From the Facebook event page:
Lobotomy Room! Where sin lives! A punkabilly booze party! Sensual and depraved! A spectacle of decadence! Bad Music for Bad People! A Mondo Trasho evening of Beat, Beat Beatsville Beatnik Rock’n’Roll! Rockabilly Psychosis! Wailing Rhythm and Blues! Twisted Tittyshakers! Punk cretin hops! White Trash Rockers! Kitsch! Exotica! Curiosities and other weird shit! Think John Waters soundtracks, or Songs the Cramps Taught Us, hosted by Graham Russell (of Dr Sketchy and Cockabilly notoriety). Expect desperate stabs from the jukebox jungle! Savage rhythms to make you writhe and rock! Grainy black-and-white vintage erotica projected on the big screen all night for your adult viewing pleasure!
Admission: gratuit - that’s French for FREE!
Lobotomy Room: Faster. Further. Filthier.
It’s sleazy. It’s grubby. It’s trashy - you’ll love it!
A tawdry good time guaranteed!
Gratifyingly, the first Lobotomy Room of 2018 pulled a decent crowd. This was especially heartening considering the prudes at Facebook completely banned me from advertising the January club. As regular readers may know, I wind up a-fussin’ and a-feudin’ with our corporate social network overlords on regular monthly basis. Unfortunately, in 2018, if you’re a club promoter you can’t not pay Facebook to “boost” your events – it’s how you reach new “cold” people. And unfortunately, they routinely reject my ads on the most spurious basis. This time, the Facebook advertising team claimed they were rejecting my January ad because they’d found nudity on my “landing page.” I challenged them: find me the nudity (which I was 100% confident was non-existent) and I’ll delete it. Hours later, someone eventually emailed me back with a screen grab of the offending nudity - and it was something I never could have anticipated. It was the official Fontaine’s logo – an Art Deco-style illustration of two 1920s flappers! Which had been prominently displayed on Fontaine’s Facebook page since at least 2015! And yeah, strictly speaking they are topless (but they are also wearing pasties. And they’re not real!). In his email, the Facebook representative emphasized that all depictions suggesting nudity are forbidden under all circumstances: whether it's medical, historical, artistic or even of an ancient statute! The biggest perverts of all must work for Facebook – they see sexually explicit imagery everywhere they look! Anyway, it was on Fontaine’s Facebook page so there was nothing I could do about it. (If it was my own Lobotomy Room page, I could have deleted it). All I could do was shrug, move on and hope for the best. And for whatever reason, we wound up with a relatively full house without any of Facebook’s assistance. Phew!
/ NSFW alert! Shield your eyes! /
While I’m on the subject: Facebook will routinely block your ad if they decide it “Refer(s) to the viewers’ sexual orientation” because in their twisted perspective, that can only be a derogatory thing. My ultra-kitschy and campy events – the film club and the dance party – both primarily appeal to a queer audience but I’m barred from actively referencing that or targeting them in my Facebook ads. The statistics of my attendees are 70% female and 30% male and within that many of my regulars fall somewhere within the LGBTQ spectrum. Intentionally or not, Facebook’s policy winds up being frankly homophobic and presents a genuine dilemma for anyone trying to promote a queer-centric event!
I endeavour to make every Lobotomy Room club a shimmering journey through decadence, but this month was particularly hedonistic: we had some genuine swingers in attendance! It turns out one of the male attendees was celebrating his birthday – and his very accommodating and open-minded girlfriend was fulfilling his birthday wish by assembling (via Craigslist? I may have misheard!) his own harem of female playmates for an orgy! Their erotic swinger’s party was apparently scheduled for the following night – Friday was their getting-to-know-each-other-first ice breaker. The ice was certainly broken! Every time I glanced up from the DJ booth, there was girl-on-girl action and uninhibited “dirty dancing” (one of the girls was a young Joey Heatherton-type!). Sleazy does it – that’s the Lobotomy Room way!
