With all due respect, glitter did not start with Marc Bolan. And long before the Cockettes fled in terror from New York City to return to a town that knew how to appreciate them, Charles Ludlam and John Vaccaro were putting on plays in the pits of Manhattan’s underground that were more visually outrageous than any current rockstar’s most carefully executed fantasies.

Performers like Ruby Lynn Reyner, Wayne County (before those two decided to concentrate on rock and roll), Jaimie de > Carlo Lots, Jackie Curtis, Penny Arcade and scads of others all wore extraordinary makeup, glitter, arid costumes in such productions as “Cockstrong,” “Son of Cockstrong”, and “Heaven Grand iri Amber Orbit” at the Playhouse of the Ridiculous way back in the middle 1960s. Grotesque chalk white masks, kohl-rimmed eyes, sparkly spangly lips and eyelids, amazingly colored wigs of every shape and dimension, shiny g-strings, dildos, extravagant costume jewelry — all this and more covered the faces and bodies running rampant in the tiny off-off Broadway theaters. And even before that, in the very early 1960s, a young performer named Bette Midler appeared in Tom Eyen’s “Miss Nefertiti Regrets” at New York’s La Mama (a club dedicated to the playwright) clad in a lame bikini, fluffed out hair, and lots of red lipstick.

What happened was (hat these actors — most of whom had probably never heard of Sun Records or “Roll Over Beethoven” (although they all knew about The Ronettes, that, my dear, was TRASH) had more of an effect on today’s rock and roll scene than they’ll ever know, or any current stars would care to admit. And whether or not they’d even accept the credit they deserve — (director Tony Ingrassia has always remarked how amazed he was that people actually could sit down and listen to .rock and roll) — they were innovators.

by Lisa Robinson

For “rock theater” didn’t really start in swinging London at all, and it certainly was only a little bit the fault of Alice Cooper. (Himself having been greatly influenced in 1967 by the late Miss Christine of the GTO’s who encouraged Alice to put on a dress and a bit more mascara...) But the Playhouse of the Ridiculous is very important.

In 1971 “Pork” was performed at La Mama. “Pork” was a play comprised of Andy Warhol’s taped phone conversations, mostly with Brigid Polk. Warhol assistant Patty Hackett labored for years transcribing the tapes, and Tony Ingrassia edited the transcript together into what became one of the funniest and best of the underground theater pjoductions. Wayne County as “Vulva” was magnificent in the first of his many multi-colored afro wigs. Tony Zanetta was unforgettable as Andy Warhol, seated in a wheelchair, drooling anwd dozing, his hair dyed a frosty platinum. Cyrinda Foxe was so-tough in her skintight lame sheaths and Mamie Van Doren blond hair. There were hopes that the play would make it to Broadway; it never did, but it was a splendid freaky lot that packed up and went off to London that year to perform “Pork” in that city’s equivalent of off-off Broadway.

David Bowie, always a Warhol fan, was a frequent visitor to the show. Dressed in his carefully fitted pantsuits, yellow patent leather maryjane t-strap partyshoes, long, shiny pageboy coif, and the occasional floppy Garbo-esque hat, David would arrive to watch the New York dragqueens and stars he had previously only vicariously known from Velvet Underground songs. His wife Angela, at that time a fairly plain, big boned but boisterously handsome girl who had shortish blondish hair, would often be by his side. They made friends with the Americans very quickly. When photographer and “Pork” stage manager Leee Childers styled his hair into a 5Qs D.A., Bowie cut his own golden locks a mere two weeks later. (When the Bowies arrived in New York for David’s tour, Cyrinda Foxe was one of their constant companions...)

So. ...two years later — 1973, and Angela Bowie — stunning and rail thin, is modeling under her professionally chosen name of Jipp Jones. Her hair is an extremely whitish blonde (having gone through a series of color changes that would turn Todd Rundgren completely green with envy), and she’s talking alot in the newspapers about the influence of’the 1950s and the trashy clothes look. Hnun. (We all know of David’s various metamorphoses, what is more interesting perhaps is how many of the people who may have subconsciously influenced him are now working for him; Tony Ingrassia is developing theater ideas for David, Tony Zanetta, Leee Childers and Jamie de Carlo Lots are also part of David’s Main Man management staff.) Draw your own conclusions.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 77.

David Bowie s Makeup Dos and Don’ts

David tells us that mostly all of his makeup comes from a little Shop in Rome, Italy, that imports fantastic colored powders and creams from India. (He’s not telling the name of the store, however!!!) Basic essentials also include a white rice powder from Tokyo’s Woolworth’s equivalent; Indian kohl — usually in black — for his eyes, which he smudges right along the lash line and sometimes a little bit on the outside...

He also uses a very light liquid base, sometimes white - sometimes pink or yellow - and applies it with a damp sponge. For stage, David will often use an irridescent base, usually pure white. When he paints that gold circle on his forehead that’s such a hit with his fans he uses a German gold base in cake form bought at New York’s Makeup Center. (He also told us that the little Japanese brushes that the Makeup Center has for applying powders and paints are much better than anything you can find in Japan!)

Eight hour cream by Elizabeth Arden is what you'll see shining up David’s lips and eyelids in photographs, it gives that extra-gloss effect And a must is that old-fashioned black mascara, (sometimes blue) — you know the kind that you spit on the little brush and its in cream/cake form... David will often paint u waves of color all the way across his eyes and f eyebrows, rather than on the lids only — usually in a pink or mauve tone.

