Section: Mickey Finn’s Corner

Hello Lippy lovers!!
It is with both sad and excited emotions that I say my goodbye and deliver my last entry to Mickey Finn’s corner.

The time has come to leave my beloved family here at Lip Service! However, I leave here much more enriched and thankful for my amazing 4 years being part of the LS family. I will now return to my music career full time with my band “Cold Blue Rebels” with lots of touring and planning of our second album already in the works. I’ll also be working on a new internet radio show called “The Final Mix” with my associate John Mahoney of Artistpr.com, and keeping busy in the entertainment and fashion worlds, so keep your eyes out for Mickey Finn I have lots more tricks up my sleeve.

First up will be a video shoot for CBR new single “Zombie Love” with our favorite multi media production team Plastic Hassle! We are looking for extras to fill our Zombie prom scene interested people will need to come in cheap disposable prom clothes (think thrift store cheap) and your best Zombie make up (we will have make up artists on shoot also) Tentative dates are 6/18 or 6/25 we will announce after we secure the venue for filming. Those interested can contact CBR via Facebook for more details as they come. The Ink and Iron festival 6/12 where CBR will play the Tiki stage at 5:00!

Once again, I can’t express enough what a great experience it has been working here at Lip Service!
Special thanks to my friend of over 25 years Mr. Drew Bernstein, and to the entire staff at LS for 4 of the most fun and rewarding times of my life.
Gone but hopefully not forgotten!
Fashion+Music=Life
Mickey Finn

Hello Lippy lovers!

Wow, it’s been a while since I checked in with you! The first of the year always flies by, with our back to back trade shows, and with the bulk of them passed, I decided to take a much-needed vacation from our beloved Lippy Land! Of course, workaholic that I tend to be, instead of relaxing on a beach sipping margaritas I headed out on a tour with my band, Cold Blue Rebels, for a tour of the Pacific Northwest which spanned 3 states and equaled 9 shows in 10 days!

The tour was shared with SOCAL’s the Rocketz and started on St Patty’s day in Oxnard CA, then a stand out performance at the world-famous Gilman St. in Berkeley, where every punk band has played over the last 30 years. This place is an institution which is all ages, non-profit, and aims to help keep kids off the street with affordable great shows and movie nights during the week. The crowd had lots of 12-13 year olds, eager to dance, mixed in with every age up to grey haired old punkers! Oddly enough, it hailed 4 inches in about 30 minutes, which was bizarre for Berkeley, but did not discourage kids from coming out to play! Although sales for plaid bondage pants have slowed recently at Lip Service, it’s clear they will return to popularity – as all the classic punk styles eventually do – with many kids that night enjoying their ’77 punk styles, most likely for the first time! Ahh to be young and discovering punk rock!!

On to Redding (CA), Salem (OR), Corvallis (OR), and 1 night off to party in Portland! The gang headed out to Devils Point, the first truly punk rock strip club I have ever heard of!! If you’re ever in Portland, you must check it out; fire breathing dancers and great Burning man style performers, it seems more like a club then a strip bar, with an equal mix of guys and gals plus bands sharing the stage on the weekends!

A great show at Queen of Hearts Saloon in Portland, then on to a show at Green River collage in Auburn, WA hosted by KGRG 89.9 DJ “The Pope” form Zorch radio, who did a great job and took good care of both bands. Down to Johnny B’s in Medford, OR, a great little Rockabilly/Punk bar, and a long white-knuckle drive down to Trinidad, CA for a gig at the Cher-Ae Heights Casino. That drive should have taken 3 hrs, but took 5 1/2 due to 175 miles of winding through the redwood roads in bad rain and fog!! They gave us 5 star treatment, which was great after days of bad road food and sleeping on promoters floors! Let me tell ya folks, 9 shows in 10 days covering 2500 miles is not a picnic and easily separates the weak from the road warriors!! Rock n Roll don’t pay like it used to and all should respect anyone willing to tough it out, even for a couple weeks!

