Stormlargefans' Journals

Storm to join 2007 'Rock Star' tour

The Portland singer is the show's first non-winner to sign on for Supernova appearances BY ERIC BARTELS The Portland Tribune Sep 8, 2006 Courtesy of portlandtribune.com Two days after being eliminated from the reality talent show â�œRock Star: Supernova,â� Portland singer Storm Large has learned she has a job after all. Large was invited to join the Supernova tour for five weeks, starting January 16 in Florida. â�œIâ�™m the first rocker to sign on,â� she said. She and other former contestants will take turns fronting the house band from the CBS-TV show. On Wednesday night, a lead singer will be chosen for the band Supernova, which includes former members of the bands MÃ¶tley CrÃ¼e, Guns Nâ�™ Roses and Metallica. A publicist at CBS said it is not yet known which of the other non-winners will earn an invitation or what the band will be called. The tour also includes The Panic Channel, a group led by the showâ�™s host, former Janeâ�™s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. The five-week stint will include a date at the Rose Garden in Portland, Feb. 18. The talented rocker sounded well-rested in a Friday morning phone call, despite a continuing whirlwind of publicity obligations. She taped an episode of â�œThe Ellen Degeneres Showâ� Thursday that is set to air on Monday, according to the the network. The Portland lounge star thinks the show went well. â�œI was so exhausted and whipsawed, I canâ�™t believe I was there,â� she said. The network is busy shopping Large and expects she will make more appearances. â�œThereâ�™s a lot of interest in Stormy,â� said Mary Beth Oâ�™Toole, publicist for the show. Large said both the stars and producers of â�œRock Star: Supernovaâ� have indicated their support for whatever she decides to undertake, including an album project. â�œThe guys in Supernova raised their hand, Dave Navarro raised his hand,â� she said, â�œItâ�™s gonna be a great record.â� Her original song, â�œLadylike,â� which she performed on the show Tuesday night, has opened some eyes. â�œâ�˜Ladylikeâ�™ is a smash. People are going crazy about that song,â� Large says. â�œThat gives me quite a bit of leverage. Iâ�™m basically having a lot of lunches. Iâ�™m gonna have to talk with some of the executives from the show. â�œIâ�™ve got a whole bunch of my own songs â�“ Iâ�™ve been underground forever. Theyâ�™re gonna want to hear the other songs that I have. I know I have more hits. They need to know I have more.â� Bring it on Empowered by her 12-week run on â�œRock Star: Supernova,â� Large says she is not ruling anything out, including TV and films. â�œIâ�™m totally open to that,â� she says. â�œIâ�™d love to get a theatrical agent. Iâ�™m working on all kinds of angles. â�œAt this particular moment, I have my hands on the reins, I got through this incredible maelstrom. Now Iâ�™m at a place where there are many doors in front of me. I am also free to pursue something bigger and better for myself.â� The 37-year-old Storm and the Balls frontwoman says her loyalties remain with her Portland band, which includes love interest Davey Loprinzi, who goes by Davey Nipples as a musician. â�œMy highest aspiration is to get my own music out there, have my Balls come and play and tour the world,â� she says. Large says she sensed her run on the show would end Wednesday night despite a commanding performance that aired the night before. She cranked out a rousing cover of David Bowieâ�™s â�œSuffragette Cityâ� with Navarro behind her, then delighted the crowd with her original, â�œLadylike.â� â�œI felt like I was going to walk off the show,â� she said. â�œI was really, really calm. It was bittersweet, but mostly sweet. â�œThose legendary musicians gave me so much respect. I am incredibly grateful. It was really exhausting, but so fantastic.â� Who will triumph on â�œRock Star: Supernova?â� â�œLukas,â� she says, seemingly confident in her choice. â�œHeâ�™s got an androgyny that I love. I think heâ�™ll be fantastic.â�

