Press

Buddy Hollywood - Jan, 2008

All Access Magazine - Nov, 2007

All Access Awards Show - Nov, 2007

Music Industry Newswire - Oct, 2007

Buddy Hollywood

Beer Bong Reunion Glams Up Knitting Factory • 1/12/08

For those who remember big hair bands with their make-up, flashy costumes and ripping guitar licks, Sheena Metal’s Beer Bong brought back the glory days of the sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll music era in classic form and brilliant humor, winning the 2007 All Access Magazine’s People’s Choice Award on at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, CA. The band’s bi-line, “Nobody Said Rock ‘n’ Roll Was Pretty” was played up in the band members’ character personas and stage show.

Spoofing bands that take themselves way too seriously, with their witty lyrics crafted in innocent and sometimes raunchy themes, Beer Bong captured odd looks from confused twenty-somethings who were slow at first to catch the jokes. It was probably because the band’s musicianship was flawless and their songs are hooky enough to be on commercial radio. Or maybe the young ones never saw “Spinal Tap”. Once they caught on to what the band was about, they thoroughly enjoyed the fun. The veteran rock ‘n’ rollers got a kick out of watching them start to get it and then join in on the fun.

It was a hoot to have the Beer Bong songbook to sing along with. It made me appreciate singer Sheena Metal’s gift of gab in her vocal delivery even more. My favorite song was “I Dug Gene”, a tribute for die-hard Kiss fans everywhere, which brought back fond memories with lyrics like: “I was ten, I suppose, when a friend of my bro’s thrust a Kiss album into my reach. This band looked so cool that I started to drool as I envisioned me married to each. I gawked at their makeup, I eyed all their boots. I ogled their chests full of hair. And pictures with fans all dressed up in Japan. They were campy but I didn't care!”

Another favorite was the band’s edgy comedy song, “Frankenslut”, a blatant look at Hollywood’s fascination with plastic surgery and the demand put on women to be “perfect” with unrealistic images to live up to. In, “Quit Thinkin, Start Drinkin’”, the band snubs the fear factor promoted in sensationalized news and encourages people to have a good time instead. “Flat On Her Back” tells a sister’s tale about a girl who makes her living, well, you know, what the title says. The song makes a matter of fact statement that sometimes sexuality pays better than working 9-5.

Decked out in wardrobe that would have made any Halloween party host proud, Sheena Metal and her bandmates, Layfette Lixx, Ivana Rock, Freddi Fretz, Rikki Rokkstar, Timmy Tomms and Mistress Cherry Pie and, ofcourse, the Hot Beer Bong Babes, (who passed out the Bong songbooks and got the audience dancing to the music) were colorful, energetic, and dynamic in connecting with the audience from the stage. Some of the audience got really excited when Miss Cherry Pie started tossing those little Hostess snack treats out in the crowd (little cherry pies). I was tempted to go for one, but then again, they had just played “Frankenslut” so I had an awareness of my thigh size that I didn’t have before.

With Minarik Guitars sponsoring the band, the 2007 People’s Choice All Access Magazine Award win and an upcoming invitation only industry event at the exclusive NAMM convention, this band is on its way to bigger and better things. Visit the band’s website at www.beerbongband.com to get news, music, photos, and future show dates so you can follow the happenings of this fun and innovative band. Who knows, you may even become a Beer Bong Fan. I know I did.

All Access Awards Show

11/26/07

It wasn't enough that Sheena Metal attempted to steal the show last year, by taking the mic for a couple of numbers by the Hair Band. But this year, she topped that by reforming a group, which, by my memory, had been voted the most outrageous in West Hollywood about 8 years ago. Now you can imagine what the group must have been like to get that type of recognition in West Hollywood.