Of course my Lippy Stretch Fuckin’ jeans and Service Greaser fit jeans held up night after night suffering brutal abuse. Spilt beer and fake blood can’t stop em’!!! I only brought 2 pairs to save space and, though a bit crusty (fabreez is da key), they still made my ass look good every night, LOL!!!!

We ended in Sacramento and then home feeling beat up, sore, and shabby, but somehow full of life at the same time!! Back to work and reality but, I must say, feeling very ALIVE!!! If you haven’t taken a road trip recently or ever (god forbid), do yourself a favor and get out there and do some traveling. There’s no excuse, you can do it in a weekend or a few days. Who knows, we might all be gone in 2012 anyway!! It’s never too late and you can even do it on a broke-ass budget. with summer coming, it will only be easier to sleep in your car, camp on the beach, and hotel prices are dropping lower all the time!

We meet so many cool and fashionable people in some of the most unlikely places and, sure, they might not be up to our Hollywood standards of the latest fashion craze, but how the fuck says we’re so cool anyway?!?!? I meet people with more spirit, heart and lust for life than on any given weekend at “said hot spot” in LA, and found myself actually wanting to have conversations with perfect strangers … imagine that! I managed to visit some of my customers’ stores while traveling, too, and some came out to see our band. I found a couple of new store potentials and spread some catalogs around for future Lippy customers!

Looking forward to a visit from Amelia X of Angelspit this week, who contacted me in need of some clothes for touring, plus will be meeting with a stylist to supply outfits for band Simple Plan. So, with Spring upon us and passing quickly, I say bring it on and let’s get back to what we do best in LA … showing skin, skimpy sexy outfits, spiked heels, fetish parties, outdoor concerts, Bats Day at Disneyland, trios to Venice beach … ahh not to sound like one of those California commercials, but seriously, we do ROCK!!!

Until next time, remember
Fashion+Music=Life!!!!!!
Learn it Love it Live it!!!
Mickey Finn

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Isn't it romantic?

Closet check!!

Well, the new year is off and running and it’s a good time to get a head start on spring cleaning. I know … UGH!!!

But, if you’re at all like me, your closet and every available drawer is overflowing with clothes you just can’t seem to part with. Look at it this way, anything you have not worn for the last 6 months is probably old news and there’s no point waiting for that rare moment when you might wear them again. Set them free and rid yourself of the ties that bind you!!

Whatever … it’s the best excuse to shop for new clothes!! I know money is tight for all of us, but getting yourself motivated to get out there and live life starts with looking good. Ever notice how when you go buy something new to wear, it’s the first thing that pops into your head when you wake up? Your outlook for that day, on your way to work, is nothing short of amazing!

Lippy invades Houston for the Halloween & Party Expo

So, just do it then!! And, here’s a great way to start!

Pack up a bag of “has been’s” and head down to Buffalo Exchange or some thrift store and cash that junk in!! Then, take the cash and buy something new. Remember, the more you let go, the better your shopping spree can be!! If you’re in L.A., (not be be favoritist or anything, but …) Lippy’s Bargain Basement is a great place (or www.lip-service.com if you’re not). Or head out to that store in your area you love to hit but seldom do because not having the cash to get something makes you too sad (because, this time, you’ll have a nice wad to play with).

Trust me on this you wont regret or miss the pack rat stuff at all!!

Lippy land has been crazy the past couple weeks, with a trip to Houston for the Halloween & Party Expo. We now have over 50 packaged costumes in our 2011 line and are set to represent our scene to the rest of the costume world in a major way this year and years to come. (There are a few more photos below with sneak peeks at more new costumes!)

The hottest Lippy look of the night winner. Congrats!

January 15th, we descended on Bar Sinister for a celebration of my band, Cold Blue Rebels, record release party with giveaways courtesy of Lip Service all night!! A best look contest was held, with the Lippy staff cruising the club unnoticed throughout the night. to select a winner presented onstage with a $100.00 gift certificate for the Lip Service  retail website, or at the Bargain Basement store. Blood Guts and Rock n Roll was the theme for the night and CBR delivered one of our best performances, ever. Big thanks to Tricia La Belle and the Bar Sin crew for making the night a big success!