Nocturnal Admissions- TV Review, Storm leaves Rock Star

By D.K. Holm Courtesy of quickstopentertainment.com Â So Storm is gone.Â And itâ�™s kind of a relief. For one thing, watching the show is no longer necessary. It makes for two and a half less hours of TV to watch next week. And second, careful scrutiny of the program made it clear that Storm has been yearning to get off it for weeks. No longer will she have to tout the sponsors in her spontaneous â�œrealityâ� dialogue or act â�œsurprisedâ� if Dave wants to back her up on a song. Except that apparently one never truly â�œleavesâ� this show. A member of the showâ�™s rejects will be voted by the viewer to return for the finale; and there will be a Rock Star tour with House Band. Like many other followers of Rock Star, Iâ�™m fairly confident that Toby is going to â�œwin.â� The Australian lad has been something of a dark horse, who didnâ�™t really emerge as a front runner until the field was greatly reduced. Also, I think that Storm made it her project to groom him to win, giving Toby secret counseling and stage tips. His act is much more lively now, mimicking Stormâ�™s brazen audience participation. Also, Tobyâ�™s original song was better than any of the Super Nova originals. Theyâ�™ll need that. It must have been a great disappointment to Mark Burnett that most of the rock star aspirants got along so well. The only one who really fell for the â�œrealityâ� TV manipulation was Dilana, who still thought it was a contest as late as three weeks ago, and not an audition show. But the producers didnâ�™t understand that either. People donâ�™t tune in to see the â�œrealityâ� drama. Theyâ�™re tuning in for performances by a group of highly if unevenly talented professionals. Variety shows were common during the early years of television but today they have to be sneaked on in the guise of a competition or audition, and itâ�™s clear now that if the show is highly focused, as in this case, on rock and roll, or what passes for rock and roll, it will drawn intense attention from a deep segment of the much coveted young audience. In the local media here there was a Storm Watch on the local CBS news affiliate, there were nightly broadcasts of the show episodes in Danteâ�™s, the club where Storm and the Balls played every week, and numerous interviews in the Storm-whoring local press. Presumably she will return to Portland, but why bother? Sheâ�™s too big for the town now, which she is not really â�œfromâ� anyway (sheâ�™s only lived here for four or five years). After all, Storm emerged as the real star ofÂ Rock Star, and her fame, a long time coming, could go in many different directions right now, toward more TV, or movies, a record deal, whatever she wants, even writing a book, at least right now, while sheâ�™s hot. I wonder if Warren Beatty has called her yet, the ultimate sign that a female personality has arrived. Speaking of which, recall Beattyâ�™s comments about Madonnaâ�™s life on screen in the rockumentaryÂ Truth or Dare? StormÂ is the new Madonna, perfectly comfortable in front of the camera as it records her life. Sheâ�™s the harbinger of a new age, the post-television child, grown to womanhood as an â�œobjectâ� who has seized back â�œthe gazeâ� that the ladies in the quarterlies talk about and owns it.