However, the band she showed up with at the Awards Show was more outrageous than the previous one. Now check this out, the band consisted of Layfette Lixx, Freddi Fretz, Rikki Rokkstar, Ivana Rock (who looked amazingly similar to Danielle Egnew), Mistress Cheery Pie, and Lovitt Loud, besides Sheena. In total, it appeared every performer was in drag or some other type of mysterious character. I mean I haven't seen such an outrageous ensemble take the stage since the Rocky Horror Picture Show. But on the other hand, I haven't seen a crowd lined up to get into a show like this, since the New York Dolls first played the Whiskey back in the 70s. And Sheena's band lived up to its billing with some level 1 Rock and Roll Music that had the crowd wondering when the group's first album (as presently constituted) will be released. More on that in our next E-letter. The band was also voted, People's Choice, (No Surprise There). While they couldn't get all the group members together at one time for a group picture, playing it straight, the band consisted of Sheena, Danielle, Pat Shee, Rick Vacarro, Paul Huston, Beth Cola, and Ricardo Sebastian. Expect to hear more from this group in the VERY NEAR FUTURE

All Access Magazine

11/15/07

November 3rd, 2007, will be a date many will remember for a long time, as several groups/artists were recognized for their talent at the Fifth Annual All Access Magazine Music Awards Show!

GreenStock Productions (John Green and Debra Stocker – Editor of AAM) was responsible for making this star-studded event a huge success, along with proud sponsors SOUND STREET STUDIOS, MINARIK GUITARS, COFFIN CASE, ONLINE GIGS, CD BABY, NEW ARTISTS ONLINE, MIKE CAVANAUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, MANRIQUE PHOTOS, FREEDOM STUDIO,STYLUS WRITING AND EDITING, DOUG DEUTSCH PUBLICITY SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL PRINTING CENTERS, FOCUS IN THE MIX WITH DENISE AMES, MUSIC HIGHWAY, ROCKETT DRUM WORKS, JP CLOTHING AND CUSTOM GRAPHICS, PIRANHA MUSIC, DREAMCATCHER MARKETING, and of course ALL ACCESS MAGAZINE. Everyone worked together to pack Hollywood’s hotspot destination for alternative, cutting-edge, new music and events, the KNITTING FACTORY.

Yes indeed, the 2007 AAM Music Awards Show packed two rooms with fans, rock stars, special guests and celebrities everywhere. But the incredible sound you heard all night came from a new sponsor, Reseda’s Sound Street Studios (formerly known as Sound Arena), who supplied the back line and kept the night running smoothly and sounding great! Thanks, Sound Street Studios, for helping us pull off yet another successful Music Awards Show.

As always, AAM’s Annual Music Awards brought out musicians, actresses, media, fans and even a few record scouts to check out the acts. Thanks, scouts! Please let us know if you saw something you liked: We’ll be more than happy to provide you with contact info.

Awards were handed out by several special guest presenters, including SEAN McNABB (GREAT WHITE); STU SIMONE (HEAVEN & EARTH); DENISE AMES (“FOCUS IN THE MIX”); publicist DOUG DEUTSCH (involved with entertainment since the ‘80s); TERRY ILOUS (XYZ); rocker, singer and songwriter JOE WALLA; PHIL LEWIS (LA GUNS); KEN ANDREWS (SOUTH BAY MUSIC AWARDS); MITCH PERRY (MSG, QUIET RIOT); drummer BOBBY RICHARDS; JOHN GREEN (GREENSTOCK PRODUCTIONS); JONNY COFFIN (COFFIN CASE); publicist METAL SANAZ; and guitarist STUART SMITH.

The doors opened at 6 p.m. and the night’s entertainment started right at 6:50 p.m. with a warm welcome from John Green, CEO of GreenStock Productions, who thanked everyone for their support of All Access Magazine.

The first of the night’s two co-hosts to appear was J.J. Garcia, an associate editor for HITZ Magazine, a talented musician, and a Business Consultant for AAM. J.J. has been profiled in several magazines, newspapers, and webzines. Many have praised his playing and his work within the music community. And at the end of the day, music will always come first for J.J. “because that is really what this is all about!”

First on stage was the debut appearance of SHEENA METAL’S BEER BONG featuring Layfette Lixx, Freddi Fretz, Rikki Rokkstar, Timmy Tomms, Ivana Rock, Mistress Cherry Pie, and Luvitt Loud. As their motto says, “Nobody said Rock ‘N’ Roll was Pretty,” but this motley crew sure had the crowd going! In a fitting tribute to their talent for publicity, at the end of the night they won the coveted People’s Choice award.