This week it’s crunch time, once again, with the design team working feverishly to complete details for our big trade shows in London followed my Magic in Las Vegas, then the International Lingerie show back in Vegas again. All before the end of March … Yikes!!!

Well, it is painted on the wall of our Original Cult warehouse, “It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure”.
True, and an adventure ain’t always a vacation! But its always a trip!!
Until next time………….Fashion+Music+Life
Mickey Finn

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The Cold Blue Rebels’ “Blood, Guts N’ Rock & Roll” is finally available! You can pick up a copy at Amazon or download through iTunes.

Of course, there ‘s a killer party in the works. The guys are cooking up a frick’n insane night of Blood, Guts (REALLY … have you SEEN the live show?!?) and plenty of ass-kicking Rock n Roll! If you’re anywhere near LA on the 15th, you really want to make it to Bar Sinister for a sexy, gory night of psychobilly rock madness. Oh, and did I also mention, they’ll be giving out some choice Lippy swag, as well as a gift certificate for the webstore to the best Lip Service look of the night. So come on out, check out a badass rock show, do some rocking of your own in your hot Lippy gear. You might just find yourself with a nice little prezzie of more Lippy on the way home!

If you want to get a quick preview (plus a little something from Wednesday 13 of Murderdolls), you can download the first single, “Drenched in Black” at Box.net.
Preorder Blood, Gits & Rock N Roll

See you on the 15th!

The new Cold Blue Rebels album is just about ready to go! It’s set for release on Jan. 11, with a badass party to celebrate at Bar Sinister on the 15th!

You can make sure you get your hot little hands on a copy ASAP by placing a preorder with Amazon now. Preorder Blood, Gits & Rock N Roll

Until then, you’ll just need to satisfy yourself with the treat Mickey gave us for you … Enjoy!

The video for “Cold, Blue, and Beautiful” (by Plastic Hassle):

Cold Blue Rebels – Cold Blue & Beautiful from DesignerJim on Vimeo.

Well, December is here and, whether it brings you joy or gives you the blues, we all have to get through it to get to the biggest party of the year, the 31st! Although I have gone through years of bah humbug and anti Xmas days, I somehow or another have grown to be all good with the holiday season and all the sentimental memories it arouses in me. We all know times are tough, but most of us also have something to be thankful for. Be it family, friends, that special someone, or a new pair of Lip Service jeans, giving thanks for another year of life is something we all need to take the time to do.

That said, here’s a quick rehash of the last few weeks.

The LS design team has been busy completing our line for next year’s Summer and Fall seasons, as well as 25 new packaged costumes, which are on display at the International Halloween Show in New York City this week. Keep in mind, the LS retail website is the place for your one-stop shopping, with plenty of great deals and speedy shipping options to get you your gifts quicker than Santa!

November came and went with a calming trend in business here at LS as well as my music, with my band taking a few weekends after non-stop shows almost every weekend this year! The mandatory turkey was cooked, the hot cherry pie baked, and many cervezas helped ensure the food coma would sink us deeply into the couch for a long winter’s nap.

Not to be idle too long, the day after Thanksgiving found us on our way to Sin City for a gig at the notorious Double Down bar, celebrating 18 years being more punk than you! We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and, much to my delight, in the entrance they had a new display featuring Shawn White, Olympic gold medalist, from his Rolling Stone magazine cover shoot lighting his snowboard on fire while wearing his American flag Kill City Jeans, courtesy of The Original Cult!

Our show rocked, the rest of the weekend was complete debauchery, and the traffic heading home on Sunday was brutal, logging 8 hours but all worth it, as we had plenty of fun stories to exchange on our way home. Finishing the year for the Cold Blue Rebels, we have this Friday in Bakersfield, next Friday Fresno, and a benefit 12/18 for the Rocketz, who totaled their van on tour, with everyone walking away …  literally! They need new wheels! Then we will take a break until our record release party at Bar Sinister on 1/11/2011, which will be a fun party complete with Lip Service giveaways!