"I Did Win" - An Interview with Rock Star: Supernova's Storm

by Jenn Brasler -- 09/08/2006 Courtesy of foxesonidol.com Despite her best efforts and positive fan response, Storm was unable to hold on until the final four. Obviously her fans still love her - her website has received so much traffic that it crashed! Read on to find out who Storm thinks will win, how she avoided the drama in the house, and the story behind her name. FoxesOnIdol: Hey, how are you? Storm: Good. How are you? FOI: Iâ�™m good. Weâ�™re not supposed to be talking right now. You were supposed to win. Storm: Iâ�™m sorry, baby. I did win, you know? FOI: Yeah, you did. You definitely did. Were you surprised to be eliminated? Storm: No. I felt like it was coming for me. And you know what? I couldnâ�™t have asked for a sweeter exit. They were so nice. It was just beautiful. It was a big freaking love fest, for heavenâ�™s sakes. FOI: You probably get asked this question a lot, but I just have to ask you the background behind your name. Storm: Itâ�™s the most boring story ever, just so you know. My brothers got family names. I have two big brothers, and when they came along, they got, you know, the grandfather and the uncle, you know, heritage-type WASP-y names. And then my mother was told she wasnâ�™t going to be able to have any more children, and she really, really wanted a daughter. And then they got pregnant, here I am, and she wanted to name me something special and different. And so she had a good friend who lived up the street named Stormy. She thought it was the coolest name ever and so she gave it to me, not considering my last name and the years and years of ridicule that would fill me with hate and rage and ultimately channel it into a life of being an artist. FOI: It worked out for the best, though. Storm: It worked out for the best, but itâ�™s taken me nearly 40 years. FOI: Can you tell us some of the background of â�œWhat the What is Ladylike,â� like when you wrote it and what inspired it? Storm: Iâ�™d had the lyrics in my head for a long time. Sometimes songwriters just have lyrics with no music; either you write them or you keep repeating them in your head. They just kind of haunt you - or maybe itâ�™s just the voices in my head that are telling me to burn things more often. But sometimes they come up with really good music, too, the voices. But the lyrics were going on and I got a good riff, and so then it came out. And the lyrics were there because my mom wasnâ�™t really around growing up. She was mentally ill and in the hospital most of my life. I was raised by men, two big brothers and a big Marine father. And so I grew up kind of tough and I grew up kind of fast, but Iâ�™m still, you know, very womanly. And Iâ�™ve had people call me masculine or manly as if itâ�™s derogatory or anti-female. And in my opinion, whether you sit down to pee or you can write your name in the snow, it shouldnâ�™t describe who you are in terms of your characters. And people saying, â�œYouâ�™re not a ladyâ� is kind of saying, â�œWell, youâ�™re not being feminine and quiet; therefore, youâ�™re not really a very good person. Youâ�™re not a good woman.â� Which is utter crap. Itâ�™s kind of like a man who cries is not a man, thus taking male attributes and female attributes, and when theyâ�™re applied to one another, they become derogatory. And thatâ�™s just a bunch of crap. So thatâ�™s been sort of the story of my life, being big and strong and having that getting me through the trials and tribulations of being big and strong. FOI: Do you think that the whole situation with Dilana got blown out of proportion? Storm: Yeah, I do, actually. I think Dilana is a beautiful human being, and I love her and I support her. She isnâ�™t a backstabbing person. What she is is a spontaneous and impulsive person, and thatâ�™s what makes her so entertaining to watch. Sheâ�™s also very competitive as an athlete, and that can be misconstrued as calculating, maybe, or aggressive. And I would love to take any one personâ�™s life, put it on camera for a month, and then take one little wedge of it and air it around the world. And in this short attention span society, youâ�™re judged on the last thing that you say or that you see. And to judge somebodyâ�™s character based on a handful of sound bites - granted, they werenâ�™t positive, they werenâ�™t the best things, and she acknowledged that she made a terrible mistake. But to color her entire personality and character based on that I think is ludicrous. Sheâ�™s a wonderful human being and I love her. FOI: You mostly seemed to avoid the drama in the house. How did you manage to do that? Storm: Iâ�™d go to bed. (laughs) FOI: Did you find it distracting at all, especially considering that you had to live with your competitors? Storm: Yeah, it got distracting. It got tiring. But, you know, itâ�™s a high-pressure situation and we all deal with it differently. I would go to bed or I would go to the gym or I would work on songs and play my guitar or my bass. There were ways to get away. Youâ�™d have to deal with it sometimes, and when you did, you did. I grew up with a mentally ill mother, and if you think thatâ�™s dramatic, Iâ�™ve really been in a nuthouse before and thatâ�™s nothing. FOI: Which of your performances was your favorite? Storm: My favorite performance was performing â�œLadylikeâ� for the world. FOI: Do you regret anything about your experience? Storm: I have no regrets of anything. FOI: Are you rooting for anyone in particular to win? Storm: Iâ�™m rooting for them all to win. In terms of who I think will be the singer of Supernova, it would have to be Mr. Lukas Rossi. But I think every single one of us is coming out of this situation bigger, stronger, and better than we came into it. FOI: Do you think that Supernova believes a woman can front them? Storm: I think they do, and I think they really did have a lot of faith in a lot of the women that were here. But in terms of public opinion, I think it could be that a woman fronting Supernova would not be a member of their band; it would be more like a woman fronting Supernova, because no matter how good you are, no matter how tough or strong you are, no matter how much they love you, thereâ�™s going to be that gender difference. And theyâ�™re looking for that fourth member. Not that Debbie Harry was a fourth member or not part of the band, or Chrissy Hynde is not part of a band, but thereâ�™s a definite standoutness. Otherwise there would be no term â�œchick singer,â� you know what I mean? Front person, front woman. I myself consider myself a front man, but by virtue of me being a woman, I would stand apart from the rest of the guys, and I think theyâ�™re looking for a fourth member. But they were totally open to having a woman front them. FOI: What are your plans now? Storm: Iâ�™m going to record a record and tour the world. And Iâ�™m going to fake my own death and buy an island. FOI: Awesome. Is there anything else you want to say to your fans and to our readers? Storm: Tell them thank you, thank you, thank you, and copy it and paste it, like, 9,000 times. I felt the love and I felt the support, and it got me through this crazy time, and Iâ�™ll never be able to thank everyone individually enough. And you guys will all see me out there very soon, I promise. FOI: Well, thank you, too. I hope to hear more from you in the future. Storm: You will, I promise!

