Category Archives: EXCLUSIVE FEATURE

EXCLUSIVE FEATURE, ROCKIN’ EVENTS

NEON ANGEL

In September, the Sunset Strip welcomes back music icon Cherie Currie to rock the Rainbow.

If you were lucky enough to catch Cherie Currie‘s electrifying performance during “Ultimate Jam Night” at the Whisky a Go-Go back in 2023, you already know the woman doesn’t simply perform Runaways songs—she detonates them.

For a couple glorious hours, the Sunset Strip wasn’t in 2023 anymore. It was 1977. The air felt smoky. The guitars sounded louder. The ghosts of platform boots, leather jackets, satin corsets, and teenage rebellion seemed to be hanging around the Whisky like they never left. And honestly, where else could this happen?

Cherie Currie

CHERRY BOMBS AWAY: Cherie Curry at the Whisky, 2023. 🍒

One minute you’re dodging tourists taking selfies outside the Whisky, and the next you’re watching the original voice of one of rock’s most influential all-female bands tear into songs that helped change music history.

Now, Currie is returning to her old Sunset Strip stomping grounds when she co-headlines the Rainbow Bar & Grill’s annual parking lot party on September 6 alongside Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. That’s right—the voice of The Runaways and the voice of “Round and Round” sharing a stage on the Sunset Strip. Somewhere, every cassette tape from 1984 is smiling.

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EXCLUSIVE FEATURE

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

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The ‘devil’s horns’ is more than just a symbol in heavy metal–it’s a defiant salute and a badge of allegiance. But who truly created this iconic emblem of all things loud and unholy?

There are few things in rock ‘n’ roll more iconic than a crowd of sweaty, black-clad heavy metal fans, fists in the air, two fingers raised like pitchforks to the sky. The “devil’s horns” isn’t just a hand gesture—it’s a battle cry for those who choose to keep the flames of metal alive forever. A secret handshake. A tribal chant forged in distortion and molten metal. But who actually invented this worldwide symbol of all things hard, loud, and gloriously unholy?

With the legendary Black Sabbath set to take its final bow on July 5 in their hometown of Birmingham, England, there’s no better time to dive into the origins of one of heavy metal’s most enduring symbols: the iconic devil’s horns. Who truly brought this gesture into the heart of the genre? Let’s break it down.

Dio’s Bond with Fans Inspires Legendary Salute

Ronnie James Dio flashing the horns during a Black Sabbath concert.

The story begins—where else?—with Black Sabbath. And not, as many believe, with Ronnie James Dio. Long before Dio’s mighty pipes lured audiences to the Dark Side, it was Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler who first threw the horns. The year was 1968. The setting: a photo shoot for Sabbath’s earliest incarnation. The image? Butler curling his fingers into the now-infamous salute—middle and ring finger down, pinky and index finger up, thumb across the palm. Proof? You bet your leather pants there is. Geezer’s got the photo to back it up. No TikTok filters. No staged Instagram lighting. Just pure, proto-metal attitude caught on film.

Ozzy Osbourne giving a two fisted peace sign during Black Sabbath’s early days..

So, why does Dio get the credit? Well, credit where it’s due—Dio did for the devil’s horns what Jimi Hendrix did for the Stratocaster. He took an idea and turned it into a movement. When Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne as Sabbath’s frontman in 1979, he knew he had big (and bat blood-stained) shoes to fill. Ozzy had his peace sign—a groovy remnant of flower power days. But Dio? He wanted something different. Something darker. Something that screamed “I command the night!”

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