After presenting the first five awards, the night continued with a performance by BENEVOLENT TOMORROW, winner of the All Access Rocks Summer Concert Series. This band proved once again that kids can ROCK by taking home three awards. Their performance holds up to any national artist and their future looks bright. Congrats for winning Best Drummer in the Rock/Melodic/Blues category, Best Song of the Year, and Best New Group/Artist. Thanks for joining us!

Coming to the stage next was our other co-host, journalist, radio host, indie film character actress, headlining standup comic and New York stage actress SHEENA METAL, “Queen of the Nighttime World.” Sheena and J.J. did a great job keeping everything running smoothly, and were funny all night long.

And how about DIRTY PENNY? These young rockers were found in the middle of “Rocklahoma” by All Access Magazine. Coming to us from Santa Cruz, California, AAM vowed to give them a chance to bring in their act from out of the area. And that they did! On their trip back home they could admire their Best Glam Band award.

Up next was a band to, as their web site says, “make all you wasted rock ‘n’ rollers elegant again!” The party truly began when ELEGANTLY WASTED took the stage, and then won the award for Best Rock Group/Artist in the Rock/Melodic/Blues category. Congrats!

After five more awards, the next performers were THE CHIMPZ. This band lived up to their motto of “high energy rock, with garnishes of hip hop and metal.” Drummer Sean Topham won Best Male Drummer honors in the Metal/Hard Rock category.

DISTORTEDFATE took over the stage after more awards were presented. Their motto says it all: “Just when you thought you’d heard it all before, somewhere in the high desert a new band of steel has been forged, fusing together modern and classic in-your-face metal!” DistortedFate was definitely the night’s heaviest act and really got the crowd’s blood going!

WARNER DRIVE, as their bio says, “brings a new sound and meaning to the term Rock ‘N’ Roll by adding a twist to rock with a punk edge.” This band not only took home awards for Best Live Performance and Best Overall Album of the Year for “Fully Loaded,” they took home a brand new Minarik Guitar and endorsement! Congrats, Warner Drive! All Access Magazine will be keeping an eye on your success.

The next band, FREAKHOUSE, is one of those bands that just does it all well. They put enthusiasm into everything they do: songwriting, recording, playing live and their work ethic. It is a no-brainer that Freakhouse is standing on the threshold of a monstrous career. Their hit single “Liars Inc.” is loaded on all new Dell computers, and is endorsed by Michael Dell himself.

BEAUTIFUL GENERATION’s motto says they’re “an alternative modern rock band best known for their high-energy live show” – and they lived up to that at the AAM Music Awards, as well as winning Best Overall Group/Artist of the Year. The band has toured extensively to entertain our troops abroad with the USO, including performing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At the end of the night the Music Awards’ headliner was the All Star Celebrity Jam featuring SEAN MCNABB (GREAT WHITE, WORLD PREMIER OF LOST SPIRIT, FLIRTING WITH MORTY), TERRY ILOUS (XYZ, MONSTERS OF ROCK), MITCH PERRY(MSG, QUIET RIOT), STU SIMONE (HEAVEN AND EARTH, POISON, HAIR GUITAR), STUART SMITH (ALIENS OF EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY, HEAVEN AND EARTH, EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER), and last but not least well-known and respected drummer RICHIE ONORI (HEAVEN AND EARTH, EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER, TOTO). The jam was a great way to wrap up the incredible 2007 Music Awards Show!

DENISE AMES, news anchor and host of the TV show “Focus In the Mix with Denise Ames,” was in the house to pass her Miss All Access Magazine crown on to our 2007 Miss All Access Magazine, Miss December: Kristina!

Thank you again to all of our sponsors, our host the KNITTING FACTORY, our special guests, and YOU, our most valuable readers! Extra BIG thanks to SHEENA METAL, MANRIQUE PHOTOS, MIKE CAVANAUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, J.J. GARCIA, ROB DOMINGUEZ of GRAY SPACE DESIGN, sound engineer DAVE RIOS, and videographer THOMAS LEBLANC of FREEDOM STUDIO for making 2007’s All Access Magazine Music Awards Show another event everyone will be talking about… until our Sixth Annual Music Awards Show next year…

Artists/Groups, remember that AAM accepts FREE submissions to our annual Music Awards year ‘round! But you must submit a package to be considered for an award nomination. This doesn’t mean you are “nominating yourself.” You are submitting your brand new material (released after January 1, 2008) to bring to AAM’s attention that you and/or your band would like to be considered for up to three 2008 AAM Music Awards nominations. Send your package with two CDs to All Access Magazine, Attn: AAM Awards, 15981 Yarnell Street, Suite 122, Rancho Cascades, CA 91342. For more info call 818-833-8852, or visit here and MySpace.com/ALLACCESSMAGAZINE.

