of amazing rock shows, Loaded takes the cake. Despite being famous for Guns N’ Roses, Duff’s best years may still lie ahead.

Speaking of the Viper Room, I have excellent news for the world: As of this week, Dayle Gloria is booking the Viper full time. Dude, that’s so huge, there’s a party to mark the event Sunday at Bar Marmont. Eightish.

The Sunset Strip is looking like the days of yore more and more. Can’t walk an inch without bumping into someone you knew in a previous decade. After getting a fabulous double dose of Bad Religion, I ran smack-dab into Pleasure Seekers’ Casper, who’s spinning sick rock at the Cat Club on Saturdays.

And speaking of Bad Religion, those boys had something to prove last week in their three-night run at the Whisky, Roxy and the Key Club. Veni, vidi, vici, yo. They came, they rocked, and they did indeed conquer. I stood silently beside Rancid’s Tim Armstrong at the Whisky, just to cop a good look at his Pennywise hat.

Speaking of PW, got a jingle from Jim Lindberg of Pennywise, otherwise known as the last great American band. Seems Jim has teamed up with Vans to form a new record label.... Each year I buy music for mi amigo, Li’l Ice--son of rapper Ice T. (Auntie Heidi’s hooked him up with everything from the Carpenters to Sabbath.) Since the occasion was his 10th birthday, naturally I gave him the Pennywise catalog. Son of the O.G. calls me up and shouts, “Every song is my favorite song!� Sweet.

His mommy and favorite Club Buzz tipster, Darlene Ortiz, tells me to head North on Wednesdays, because the Sunset Boulevard restaurant is hot, hot, hot that night. She also spotted DMX (yo, that’s my dog!) last Friday at the Hard Rock in CityWalk at a Mekhi Phifer bash.

Hooked up with Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols at the Loaded show and totally forgot to tell him that his solo album “Mercy� makes Sunday morning. Thanks, mate.

Heidi Siegmund Cuda