KIDS ROCK!
By ROBERT RATISH
Knight Ridder Newspapers
It's Sunday night in New York's East Village and 9-year-old Alexa Palminteri of Ramsey, N.J., rocks.
Alexa is Li'l Axl, the lead singer in Li'l Gn'R, an all-kids Guns N' Roses tribute ''band'' that sings over recorded favorites like ''November Rain'' and ''Patience.'' Ranging in age from 6 to 11, the group's members -- all from New Jersey -- were not even born when their namesakes began playing the Sunset Strip in the 1980s.
And although they are a G-rated version of the original -- their set list excludes songs with objectionable lyrics -- Li'l Gn'R knows how to put on a show.
Li'l Gn'R combines humor with a serious rock ethos. Its logo, an image of two toy guns shooting bubbles over a couple of roses, appears on their tour T-shirts, along with the motto ''Appetite for Instruction,'' a play on big Gn'R's most popular album, ''Appetite for Destruction.''
But ask someone from a Li'l Gn'R audience what they think of the group and you hear adjectives normally not heard at a rock concert.
''It's very cute,'' said Kate Westfall of Gainesville, Ga. ''I'm very excited to see Li'l Slash. He's precious.''
At the most recent show, the group took over the club Cinema Classics on East 11th Street. Before the performance, 6-year-old Joshua James of Jersey City, aka Li'l Slash, released a burst of energy, running throughout the club, jumping and letting out an occasional scream. His thick, dark, curly hair was a perfect match for the real Slash's trademark 'do.
Joshua even wears a hat like the real Slash, although he compares the look to another celebrity. ''I wear a big top hat like the Cat in the Hat,'' he said. Others in the group said Li'l Slash is their free spirit.
''Nothing can stop him from being a wild man,'' observed 11-year-old Dylan Gordon of Randolph, Li'l Steven Adler in the group.
''He's 6 years old so he can't hurt anybody,'' added Dylan's twin sister, Arielle, who plays Li'l Izzy Stradlin.
The group was founded in October by Mark Malkoff, a comedian whose homemade films are part of his show. Past films featured him trying to find a prom date in Times Square or get a Broadway celebrity to ride a Ferris wheel with him. His latest idea was to film his efforts to put together and manage an all-kids Guns N' Roses tribute band. ''I love kids and I love Guns N' Roses,'' Malkoff said.
About a hundred kids responded to an open casting call. ''A lot of kids came in with knowledge of the band, but we were just looking for kids who wanted to have fun,'' Malkoff said.
It was later that Malkoff got the idea to put the kids on stage.
So he tried to book a gig at CBGB, the legendary rock club in the East Village that launched the careers of such groups as The Ramones. ''No one ever thought they would book us,'' he said. But in January they did, and the group suddenly switched gears, learning their lyrics and becoming a live act.
Since then the group has received offers to play other venues. This summer they're booked at B.B. King Blues Club, a midtown spot that draws big acts.
The group doesn't plan to stop there. Arielle said she would like to play Madison Square Garden or Continental Arena someday. Until then, group members said they're content to play smaller venues where they can interact with the audience, which usually represents a mix of the parents who listened to Gn'R and their kids.
''The good thing is that kids can come to the show,'' said Alexa, a fourth-grader at Ramsey's Mary A. Hubbard School whose musical taste ranges from Guns N' Roses to the rap artist Ludacris. ''This little girl came up on stage while we were playing so I started dancing with her.''
Alexa's mother, Julie, said she and her husband initially had some doubts. ''We were a little leery considering Guns N' Roses' reputation,'' she said. ''Axl Rose is not exactly what you want your child to aspire to.'' But she said Malkoff has kept the show family-friendly, and the kids enjoy the chance to play rock stars.
As Alexa sings, Li'l Izzy Stradlin sings backup and 6-year-old Li'l Slash jams on the guitar, occasionally stopping to fix his top hat and shades. Li'l Duff McKagan strums along and Li'l Steven Adler pounds on the drums -- which, unlike the guitar playing, is real.
Seeing the audience react is a thrill for the band members. ''They yell and scream. They yell, 'Go Li'l Gn'R!''' Dylan said. ''I'm probably going to start my own band or stay with this one. I'm getting drum lessons.''
Known as much for their bad behavior as their music, the real Guns N' Roses still enjoys a great deal of popularity. Geffen Records recently released the band's first best-of anthology, and its classic albums remain big sellers. The Internet is awash in fan sites and although the group broke up in the early 1990s, tribute bands perform their songs all over the world.
Before their first performance, the kids got a crash course in being Guns N' Roses. ''We watched clips that showed us a brief glimpse of what their concerts were like,'' Dylan said. ''They're a great band. They rock the stage. It's amazing how they pump it up.''
The show features a film ''documenting'' the auditions for the band and Malkoff's efforts to teach them to act like a true rock group. In one scene he encourages them to trash a hotel room while downing bottles of chocolate syrup.
''And who cleaned everything up?'' Malkoff asked them.
''Mark did,'' Arielle said.
''For four hours,'' Malkoff emphasized.
As part of the act he plays the greedy band manager who reminds the group that this is all about making money. But in reality, Malkoff has developed a friendship with the kids. As Li'l Slash got ready to leave after the show, he threw his arms around him to give him a big hug.
''The kids have a good time. If they didn't, we'd stop doing this,'' Malkoff said. ''My philosophy is don't talk down to them. Make them feel included. I just wanted them to feel like this is their band.''
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