The next time you play out, remember that someone is watching who cares about your music career: All Access Magazine. See you next year!

Interview: The Saga of Sheena Metal

10/7/07 - Music Industry Newswire by Scott G - The G-Man

Managing at least 5 interlocking careers, Los Angeles-based Sheena Metal maintains a wickedly funny view of her life on the radio, on stage, and behind-the-scenes in the swirling worlds of music, movies and TV.

The first time I saw Sheena Metal perform was in a real dive. Let’s call it Magee’s. It was popular (at least it was that night) but it was the kind of scummy place that openly defied health regulations. Thus, it was an ideal venue for the visual and aural onslaught of Ms. Metal’s band, Beer Bong.

Their set was moving along at a nice clip. Mixed with a KISS cover song or two were original rockers with lyrics that were alternately profane and more profane, but laced with acerbic social commentary that was as funny as it was shocking.

Between each song, one of the drunks at the crowded bar would yell out something in that booming piercing thunderous annoying voice that you often hear at sporting events. He was berating the band, the songs, the costumes, and Sheena herself.

Unlike the rest of the drunks in the place, he seemed able to stand up, move about, and even dance a bit. But his physical size and wild-eyed glare made many of us hope he maintained his place at the bar.

Trouble was, Sheena was answering him with put-downs that were too clever by half. Each comeback of hers zoomed right over his head but caused titters from those who got her jokes.

About halfway through the gig, he began to get threatening. Without skipping a beat, Sheena shushed the crowd and said she had an announcement to make about “our vociferous friend at the bar.”

I shuddered, imagining the brawl that was about to ensue, so you can imagine how surprised I was to hear Sheena proclaim him “King of Magee’s.” She bowed in his direction and asked for a round of applause, then went right back to the songs.

The idiot was quiet for the rest of the show and came up to congratulate the band afterwards. Now that’s crowd control. When I asked her about it later, she said “Most people like that just want some attention. I tried verbally battling him, but that made him madder. So I tried flattering him, and that worked.”

“What if that hadn’t worked?” I asked.

“See those extra guitars at the side of the amps? Those are the ones we don’t mind using on people if we have to.”

I knew right then I was going to like Sheena Metal. The following interview took place recently, several years after the Incident with the King of Magee’s.

Scott G: You host a late night radio show. Tell us about that.

Sheena Metal: Actually, this is the first time that my show hasn’t been only late night. As a Los Angeles radio personality, I made a name doing both talk and music radio in the middle of the night. Music Highway is my first syndicated show and it’s so odd for me to be airing at six and seven a.m. in some markets. It sure makes me think twice before getting too raunchy…which is my natural inclination. But the show is on 2,400 affiliates in four countries at nearly every hour of the day and night, so each week we create a show that will be as suitable for a housewife in the American Bible Belt as it is for a porn star in Australia.

You’re also the lead singer of Beer Bong. That band is a visual and aural outrage. The music was well-done yet the experience for the audience was often right on the edge of comedy. That was primarily your influence, I think.

Absolutely. I wanted to create a band where people could rock out and laugh their butts off concurrently. The tunes are musically hooky and catchy and the lyrics so irreverent that if not for our Beer Bong Song Books (provided at each show) the average audience member might not believe they actually heard what they heard. And as for the visual outrage…I am as God made me. [laughs] Seriously, it’s the same as the songs. I want people to leave the show first thinking, “What the Hell was that?!?” and then, “I loved it!!!”

Another one of your careers is booking bands into clubs. What’s that job like?

Sometimes I feel like I’m running a daycare for psychotic divas…and those are the good days. [laughs] Truthfully, I love putting on shows, seeing the bands live, and enjoying the entire process. It’s the music business and nobody said it was easy. Weather, holidays, current events, world disasters, traffic…these are all factors that affect the ultimate success or failure of a show. It’s like walking into a Las Vegas casino and popping $10,000 on the roulette wheel. There is never a dull moment…that’s for sure and when you add in the delicate personality of the creative genius, it’s an E-Ticket ride for sure.

