Semi Precious Weapons Rule Radio City

We were eager to see how Semi Precious Weapons would perform on the Lady Gaga tour at Radio City Music Hall this past weekend.

The glam-rocking, crowd-surfing band asked us to “make out, go crazy and pull out a tit” during their Webster Hall video shoot Friday night, but would Saturday’s show bring the same chaos?

As it turns out, yes!

Possibly more!

“Let me see some tits for this tote bag!” singer Justin Tranter ordered the audience, before tossing free merch into the crowd.

SPW performed jams like “Magnetic Baby” and “Put a Diamond In It” for the Gaga-esque set, also opting to share a story about the night’s headliner.

“The first time we played with Gaga it was 2006, 50 blocks downtown and there were about 12 people there,” Tranter said. “But we felt like superstars.”

“A couple of nights ago we got in trouble for feeding minors champagne,” Tranter added, then popping a bottle of bubbly and feeding it to anyone in a 50-foot radius of the stage.

“Rules shouldn’t stop you from having fucking fun.”

Semi Precious Weapons Shoot Video at Webster Hall

It’s been a great week for Brooklyn’s Semi Precious Weapons. The band just completed a four-night stand at Radio City Music Hall opening for Lady Gaga, and on their day off, trekked over to New York’s Webster Hall to shoot a music video for the Gaga-approved “Can’t Pay My Rent But I’m Fucking Gorgeous” Friday night.

“We wanted to make a New York City fucking party video,” frontman Justin Tranter told the crowd of glittered-up fans and friends. “So instead of hiring a bunch of ugly extras, we invited all of you gorgeous people.”

Poison Ivy brought back a few videos of the shitshow – keep in mind that it was an open bar, and Tranter instructed the audience to “make out, go crazy, and pull out a tit!”

We know for a fact all of those requests were honored, JT!

Don’t forget to FF to 00:36 to see guitarist Steve Pyne take an LOLtastic nosedive!

Semi Precious Weapons Join Lady GaGa for Monster Ball Tour

We basically peed our pants when we found out that one of our favorite bands, the glam-rocking Semi Precious Weapons, will be opening for Lady GaGa this fall on her Monster Ball tour!!!

SPW frontman Justin Tranter wrote in to Poison Ivy this morning to share his excitement:

“GaGa is a visionary,” he told us. “And we are honored that she had the vision to have our filthy rockNroll open up her evening of Pop/Electro/Performance art.”

We’re just as stoked, b!!

[Photo by Jeanine Onischuck]

Quote of the Day

“This Rascal Flatts song about how some bitch doesn’t need makeup is bullshit. Especially when Rascal Flatts wear full faces!”

–Semi Precious Weapons frontman Justin Tranter Tweets about Rascal Flatts’ “Fast Cars and Freedom”

[Photo by Jeanine Onischuck]

Semi Precious Weapons Serve Up "Sticky Champagne" at NYC Gig

The boys are back in town!

Our favorite glam rockers Semi Precious Weapons returned to NYC’s Hudson Hotel Saturday night for a blazing, high-heeled set that included never-before-played jam “Sticky Champagne.”

“Sticky with champagne, it’s okay, it’s your birthday!” frontman Justin Tranter screamed from the stage. (It actually was drummer Dan Crean‘s birthday.)

“Sticky” just might be SPW’s best song yet!!!

Spinning tunes before the set was Lady GaGa inspiration and resident DJ Lady Starlight (bottom photo), while Poison Ivy also caught up with our old friend Chet Cannon of Real World: Brooklyn (second to last photo).

Check out a snippet from SPW’s “Sticky Champagne,” below. Is this their best song yet?? Let us know what you think in the comments!

[Photos by Jeanine Onischuck]

New York Dolls Return to Their Roots

“This is beyond my wildest dreams,” New York Dolls frontman David Johansen said, as the Dolls took the stage at 315 Bowery (former home of CBGB and new home to designer John Varvatos) Tuesday night around 9:45.

It’s been 38 years, but the man’s still still got it. The 59-year old ripped through over a dozen jams with ease, rage, and (so what?) a little help from his lyrics sheets. The performance was in honor of the band’s newest release (Cause I Sez So, out yesterday), but the boys managed to pepper some rocking classics (“Trash,” “Stranded in the Jungle”) through the predominantly new set.

Varvatos, a long-time rock supporter and Dolls fan, opted to sync the performance with a live broadcast to his new Sirius Radio rock ‘n’ roll show, which also launched Tuesday.

Also supporting the boys in attendance were rock fanatic Rachael Ray, Semi-Precious Weapons frontman Justin Tranter, America’s Next Top Model winner CariDee English, handbag designer Jack Germain, and famed rock photographer Bob Gruen, who shot a Dolls documentary in the early ’70s.

Said Gruen:

“Life goes on and things change, but David’s the best entertainer around and the band is one of the best out there. I don’t live in the past, and I don’t think the Dolls do either.”

Semi Precious Weapons’ Rock & Roll Rager

“You all look fucking fantastic,” Semi Precious Weapons frontman Justin Tranter announced amid a performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex in SoHo Tuesday night.

“Luckily, no one looks better than me. If they did, I’d have them removed immediately.”

The glam rocker was performing at the launch of his very own Vamp Collection, an extension of his existing jewelry line, Fetty. And he got by with the help of a ton of celebrity friends.

Rock band Cinema Bizarre (on tour with Lady GaGa, top) showed up for the show, along with America’s Next Top Model cycle seven winner Caridee English. Project Runway season four winner Christian Siriano also came by, while Chet Cannon and Scott Herman from the Real World: Brooklyn chatted with Poison Ivy about their post-Real World plans.

Said Cannon:

“I want to do some music reporting, but I have to wait til my contract’s up with MTV [one year from now].”

“I also want to start a blog but I’m too lazy,” Cannon admitted, after we got on the subject of Poison Ivy.

Herman’s agenda is slightly different, with the reality TV star hoping to get into professional modeling or acting once his contract is up.

“I want to be a professional actor,” Herman said. “I want to be Captain America. I already have the shield at home.”

Tranter certainly felt like Captain America by the end of the night.

“I’m feeling amazing,” he told PI. “I feel like my brain threw up on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

Semi-Precious Weapons Tear Up NYC

Semi-Precious Weapons frontman Justin Tranter practices some heavy lifting during Saturday night’s gig at Highline Ballroom in New York City.

The Brooklyn glam band landed in New York amid a U.S. tour that Tranter tells Poison Ivy is “going so fucking well.”

“It was a perfect evening,” Tranter goes on. “New heels, 400 people through the door, and teenage New Yorkers losing their minds, singing every word.”

Check out SPW’s MySpace for tour dates in your city.

It’s a show not to be missed!!!!