This week we have welcomed to our endorsement family the hard working Koffin Kats, hailing form Michigan. These guys tour constantly and, after playing a few shows with them, I can say they deliver a fun show every night! Enjoy the clothes, guys, and don’t stop ’til you’re in the grave!

Well that’s all for now. Enjoy the holiday season, be thankful for what you have, and remember … a little kindness can be the best gift to someone in need, as well as yourself!

Have a happy one and please drink responsibly and remember …
Fashion+Music=life
Mickey Finn

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Happy belated Halloween to everyone!!

I have survived yet another year and another monstrous month of October, the best month of the year, culminating with my birthday on the sacred day of All Hallows Eve!!! October is our craziest month here at Lip Service and, with the addition of our new sexy costume line, this year was extra nutty! Our shipping dept. was in overdrive and the late shoppers kept us busy until the last minute. We held our annual warehouse sale, which turned out to be the biggest event ever and we supported many Halloween parties with donations and giveaways.

My band, Cold Blue Rebels, played a staggering 9 shows and our lead dancer Angelic was recruited by Tricia at Bar Sinister to build props, help decorate, and create the best Equestrian vibe for their annual ball. So there was little rest, much stress, and tons of fun for a month that just about killed me! I hope you all enjoyed some of the great parties, such as the Das Bunker events and Bar Sin and, if you got to check out any hunted houses and such, you are luckier than me, as too much work kept me from partaking in much seasonal fun as that. Nonetheless, it was another memorable month and I have much to be thankful for!

Things here at LS have been crazy and we are running soooo behind it’s not even funny, but we have finally scheduled the photo shoot for the spring line/catalog for 11/12 with my old friend Alan Amato handling the camera this time around and, let me just say, he is AMAIZING!!! So expect greatness this time around!!! Our Steam Punk line is bigger and better then ever and Blacklist has some offerings that are way over par, as usual, a printed group called “Jardin Noir” will have the Victorian goths drooling, “Mortal Coil” will make any fetish fiend’s heart pound with delight!

If you have not heard yet, I have officially left my OG glam band Jetboy due to “irreconcilable differences”.  It seems we just grew apart, as they say, and I have my hands full with work and my new band, Cold Blue Rebels. Best of luck to the boys and I hope to share the stage with them again someday.

January 11 2011 is the official release date for CBR’s debut record “Blood Guts and Rock n Roll” on Horror High Records and we will host a record release party with live performance at Bar Sinister on 1/15/11 to celebrate.

Some highlights from our month of October shows were doing 2 shows in Arizona with The Creepshow and The Koffin Kats … both shows were off the hook with the “Zombie Prom” theme making the night extra special. Big ups to Wolf of AZ Rockabilly for working his ass off to the tune of 500-600 kids attending our show at Chasers in Scottsdale!! It was beyond packed and, with everyone dancing and crowd surfing, it must have been 110 degrees in there!!! Great vibes, great scene, and everyone was very cool with no fights or trouble to be found.

So, now its on with the rest of the holidays and a break from all the California heat and sunshine, so bring on the gloom and rain and please let it snow ASAP in time to dust off the snowboards and break out all the cool jackets and coats we can’t wear for most of the year. Besides, vinyl feels better, layers add to your club wear, and your make up doesn’t melt off before ya get to the club!!  Talk to ya soon!

Fashion+Music=Life
Mickey Finn

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October at last!!!

It’s my favorite month of the year, for obvious reasons; being born on Halloween has left me with an insatiable love of all things creepy!! Lots of scary, sexy, fun things to get into this month but, before we get into that, a quick update of the last few weeks.

I went to Lobsterfest at LA Port o’ Call. Outside of having to wait in line to get in and buy food and drink tickets (I know you’re already over it), it was a beautiful day with some great bands, The Growlers being my favorite! There was more seafood then you’ve ever scene in one place, as well as some funny-ass people watching. The lobster hats everyone seemed to “have to have” were hilarious!! And it’s hard for someone to turn their nose up to my punk rock crew when they’re wearing a most ridiculous hat!!!

