I headed up to the "Rock Star Mansion" (actually, Silver Lake's Paramour Estate) on Sunday night to attend a late night party/jam session for CBS' Rock Star: Supernova.
As you probably know, the Mark Burnett-produced talent search (think "Idol" meets tattoos and piercings) this year is searching for a lead singer for the new group "Supernova" (which, yes, sounds like a name straight out of "Spinal Tap.") Maria and I got completely hooked last year, when the show's top prize was the lead singer gig for INXS. This year, with the prize a bit less clear (how real is "Supernova"?), the stakes seem different.
Still, we're watching... and I couldn't pass up a chance to see the Rock Stars up close. Walking around were the members of "Supernova" -- Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke (ex- Guns N Roses) and and Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica). Strangely missing were hosts Brooke Burke and Dave Navarro.
After spending time around the Paramour pool, contestants went inside the mansion's huge living space and took turns on the mic -- as a crowd (including 80s DJ Richard Blade, "Rock Star" fan Seth Green and former Berlin lead singer Terri Nunn) looked on. Highlight: Contestant Dilana Robichaux dueting with Nunn (who hopped on stage) on Stevie Nicks' "Dreams." Props also to Storm Large, who went on stage and trashed the party's sponsor: Hypnotiq liquor.
Later, Tommy Lee jumped on the conga drums and beat along to Toby Rand (the resident Australian) as he did an acoustic version of The Killers' "Somebody Told Me." And Gilby Clarke grabbed a guitar and sang "Used to Love Her" (the song made famous by his former band, GnR.) The other highlight, of course, was poking around the Paramour. The mansion, on top of a Silver Lake hill off of Micheltorina, offers amazing views of the downtown skyline.
SPEAKING of Tommy Lee, everyone's getting a kick today out of news that Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo is filing charges against the rocker's helicopter pilot.
That's right: Apparently the chopper landed on a city street (1800 block of Wattles Drive, in the Hollywood Hills, to be exact) and whisked him away to a Nine Inch Nails concert in Irvine.
Landing a helicopter on a city street is a big no-no, as Rocky notes in this release, found by blogging.la:
David Keith Martz, 49, was charged with one count of reckless operation of an aircraft, one count of landing an aircraft on a public road, and one count of landing an aircraft without a permit. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
On July 7, Air Support Division (ASD) of the Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of a helicopter hovering above a residence in the Hollywood Hills. The officers attempted to contact the helicopter pilot without success. ASD officers later observed the aircraft land on the street and the pilot enter the residence. Officers did not observe any ground -based crewmembers keeping vehicles or pedestrians away from the aircraft during approach, landing and takeoff.
The funniest item, however, can be found in the L.A. Times, which explains Lee's attempts to rehab his image:
Lee, who is infamous for a life of sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and police run-ins, but has lately tried to clean up his image with a highly publicized return to college, is not facing any charges for the incident.
Um, LAT? Tommy didn't really go back to college. It was a REALITY TV SHOW!!
Previously on Franklin Avenue: I also visited the mansion last year for "Rock Star: INXS" (August 2005).
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