The 60th annual Grammy Awards fell on 28 January 2018 (two nights after Lobotomy Room), and the regal 78-year old Bold Soul Sister Tina Turner received a Lifetime Achievement Award. I revere Turner as the undisputed tigress of rhythm and blues – especially in her early 1960s manifestation as the fierce frontwoman of the Ike and Tina Turner revue. Looking at this photo, you can see why John Waters and Divine embraced Tina as a role model. She clearly knew a thing or two about liquid eyeliner! As ever, I played multiple tunes by Ike and Tina Turner at Lobotomy Room.
Meanwhile, the night before Lobotomy Room (25 January) represented the birthday of another glorious rhythm and blues diva – the irrepressible, blonde and bountiful Etta James (25 January 1938 - 20 January 2012). I played her 1955 classic “Roll with Me, Henry”. I love R&B bad girl James’ outrageous, drag queen-y 1960s look (platinum blonde bouffant wigs, thick black Cleopatra eyeliner). This is a good excuse to post a pin-up of her.
While I’m on the subject: Facebook will routinely block your ad if they decide it “Refer(s) to the viewers’ sexual orientation” because in their twisted perspective, that can only be a derogatory thing. My ultra-kitschy and campy events – the film club and the dance party – both primarily appeal to a queer audience but I’m barred from actively referencing that or targeting them in my Facebook ads. The statistics of my attendees are 70% female and 30% male and within that many of my regulars fall somewhere within the LGBTQ spectrum. Intentionally or not, Facebook’s policy winds up being frankly homophobic and presents a genuine dilemma for anyone trying to promote a queer-centric event!
I endeavour to make every Lobotomy Room club a shimmering journey through decadence, but this month was particularly hedonistic: we had some genuine swingers in attendance! It turns out one of the male attendees was celebrating his birthday – and his very accommodating and open-minded girlfriend was fulfilling his birthday wish by assembling (via Craigslist? I may have misheard!) his own harem of female playmates for an orgy! Their erotic swinger’s party was apparently scheduled for the following night – Friday was their getting-to-know-each-other-first ice breaker. The ice was certainly broken! Every time I glanced up from the DJ booth, there was girl-on-girl action and uninhibited “dirty dancing” (one of the girls was a young Joey Heatherton-type!). Sleazy does it – that’s the Lobotomy Room way!
The 60th annual Grammy Awards fell on 28 January 2018 (two nights after Lobotomy Room), and the regal 78-year old Bold Soul Sister Tina Turner received a Lifetime Achievement Award. I revere Turner as the undisputed tigress of rhythm and blues – especially in her early 1960s manifestation as the fierce frontwoman of the Ike and Tina Turner revue. Looking at this photo, you can see why John Waters and Divine embraced Tina as a role model. She clearly knew a thing or two about liquid eyeliner! As ever, I played multiple tunes by Ike and Tina Turner at Lobotomy Room.
Meanwhile, the night before Lobotomy Room (25 January) represented the birthday of another glorious rhythm and blues diva – the irrepressible, blonde and bountiful Etta James (25 January 1938 - 20 January 2012). I played her 1955 classic “Roll with Me, Henry”. I love R&B bad girl James’ outrageous, drag queen-y 1960s look (platinum blonde bouffant wigs, thick black Cleopatra eyeliner). This is a good excuse to post a pin-up of her.