Adam Green and wife Rileah in Step In Time for The Bloody Best Project

Lip Service had a booth at the International Lingerie Show at the Rio hotel in Las Vegas and, let me say, it was an eye-opening experience with enough Mam’s, Gam’s, and Beefcake to fill your head with daydreams for a year!! Lingerie models, both female and male, are an interesting breed. Though I can’t say I found myself enthralled in deep conversation with any of them, they are at least nice to look at (some of them), even if just to chuckle as they squirm in the deliciously devious high heels they’re required to prance around in all day at the show!!

As Lip Service delves deeper into the world of lingerie and costumes, it’s clear to me that, once again, we are the freaks at the party! Not that these folks are conservative, by most of our country’s views, but they have their ways and we (LS) do not fit squarely in that mold!! (Thank god). We have already started to shake things up and have the eyes of the industry following our every move! Hahaha! Even some of the bigwigs from Leg Avenue and others stopped by our booth for a friendly hello and quick look (taking mental notes no doubt) thru our lines, always complimenting on our style!! Well, we do mean to shake things up in the “Sexy” industry and who’s better at it than LS!!! Our Costume Vault costumes have been a huge success, with the early reports they are flying off the shelves!! Find them at a retailer near you and set yourself apart at this year’s Halloween festivities!!

Rileah in Step In Time for The Bloody Best Project

In other news, stylists for the hit show “Glee” have been making regular visits to Lippyland to make sure their stars are decked out in the best in alternative fashion, courtesy of LS. Disney’s “I’m in the Band” has also been outfitting their rocker boys with LS styles. Josie Stevens, wife of Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, stopped by today for some new sexy duds for her new reality show about rock star wives, “Married to Rock”, airing November 7th on E channel!! She looked great and is a perfect match for the sexy LS styles she picked out. It’s easy to see what’s kept Steve looking great! Hehe. That’s not it for rockers rocking Lippy. Bands Skid Row, Anti Flag, Megadeath, Lord of Acid and Black Veil Brides have all stocked up on new Lippy styles in the last month.

Also, Horror movie director Adam Green (of “Frozen” and “Hatchet” fame and the just-released “Hatchet II”) selected his and his wife’s outfits for their Fangoria shoot! He’ll be wearing our Step In Time steampunk buckle-front jacket, with his wife in the tea-stained lace top. Check out their photos in Step In Time by The Bloody Best Project! If you are a gore-freak and haven’t heard about Bloody Best Project, you should definitely pay a visit to their website. What could be better than the coolest people from the world of horror in gorgeous, disturbing, bloody photography? Not much!!

Well, I guess that brings us up the topic of Halloween and how awesome it is!!! With the best, sexiest, most creative parties, this is hands down the best holiday of the year. If you’re a horror/zombie/gore fan and have not made it out to see my Goth-a-Billy show with the Cold Blue Rebels yet, this month gives loads of opportunities with 9 shows! For all the dates, check out our MySpace page. Next Friday we’re at Webbers in Noho and 10/22 we’re at the Cat Club Sunset strip for all you Hollywood kids. We’ll be ending the month with a quick road trip to Arizona for 2 shows with The Creepshow from Canada, and a headlining set in San Diego on Sat. 30th. You don’t want to miss this one. We’ll be taking the stage at the stroke of midnight, when I will celebrate my B-day by spilling some blood guts and rock n roll, desecrating and disemboweling our zombie strippers in a psychobilly show ya just gotta see!!

My girlfriend, Angelic, is heading up the decorations committee for Bar Sinister’s Haunted Equestrian Bondage Ball and is building some amazing props, including a GIANT horse head with glowing eyes and smoking mouth which is currently residing in my living room. We will be setting Bar Sin up the week prior to Halloween but will be out of town for CBR shows that weekend, so please enjoy. We would be there if we didn’t have to go show Arizona what’s up and rock their asses off!!

I hope you all have a great month, as I know I will and please, let yer freak flag fly, let the creative juices flow, and don’t be lazy … you’re never too old to enjoy Halloween!!
Fashion+Music=life
Mickey Finn

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Hey Fashion Freaks, it has been a minute since I stopped the ride long enough to type some thoughts for my sometimes weekly column but, lo and behold, here I am doing just that!

