MID-CITY — A marauding band of Hollywood hoodsters recently loaded up a white cargo van and proceeded by motorcade west on the Santa Monica Freeway, unleashing a heavy dose of rock and revelry for dozens of fans eager for a seizure at 14 Below.
The Hot n’ Nasty Jam, the latest brainchild of Hollywood Phil, showed up Sunday, Sept. 11 promptly at midnight, hitting the stage hard with a slew of bassists, drummers, guitarists and vocalists. They fired off a cadre of classic tunes before 50 bamboozled hipsters, until Hollywood and his pals signed off an hour later, retreating back to their haunts in the hills.
As rock n’ roll continues to cross over into electroni-ca, hip hop and reggae, there are those who keep the tradition in its purest form. It’s hard to hear Hot n’ Nasty and not feel your inner-renegade awaken. The jam band played nine covers and originals, songs about nostalgia, yearning, too many jack and cokes stirring the senses on a long chilly night, all of it fading too quickly.
Phil, true to form, was the only mainstay during the brief and intense show. With his fiery mangy hair, the electric guitarist wore a pair of jeans and black Rolling Stones T-shirt that flaunted a red-lips logo and American-flag tongue. He ripped into the night with several earth-shattering solos, a maestro licking the sky with the full grit of his bluesy repertoire, leading in with “Hard to Handle” by the Black Crowes.
Phil was joined by Catherine “Cat” Allen from Nine Hours to Tokyo, who kept the boys guessing as she hitch-hiked her way along the bass. Greg Levinson and Brian “B.A.” took turns pummeling truth from the drums.
The Crowes’ cover was followed up with Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man,” Blondie’s “One Way or Another” and the Stones’ “Jumping Jack Flash.” Brack and Taxe, the latter from Amsterdam, filled in on guitar.
Sarah Hethcoat hit the high notes, finishing a set with “Sweet Home Alabama.” Denit Levy, an Israeli with the all-chick band Modicum, joined Cat for a few rounds on bass.
Hot n’ Nasty concluded with their “Standard Jam,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire” and Led Zeppelin’s “Your Time Is Gonna Come.” Breaking a leg not a month before — when he fell from a tree — “Gorgeous” George Ritter from Fly Collar provided back-up guitar and dealt the vocals, often doing Robert Plant justice in song and shake.
As they build up their fan base, Hot n’ Nasty plans to move past a showcase of musicians doing lively covers.
“We are moving toward being an act that features originals, then members of each band will jam out on a few songs to close the show,” Ritter told the Daily Press.
Phil, who has spearheaded dozens of acts since he arrived to Los Angeles in the mid ’90s, has come far from his Madison, Wisc. roots. Once believing he would lead the next heavy metal revival, his tastes seem to have been expanded beyond the iron-clad leather universe of Hollywood.
From Dragon Babies to Nine Hours to Tokyo to Pressure Drop to the Trace Devai Band, Phil is burning up the harsh rocket noise of ACDC, Guns n’ Roses and Kiss that once fueled him, creating the louder, tighter, more innovative jams he currently plays, a la Jimmy Page.
Twiddling the stick backwards, upside down, whatever, he continues to blur the line between a master’s skill and style.
“It ain’t rock n’ roll if you can’t do it lying on your back,” Phil said. Many will come, many will try, and let’s face it — few will make it in today’s music scene. But for those brave souls who take up the challenge, one thing’s for certain … rock n’ roll’s with them all the way.
You can catch Hollywood Phil and friends Thursday nights at the Kibitz Room (Canter's Deli), 419 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. For more information, log onto www.myspace.com/thehotnnastyjam.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 23, 2005. Read the original PDF.