Happy House

The other night I went to see Siouxsie & the Banshees. But that's not all. I went to Disneyland too. And California Adventure. All in the same place, kinda. All within the "Disneyland Resort." Siouxsie was playing at the House of Blues, Anaheim - otherwise known as Downtown Disney. Really. I'm not joking.

I've been to Disneyland a HELL of a lot. My best friend works for the film studio, so pretty much his only perk is getting in for free and discounts on the food. (Not on the booze served in the California Adventure, mind you.) Disneyland is totally worth it for free and with discounts on the "food."

We rode Big Thunder Mountain, and lived. This is actually quite an accomplishment because a guy died on it about a year ago, and they've had two accidents since it reopened at the beginning of the summer. While it was closed, it was completely surrounded by a high wall covered with old western style drawings of horses and trivia about them. Total denial in the happiest place on earth.

Loads of stuff in Disneyland was closed because of its impending 50th anniversary, so we spent more time in the California Adventure park, which has a real live rollercoaster and actual alcohol. You can go upside down and get a margarita - no nos in Disneyland proper. Actually, the rollercoaster in this park is one of the best ones I've ever been on, and I'm an afficionado of rollercoasters. And the margarita is probably one of the weakest I've ever been served. Go figure.

There is also a ride in California Adventure called Superstar Limo, in the Hollywood section, of course. You are the superstar, and you are late to your first premiere! Heavens no! So the limo races past a sea of has been animatronic celebrities (Whoopee Goldberg, Drew Carey) until "If I Could Turn Back Time" era Cher waves at you and goes limp just as you approach her. Guess her timing is off... anyway, that ride, sadly, was closed.

We wound up at the House of Blues watching the happy goths enter to worship at the altar of Siouxsie. My friend and I were wearing yellow and beige with our jeans; I think there was maybe a total of 6 or 7 people out of the 500 or so there not wearing black. (We're such non conformists.) We also knew that we were most likely listening to Siouxsie before half the people there had even been born. Siouxsie came out in a very cool black and red chinese robe thing and her trademark eyes/ eyebrows and a nice feathery explosion/ hair clip kept her hair pulled back. She did some of her patented Siouxsie dance moves (lots of twirling and glaring) and at one point said, "Here we are... at Disssssssneyland. Disneyland. You know, we planned our whole tour so that we could play here at Disneyland. Welcome to the Fourth Reich!" Siouxsie is such a doll. She also dedicated the Creatures track, "Standing There," to any Disney employees in attendance. "Hey Creepos - I'm talking to you!" I didn't out my friend; I told him to feel lucky that she sang a song just for him.

The show was great fun; she looked and sounded excellent. They've been doing this for nearly 30 years, I'd hope they could put on a good show by now! She & Budgie were having fun and goofing around a lot. I think they take lots of happy pills these days, because there were no sad goths on that stage.