In Lippy news:
The chaos leading up to our biannual market trip to debut our new lines has come and gone and we survived the trip to Las Vegas yet again. Long, hard days working the trade show and talking with hundreds of customers plus fierce party nights with all the fabulous friends from the fashion industry can definitely leave you exhausted and in need of a vacation but, after the show and brief weekend, we are back to work as usual. The Magic convention (Men’s Apparel Guild In California), founded in 1933, is one of the largest fashion/garment industry shows in the world and to witness it first hand is more than overwhelming!  This was my 8th time attending, so the novelty may have worn off but the wonders never fail to amaze me. There is clothing in an intense array of styles, from beautiful, artistic and inspirational to ridiculously tacky and overdone. We featured our new Steam Punk influenced booth and wrote orders as fast as we could throughout the 3 day show. Our friends at Pin Up Girl clothing threw a great party at the Tiki Bar, and the center circle bar at the Hard Rock is always a good place to meet and mingle with industry peeps.

If you have not gotten a chance to see our last couple catalogs Bryn Thomas our in house stylist and east coast sales rep, has been doing an amazing job coordinating the models, styling outfits, and  working closely with the graphic artists to put together what most agree are our best catalogs in years!! Kudos Bryn you rock!!

In Lippy-spotting news:
We floated free clothes to Lady Gaga and her crew when they came through town and they put us on their VIP list for the show! We have been sent pictures of Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Day sporting our skinny bright red junkie fit jeans while crowd surfing on tour. And our friends from LA hotspot Miss Kitty’s Friday night club have been making regular appearances at LS headquarters to pick outfits for themselves and crew. Last week’s Circus themed event was not to be missed!! You have to check out Miss Kitty’s for a good time!!!

Yesterday I got to work with costume designer Stacy Ellen Rich, who is currently working on costuming/styling for a movie called the Hounds of Hell, which will be featuring some LS styles! And the band Paramore will be wearing LS at this year’s  MTV VMAs.

And what’s up with me?
My Psycho band the Cold Blue Rebels have inked our deal with Horror High records, our official disc release date slotted for 1/11/2011, so we are working on meeting our recording and artwork deadlines while still playing shows around the west coast. FYI, our record release party will tentatively be taking place at Bar Sinister in January and our next local stop will be at the Cat Club (Sunset Blvd.) on 10/22, so mark your calendars.

Well back to work for me, until next time keep your closet full and your wardrobe fresh and remember………
Fashion+Music=Life!!!
Mickey Finn

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Hey Boyz n Ghouls,
Hope your weekend was fabulous!

see full size in gallery below

Highlights from last week include a visit from BMX madman Sean Burns, in town for the X games, who stopped by to chat about a possible Collaboration between LS and his new company for a custom skinny jean of his design. And to hang with me a bit, as it was the first time we have meet face to face after the last couple of years emailing back and forth. We have been sponsoring Sean with cool clothes for quite some time now!

Stoked on his latest endorsement from the “Service” mens wear line, we hooked him up with a nice box of goodies, toured around Lippy Land a bit, and he was on his way to the games for some shredding!!

I headed south to San Diego to visit some stores down there and had a great time cruzing the adult/stripper stores, which seemed to be plentiful!! I guess all that fun in the surf and sun equals lots of hot hard bodies equals lots of strip clubs!! Lippy loves dancers!!

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Saturday I went out to Santee for the 1st annual Socal Hellbilly Fest, which was a great success, and, of course, my band Cold Blue Rebels stole the night haha. Three Bad Jacks wasn’t half bad either and tons of Punkabillies were on hand to eat drink and burn rubber from noon till 2:00 am and then some at the hotel across the street from the event!! I love the SoCal Billy scene, which is a nice blend of people that like Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, Punk Rock and just a cool slick alternative lifestyle!

California is a great place to live with lots of culture and subculture but ya gotta get out of your box and open your mind to new things to experience it! So, come on people, its summer and it’ll be gone before ya know it. There’s some great daytime events happening every weekend, so put on your dark sunglasses and go get ya some!!
Fashion+Music+Life
Mickey Finn

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