As a journalist, you have written seriously about many aspects of show business, but often with a humorous point of view. As a musician, your lyrics are almost always funny or satirical. Is that your view of life?

It’s funny because my mom is hysterical. She makes me seem dull and humorless, but she’s very shy. I spent a lot of my childhood alone with her and she would satirize everything…life, humanity, the earth. She’s very smart and very, very deep and I think it was how she stopped herself from going nuts. So, I grew up thinking of things in terms of humor. Don’t get me wrong, I can be very serious and I love intense dramatic music, films, literature, etc. but I can always see the sideshow…the twisted carnival that lies just under the surface of life. I’m also a tad macabre. Did I mention that? [laughs]

Oh, we get the macabre side all right! Often mixed in with the humor is a social-political undertone to your work. Which is your primary goal?

Well, the laugh is always a goal. Laughter is more healing and cathartic than even a high colonic, but I do have a socio-political side. I think that art should come in layers so that anyone of any level of intelligence, emotionality or depth can take from it what it speaks to them. So, if I scratch my behind, someone in more of a banal mood will giggle because my rear-end itches while a deep thinker will realize that I’m scratching my butt in protest of the inhumanity of dictatorships in third world countries. Not the best example, but it works.

On a daily basis, how difficult is it keeping on top of your various careers?

It’s unreal the schedule I keep. I get around 300 pieces of e-mail every day, I promote 10-12 shows monthly (including a new weekly residency at the Knitting Factory Hollywood), I write 3-4 freelance pieces a week (music reviews, film reviews, celebrity interviews, etc.), I have two syndicated music columns (the former has over 80 affiliates; the latter has just become syndicated), I host and produce a weekly syndicated radio show, I’m involved in a live theatre group that does charity productions of the “Vagina Monologues,” I have a film coming out next year, I front a band and am starting a second band in 2008, I run a musicians assistance program with over 10,000 members, I was just this week named president of Sea Hag Ent. that is developing a myriad of television and film projects, and next summer I’ll return to performing/promoting comedy. It amazes me that I even have time to brush my teeth and feed my cats. Luckily, the cats yell at me if I forget…which I do sometimes…and I’m embarrassed to say, my teeth are kind of scuzzy at the moment. But aside from that, I just sit around on my couch in my underpants eating cheese puffs and watching “Judge Judy.”

Who first dubbed you “the queen of observation”? What about the other phrase, “the queen of the nighttime world”?

In 1998, I co-hosted “The Nastyman Show” on KLSX (97.1 FM) in Los Angeles. That station was the Howard Stern affiliate at the time and our show was driven by sex, strippers and rock music. Nasty ran the show like an outrageous ringmaster and my job was to add insightfully sardonic commentary on the crazy guests and bizarre topics. It was Nasty that dubbed me the “Queen of Observation.” He was a great guy, my favorite co-host and the most fun I ever had in radio was on his show. “Queen of the Nighttime World” was a name I picked up on my first radio show on KIEV (870 AM) “Sheena Metal After Midnite.” It’s a pun on the KISS song “King of the Nighttime World.” A listener referred to me that way and I loved it and started repeating it. Nastyman didn’t like it and never used it. Maybe he was worried Gene Simmons would sue him.

Your media material says you’re developing a mockumentary reality TV series. What can you reveal about that?

It’s all very hush-hush or I’d spill it all. I hate secrets! I will say that I’m co-writing it and that my new entertainment corporation, Sea Hag Ent., will be producing it. Oooooh, I want to tell you all about it. I really do!

Tell me on “deep background.”

[Pause for feverish whispering]

Cool! Okay, we’ll have to reveal that when the time comes. Last question. Your Web site is www.sheena-metal.com but have you ever visited www.sheenametal.com?

Not lately. A fan bought it to give it to me as a present and then never gave it to me. Every once in awhile I send him an email, still looking in vain for my cyber-domain love gift, but it never arrives. Why? Is it a porn site? Fat chicks and dwarves in rubber masks depicting ex-presidents? That would be a hoot!