Steel Pier - The Impacts
Three Cool Chicks - The 5,6,7,8sI Live the Life I Love - Esquerita
I Don't Need You No More - The Rumblers
Kismiaz - The Cramps
Vesuvius - The Revels
Mau Mau - The Fabulous Wailers
Little Darlin' - Masaaki Hirao
You Sure Know How to Hurt Someone - Ann-Margret
Bang Bang - Betty Chung
Fever - The McCoys
Scorpio - The Carnations
How Much Love Can One Heart Hold - Joe Perkins and The Rookies
I Want Your Love - The Cruisers
The Raging Sea - Gene Maltais
Scratching on My Screen - Ric Cartey
Fever - Edith Massey
It's a Gas - The Rumblers
Adult Books - X
Jukebox Babe - Alan Vega
Atomic Bongos - Lydia Lunch
Forming - The Germs
Vampira - The Misfits
Here Comes the Bug - The Rumblers
Save It - Mel Robbins
The Flirt - Shirley and Lee
Crawfish - Johnny Thunders and Patti Palladin
What Do You Think I Am? Ike and Tina Turner
Punks Get off the Grass - Edith Massey
Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad - Tammy Wynette
Fools Rush In - Ricky Nelson
Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley
Jim Dandy - Ann-Margret
Roll with Me Henry - Etta James
Lucille - Masaaki Hirao
Fever - Nancy Sit
I Would if I Only Kid - Ruth Brown
The Swag - Link Wray
Let's Go Baby - Billy Eldridge
Your Phone's Off the Hook - The Ramonetures
Wiped-Out - The Escorts
Margaya - The Fender Four
Wipe- Out - The Surf-aris
Surf Rat - The Rumblers
Treat Me Right - Mae West
Woo-Hoo - The 5,6,7,8s
These Boots Are Made for Walkin' - Mrs Miller
How Does That Grab You Darlin'? Nancy Sinatra
Harley Davidson - Brigitte Bardot
Gostaria de Saber (River Deep, Mountain High) - Wanderlea
My Baby Does the Hanky Panky - Rita Chao and The Quests
Peter Gunn Twist - The Jesters
Peter Gunn Locomotion - The Delmonas
Gunnin' for Peter - The Fabulous Wailers
Viens danser le twist - Johnny Hallyday
Twistin' the Night Away - Divine
Big Girls Don't Cry - Edith Massey
Under My Thumb - Tina Turner
Johnny Are You Queer? Josie Cotton
What's Wrong with Me? X
Media Blitz - The Germs
Bikini Girls with Machine Guns - The Cramps
Viva Las Vegas - Nina Hagen
Somethin' Else - Sid Vicious
Funnel of Love - Wanda Jackson
Wild, Wild Party - Charlie Feathers
I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield - The 5,6,7,8s
That Makes It - Jayne Mansfield
Love Me - The Phantom
Rock Around the Clock - The Sex Pistols
Breathless - X
Be Bop A Lula - Alan Vega
Bop Pills - Macy Skip Skipper
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramonetures
Teenage Lobotomy - The Ramones
Heartbreak Hotel - Buddy Love
Whistle Bait - Larry Collins
Jim Dandy - Sara Lee and The Spades
Action Packed - Ronnie Dee
Rockin' Bones - Ronnie Dawson
Boss - The Rumblers
Can Your Pussy Do the Dog? The Cramps
Boys Are Boys and Girls Are Choice - The Monks
Muleskinner Blues - The Fendermen
Shortnin' Bread - The Readymen
Pedro Pistolas Twist - Los Twisters
You're Driving Me Crazy - Dorothy Berry
Bossa Nova Baby - Elvis Presley
Two Headed Sex Change - The Cramps
Cry-Baby - The Honey Sisters
Dames, Booze, Chains and Boots - The Cramps
Esquerita and The Voola - Esquerita
Dragon Walk - The Noblemen
Suey - Jayne Mansfield
Pass the Hatchet - Roger and The Gypsies
He's the One - Ike and Tina Turner
Commanche - The Revels
Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd and The Pirates
Beat Girl - Zz en der Maskers
You Turn Me On - Mae West
Let's Spend the Night Together - Tina Turner
My Way - Nina Hagen
Upcoming Lobotomy Room dates for your social calendar!
Calling all hair-hoppers! Grab that can of Aqua Net and get teasing! Lobotomy Room Goes to the Movies is the FREE monthly film club downstairs at Fontaine’s (third Wednesday of every month) devoted to Bad Movies We Love (our motto: Bad Movies for Bad People), specialising in the kitsch, the cult and the queer! Rat-up your hair like a teenage Jezebel and apply a thick layer of frosted white lipstick on Wednesday 21 February 2018 when Lobotomy Room commemorates the 30th anniversary of one of John Water’s best-loved movies – Hairspray! (The film premiered in Baltimore on 16 February 1988 and went into general release on 26 February). Rest assured we’re showing the original definitive camp classic starring Divine, Deborah Harry and Ricki Lake – most definitely NOT the 2007 abomination with John Travolta! So learn how to frug and Watusi and come see Hairspray, described by Rolling Stone as “a family movie both the Bradys and the Mansons could adore!" It promises to be a night of hair-raising fun!
Event page
And the next Lobotomy Room dance party is Friday 23 February!
Event page
Further reading:
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