The Storm Report: Rock You Like A Hurricane

Courtesy of localcut.wweek.com

Storm Large is in the seventh inning stretch.
â�¨One of the last seven contestants remaining on Rockstar: Supernova it will be just a matter of weeks, and maybe even days, before we find out if Portlandâ�™s most notorious rock-chick/lounge-core singer ends up fronting a rock band that will include Motley Crueâ�™s Tommy Lee, and some other rock dinosaurs, or if sheâ�™ll be heading home, back to P-town, to a response that might rival the Blazermania that swept the city way back in 1977.

For now though, the 37-year-old buxom blonde is sitting poolside, in Los Angeles, at the mansion where the â�œrockstarsâ� are sequestered when theyâ�™re not performing at a downtown L.A. club in front of a world-wide television audience. Itâ�™s Monday, the day after she taped this weekâ�™s installment of her reality show. And sheâ�™s taking calls from the press, including me. Hereâ�™s our conversation.
Storm Large: What a nice surprise! I was drinking tea by the pool with Mary Beth, the publicist, and I get aâ�”

Queer Window: Can I cry now? Iâ�™m so happy to talk to you.

Oh, donâ�™t cry, honey! Itâ�™s awesome. Iâ�™m doing good. I get spanked now and then. But you know meâ�”I fucking love spankings.

I know you love spankingsâ�¦so letâ�™s get to spanking you with some questions. Youâ�™re probably the biggest blonde competitor to come out of Portland since Tonya Harding. How does that make you feel?

Swollen and ugly? No, I feel great. Iâ�™m proud to represent PDX.

On Sunday, Pope Benedict said, â�œtoo much work can be bad for you even if you are the Pope.â� I was wondering â�œall work and no play makes Stormâ�¦.â�

Ridiculously horny.

Once this show is over Iâ�™m sure youâ�™ll be offered a chance to pose nude in Playboy. Will you do it?

I donâ�™t know. I donâ�™t think so. Itâ�™s good publicity, but Iâ�™d rather be interviewed by Playboy. And have them review my record. The album artwork would, of course, have scantily clad pictures of me.

There are plenty of scantily clad pictures of you out in the public already. As you said to Tommy Lee, all you have to do is Google your name.

Well, yeah. I have no problem with nudity or nude pictures. I never have. I grew up long and lean and somewhat better looking than I was when I started in entertainment. But when I became chubby, dirty and fucking grunged-out I still played shows topless. I still feel like that dirty, kind of chubby guy that I picture myself as when I started playing music, only Iâ�™m a little bit thinner with breast implants. Itâ�™s a different deal for me now. I have to be careful with my sexual appearance.

