White Rapper Show, I Love New York, Monday Night Raw, ECW, NWA-TNA, Smackdown, Wrestling Society X, Deal Or No Deal, Engineering An Empire, O'Reily Factor, AMC, History Channel, Surreal Life, Big Love, John Hagee, BET, Scarborough Country, Hogan Knows Best, etc., etc.
Heroes
Tiger Mask (Sayama), Stan Hansen, Abdullah The Butcher, Dynamite Kid, Great Muta, Hayabusa, Ultimo Dragon, Tsatsumi Fujinami, Antonio Inoki, "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer, Jack & Jerry Brisco, Brett Hart, The Spoiler, Kerry & Kevin Von Erich, Sgt. Slaughter, Mil Mascaras, Black Jack Mulligan, Bruiser Brody, Road Warriors, Ivan & Nikita Koloff, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Fabulous Freebirds, Rick Martel, Bob Backlund, Ricky Steamboat, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Dusty Rhodes, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, A.J. Styles, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Brock Lesner, Honky Tonk Man, 4 Horsemen, Midnight Express, Bobby Heenan, Mean Gene Okerland, Luscious Johnny Valiant, Ted DeBiase, Bam Bam Bigelow, Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, etc., etc.
Tiger Mask (Mondo moved to the Knitting Factory)'s Details
Hollywood was under siege in the mid-1990's due to teen gang garage rock villainy known as Tiger Mask. Regenerating an interest in 50's and 60's "Trash" culture, Tiger Mask has spawned from the ashes of the pointless and uninspired drivel of the LA club scene. Giving sanctuary to the old guard of the garage genre and sparking life into a new generation of sleaze-crazed psychos!
Named after Satoru Sayama, All Japan Pro Wrestling's masked superstar, Tiger Mask was a premier event, showcasing rock and roll trash from around the globe. Packing masses of deranged lunatics, every gig led to a rabid following, undeniably confirming legendary status in the Hollywood club circuit.
Tiger Mask first took place January of '95, at the Benvenuti's Restaurant in Pomona, California. Since then, the event had moved to Los Angeles at the prestigious Hollywood Moguls, Bar Deluxe and an occasional stint at the city's premiere rockabilly-surf venue, The Garage.
This was the concept of booking agent, "Wreckin' Ralph" Carrera, who had noticed a growth of interest in the 50's and 60's trash culture in the early 90's. DJ of the now-defunct HBS Auditorium, he tested the showcasing concept in '93, with successful results. But due to an earthquake in January of '94, plans of any other events were put to a halt.
Later that year, "Wreckin' Ralph" (L.A. & Las Vegas Shakedown) joined forces with tycoon investor Rob "The Mick" Cunningham (Igor Spectre frontman) and "Ed Gore" Edgar Rodriguez (Guily Hearts/booker for the Scene) to put together what would be the first-ever Tiger Mask. It ran a few months as a record hop and raunch hangout for Pomona clubgoers.
In 1995, Ralph, Rob & Edgar moved the club to Hollywood. And, after an unsuccessful venture that lasted one month at The Union, Tiger Mask set it's sights on a soon to be infamous L.A. watering hole, Bar Deluxe. Here is where Tiger Mask really developed the atmosphere, booking and club psychology of what most who are farmiliar with these events, have come to know. Bands booked were different enough from each other, yet they still had a strong trashy R&B influence. The concept was to book for Rock N Roll fans, and not so much scenes. Mixing bills with Garage, Punk, Psychobilly, Surf, Rockabilly, R&B or any other style that would fall into the category of "Trash Rock".
Since October of 1995, Tiger Mask filled to the rafters every show at Moguls, Bar Deluxe, and The Garage. Other notes of interest to the legacy of the club was that it attracted a huge industry following. A&R reps for many record labels courted bands playing the Tiger Mask stage. Celebrities of all sorts were spotted frequently in the crowds. Julian Anderson (X Files), Rob Zombie, Daniel Ash, the Baldwin Brothers, WWF writer Ed Ferrara, and most notoriously, Chris Farley. Who, after attending one of our co-promotions of Johnny Legends's Incredibly Strange Wrestling, was so taken by awe of our event, he wrote a pro wrestling script for Saturday Night Live a week later.
Another feather in the cap for Tiger Mask were the many collectable posters put together by the ultra-hip, retro-exotica artist, Shag.
After a near 4 year absence, Ralph Carrera, along with Spike's Bar's hoodlum tastemaker, Brando Von Badsville, have decided to bring back the only event in the world where mods, psychobillys, punks, greasers, and trashhounds gathered together for a night of pure mayhem. This time, vowing to take Tiger Mask to a whole new level.
Tiger Mask had and has one goal only: To be the best garage rock n roll event in the world. Influenced by CBGB, London's Club Foot and The Scream, seeking to preserve the past and showcase the best and most innovative rock n roll acts of the future.
