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The Orange County Register
March 31, 1987

Major promoter's booking clout could help Confetti lure acts with a future New venue for new music Author: Jim Washburn

Managers of the Confetti nightclub in Orange announced Monday that it will be the latest county nightspot to institute a policy of presenting original music one or more nights a week.

Setting the club -- to be renamed Pretty Vacant on concert nights -- apart from other county venues is the involvement of Avalon Attractions, the largest concert promoter in Southern California.

Avalon, which also books the shows at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, will be the exclusive booker and producer of concerts at the the 560-capacity club, and intends the venue to be a showcase for the "cutting edge" of new-music bands, said Avalon representative Jim Guerinot. A 27-year-old county veteran who once booked the punk-oriented Ichabod's in Fullerton, Guerinot will be in charge of Avalon's bookings at the club.

"It's real exciting for us at Avalon to be involved at the front end of this business," Guerinot said at the club Monday. "A lot of the bands that will play here now will be playing at the Palladium and larger venues the next time around. We're interested in artist development, and this gives us an opportunity to work with bands at the developmental level, so we can see a band grow from the club level, hopefully up to the Forum. "

The venue will have a strong KROQ tie-in, using promotions on the new-music station and its DJs to emcee shows. "But we'll present a lot of music you don't hear on KROQ," Guerinot said. "We want to be on the cutting edge of where KROQ will be, not just following the KROQ bandwagon of what they're playing now. We want to get bands on their first time in the area or country."

The initial bookings in the club will include Concrete Blonde on April 15; British newcomers Red Lorry Yellow Lorry with Jane's Addiction on May 7; and The Mission U.K. with Balaam and the Angel on May 13. Club manager John Canova said it is the club's goal to have at least one major act a week. The booking emphasis, he and Guerinot maintained, will be to bring in name touring acts, on a par with the offerings of the Palace in Hollywood, and to utilize developing local talent in opening spots.

Ticket prices will be held to $10 in most instances, but, Guerinot said, "if a situation occurs where we were able to get the Bangles, say, or have Elvis Costello come in and do a special show, it's going to require more money."

Though those artists aren't projected to appear, Guerinot said the club should have no problem drawing quality talent. "A lot of people are happy that the same people that are producing Genesis at Dodger Staduim will be producing their club shows."

The capacity -- high for a club -- and Avalon's booking clout should be a formidable attraction for acts, but Coach House booker Ken Phebus and Goodies promoter Jack Richards said they aren't worried by the new kid on the block. "It's a big market here," Phebus said. "I don't think any competition is going to be unhealthy for anybody."

To accommodate its new use, Confetti has installed an enlarged stage and substantial renovations in lighting, with custom sound systems to be brought in on a per-show basis. Changes will also be made in the decor and room lighting to "de-discoize" the venue.

The only needed ingredient, then, is an audience. Though some up-and-coming new music bookings have fared poorly in the county, Guerinot is confident a vigorous promotion of Pretty Vacant shows will bring in the desired audience.

"You just have to let them find out about it. Everyone thinks it's all people with their heads buried in the sand down here, and they aren't. Kids are real hip in Orange County. There's a real active group pursuing what they want to hear, not just letting the radio dictate it. We're searching for an aggressive audience, the people who go in the record bins and look for new music. There's enough people of that stature in Orange County to support a place like this."

One group that won't be frequenting the club, though, are teen-agers, as the club has an only-21-and-over policy.

Guerinot said, "Having seen the Cuckoo's Nest, Ichabod's, Flashdance, Safari Sam's and all these clubs go down, I think it's an advantage, though not one I personally like to see, to have the club be 21-and-over. It's unfortunate that it has to be that way, but I don't think you can look at the history of Orange County clubs and not recognize that club after club has shut down or voluntarily closed when they aren't a 21-and-over situation.

"I saw the problems that existed in those situations, and we're taking every precaution to make sure they don't occur here. We plan on doing this here for a while. This is going to be one situation which is going to survive Orange County."