Isnâ�™t that fucked up, though?

Yes, it is. Itâ�™s a double standard, and itâ�™s messed up, but it is what it is, and I get it. I donâ�™t like having to guard myself in that way, but the one thing I do have is my mind. I never make apologies for the person I am. Iâ�™m willing to accept my weaknesses and work on themâ�”publicly, obviously. If people think Iâ�™m on the show because Iâ�™m all â�œtits and ass,â� all they have to do is listen to me for five minutes. If they donâ�™t get it, they can go back to their fucking trailer.

How much you have to tone down the Storm that Portland knows for your television audience?

I donâ�™t. Thereâ�™s a lot of editing that goes onâ�”have you been to a taping yet, Byron?

I have not.

Thereâ�™s a lot of editing that goes on. The (producers of Rockstar) need to make a story. The story they have decided to project is where you see me falling. Iâ�™m always representing myself. And Iâ�™m always being myself. But Iâ�™ve been really struggling with oneâ�”actually there are two things. Physically, I struggle with how theyâ�™re trying to style and dress me. Iâ�™m more comfortable playing rock music wearing Chuck Taylorâ�™s and tight pants and a little dress. I like to rock out and sweat and be disgusting.

Like you were at the beginning of the season,

Right. They are trying, to quote a stylist, â�˜to get me to lose my dick.â�

Wow.

I was like, â�˜you can have my dick, but you canâ�™t take my balls.â�

Wow. That probably came from a gay guy, right?

Yes. I love him.

Gays are the only ones who get away with saying that.

Exactly. Iâ�™ll pick something out, and heâ�™ll be like, â�˜Storm, are you sure you sure you donâ�™t have a dick?â�™ And, I was like, â�˜I totally have a dick, and itâ�™s huge!â�™ He loves me, but he just wants me to look good on TV. And thatâ�™s fine. But this week, I hit the wall. After (Sunday nights) taping I said, â�˜Iâ�™m not wearing these shoes again. And Iâ�™m not wearing this thing again. When I play my show, Iâ�™m going to dress like I would dress if were I in my rock band. And it isnâ�™t like this.â�™

Youâ�™ve had to change to conform to the standards of these American Idol stylists, right? Are you ready to throw a mini-revolt?

No. Style and fashion has always been my Achilles heel. I was a fat girl. I was very uncomfortable with my body most of my life. I was picked on. I had no boobs. And I was really big. I didnâ�™t have a mom, so I didnâ�™t have anyone telling me how to dress. I wore my brotherâ�™s clothesâ�”my fatherâ�™s clothes. Fashion is just something that gives me a rash. When I have to go out and shop for clothes, in equestrian terms, I refuse the jump. The (stylists) get me in the middle of a store, and Iâ�™ll just put my hooves in the dirt and freeze. But Iâ�™m getting better.

So what about your tits and ass?

They want me to show more of my body. Theyâ�™re like, â�˜look, you have a beautiful body, thereâ�™s absolutely nothing wrong with you showing some of it,â�™ and I go â�˜No, Iâ�™m not going out like that. No. I am a fucking singer. I donâ�™t want to go out like that.â�™ Tommy Lee keeps saying, â�˜I want to see you naked.â�™ Thatâ�™s Tommy. He says that to everybody. He even says that to the boys. (But) heâ�™s a sweetheart. The biggest emphasis Iâ�™ve gotten out of this whole thing is to be yourself. Iâ�™ve just got to put my foot down and say, â�˜Iâ�™m wearing my Chucks, my jeans, and a tight wife-beater.â�™ And, goodnight Francine, thatâ�™s what Iâ�™m doing.

You look skinny. Really, like, oh, my gawd.

Just for the record no one has told me, â�œYeah, Storm, you really need to lose some. You should work out more.â� Living here, because itâ�™s so hot, I drink water and work out a lot. But I donâ�™t work out as much as I used to. Iâ�™m much less muscular than I was when I left Portland. Iâ�™m probably around 148 right now, and Iâ�™m normally a healthy 155.