In his last few English concerts, Bowie painted tiny lightning streaks on his cheek and upper leg. Once ui awhile he uses pearlized gloss on his lips in a tan/pink that comes across like a white-silver highlight.

And — a warning! He doesn’t use glitter too much, because it falls into his eyes when . he's performing and it just isn't soft looking enough, he feels. Sometimes he will outline that gold circle in tiny gold rhinestones, stuck on with eyelash due.

As far as ofi-stage makeup is concerned, David doesn’t wear any base; he uses a light natural moisturizer with rice powder dusted on top — but most often he prefers to show his very light, bare, clear English skin...

Undie Chic: The Rage to Come

They All Laughed When I Said Fredrick's of Hollywood But: The next big rock clothes trend may very well be underwear. Think of it - it’s decadent, it’s cheap, it’s comfortable to wear onstage, no sweat stains ruining good velvet outfits - the possibilities are endless. And those who have already been seen in attractive and unusual underwear nave been Bowie - the now familiar rhinestone studded pink jockstrap; Iggy - he wore a mere pair of silver lame bikini panties when he attended Lou Reed’s L.A. concert; Wayne County -who has underwear of unparalleled brilliance and it’s all from Fredrick’s; Claudia Lennear stripped down to gold lame bra and panties at her Carnegie Hall concert; Bette Midler’s black corset bedecked with red ribbons is legendary, and Loraine Alterman reports that even Elton John appeared at his L.A. press « party dressed in a pair of what looked very s much like white satin boxer shorts. Let’s face ffl it, you just can’t keep a good idea down...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51.

But the main point is that David’s eventual emphasis on makeup and glamour helped bring all the crayons out of everyone’s boxes and people who shouldn’t have really bothered, did. In the state that he was in in London that summer, Lou Reed was just not meant to wear black lipstick, yet he succumbed. When Iggy signed up for his brief stint with Main Man he dyed his hair platinum, and his guitarist James Williamson adopted the look that some have since described as “Futurama five and ten”...

It’s not only the “stars”, thq, public has been affected as well. Do any of you remember that great media moment when Jackie Curtis went on David Susskind’s TV show and announced to the bewildered host that in a few years little girls all over the country would be frizzling out their hair, painting their nails bloodred, and wearing verrry dark lipstick in order to look like her? Well, they may all think they’re looking like Bette Midler, but Jackie’s influence is in there somewhere, nonetheless.

In 1970 I was wearing what would now be considered a very mild shade of maroon nail polish,, and Atlantic Records’ Vice President Jerry Wexler laughed at it, dubbing it “Pitkin Avenue Red”. When I switched to a really tacky shade of black, there were people who literally freaked out. Since that time, millions of girls and boys all over the world have enjoyed the distinction of having their nails rot under four coats of Cabaret green, black, or Revlon’s “Cherries in the Snow”... you know, those great nail polish shades of the 1940s brought back for a re-run.

But nail polish is secondary. With trendy bisexual chic threatening to overwhelm fashion, more men than ever before are concerned with their faces. A good thing perhaps; for without.resorting to “Makeup For Men’' (a Beauty Biz hype that may never get going) or — god forbid — “Man Tan” (remember??), surely there are plenty of guys around who could do nicely with a dab of rouge here and there. And there’s no doubt that eyeshadow on one you’d least suspect of it could be very mysterious and sexy, it has absolutely nothing to do with drag, either. It is, as even the conservative power behind Premier Talent Agency Frank Brasalona is fond of calling it, “corrective” makeup.

Without getting into what “corrective” means, or Why Men Should Wear Makeup, I must add here that I believe there is Theater — there is Beauty — and then there is Horrendous. The Playhouse of the Ridiculous, which perhaps influenced Bowie and in turn other bands, was Theater. Wayne County is theater, onstage or off; he does it right and it always works. Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry’s attitude towards his own band’s makeup is that they treat it like a ballet troupe would; if you’re going under lights, you need makeup. The New York Dolls are all about rock and roll, and when they wear makeup, they wear it as part of their rock and roll theater. David Bowie does happen to have a great beauty face; when he performs he applies his makeup as art, he executes his show as his form of rock and roll theater, and it worked up to a point. He probably did know exactly how to quit while he was ahead...

BUT — as far as all these newer bands who are slapping the Maybelline and model shade on their faces to perform on stages from Kenny’s Castaways to turnpike bars in New Jersey,.. .PUHLEESE — there’s got to be someone who says it — where’s the discretion??, where is some semblance of taste??? (Now females may have had more experience with this particular form of self-adornment, but it’s no excuse. Whereas I don’t want to get into the motives for makeup here, merely the results — one should be able to apply this stuff without it ending up looking as if the job were done by a blindman. ..)

Lack of funds is no excuse either. All Woolworths, or theatrical drugstores, or places like New York’s Makeup Center on 55 th Street have all you could possibly want for under ten dollars. If I see one more aspiring superstar made up to look like a CAT, or some revolting owl... or stars mindlessly painted around the eyes, or that gooey black lipstick. , I really will throw up. Enough is enough, fellas. The point really shouldn’t be just to “Wear Makeup” and look hideous beyond belief; the point was supposed to be that one was visually enhancing a sense of outrage that was inherent in the music... wasn’t it? #