The Mansion seems to be kind of a prison. Do you ever get to break out from it, or are you on constant lockdown?

Weâ�™re on constant lockdown, unless weâ�™re taken out on press outings, private parties and events where we need to be seen by the public, and not necessarily red-carpet events. They want us to go out and represent Rockstar and Mark Burnett (the showâ�™s head honcho whoâ�™s also the mastermind behind Survivor). Weâ�™re not allowed to leave, mingle, or be free. We really are locked up. Iâ�™m only allowed two 15-minute personal phone calls a week. Thatâ�™s been the hardest thing about being separated from youâ�™re family.

The media seems to have been pretty intrusive about your life. How does it feel to have the media talk about your sex life?

Are you talking about Lee Williams? [In the Aug. 20 Sunday Oregonian, Williams not only reported about Stormâ�™s â�œconjugalâ� visit from her boyfriend and Balls band-mate, Davey Nipples, but he also â�œannouncedâ� their engagement]. My boyfriend is pretty upset about that.

It was weird, to tell you the truth.

I love Lee. Heâ�™s a sweetheart, but Iâ�™m pretty upset. Davey had asked my father for permission to marry me. I thought that was very sweet and was foolishly talking to Lee as a friend. Thinking back I should have told him it was off the record, but I said, â�œYeah, Iâ�™m totally gonna marry him, I love him.â� The Oregonian printed it, even though Davey had not yet talked to his mother or father, his uncle, his sister about it. He was getting angry phone calls from his family all weekend. Theyâ�™re reading the paper, of course, because theyâ�™re so excited for me. And theyâ�™re like, â�˜how could you do this? All of Oregon knows, and you didnâ�™t tell us.â�™ I thought it was inappropriate, but Lee is so excitable.

If youâ�™re the mom of this group, as other reports have said, what is the most parental thing youâ�™ve had to do, and to whom, and why?

The very first week my roommate, Jenny, had food poisoning and she was deathly ill. It was our first song selection and the first time we were going to make an impression on the world. I spent the whole time running back and forth making sure she was all right. We didnâ�™t know each other. I didnâ�™t know anybody. And for all I knew people were going to be aggressiveâ�¦ but everybody was cool and supportive. The other timeâ�”and I wonâ�™t name namesâ�”was when we were out on a press junket. One of the contestants was completely shit-faced. I had to keep an eye on her and keep her from shooting herself in the foot with her comments. I had to sort of watch and take care of her.

Tell me what itâ�™s like to stand in front of three guys and the world and be judged every week.

Itâ�™s pretty much one of my biggest fears. You know me, I get up and I rule. Thatâ�™s my life. But this is like, Iâ�™m going to get up and rule, and they might not think so. This is a very specific thing that theyâ�™re asking me to do, and I may not be exactly what they want. Whereas, in my normal life, I am what everyone wants.

Was the stage-dive your idea or not?

It was my idea. It was a bummer really. Becauseâ�”itâ�™s cheesyâ�”they said, â�˜we heard about your idea, and you need to tell us if youâ�™re doing it.â�™ The most un-punk-rock-like thing is to say, â�˜Yes, Iâ�™m gonna plan it, itâ�™s gonna look like this.â�™ I said, â�˜I donâ�™tâ�™ know. Just be prepared. And have some big guys in the front. Thatâ�™s all.â�™ I said, â�˜if I do it, Iâ�™ll do it, and thatâ�™s it.â�

Who has the most to lose by not winning this thing?

The most to lose? I think Lukas or Dilana.

Dilanaâ�™s an interesting character because I feel like she copies you. Thatâ�™s just my impression, but she watches you, and thenâ�”I feel like she steals your stuff. But, still, you seem to be really close to her on the show.

Yeah, weâ�™re friends.

Why do you think Lukas and Dilana would have the most to lose by not winning this show?

I think because they have the most invested in winning. Lukas is a brilliant songwriter and an incredible singer. I know he can kick ass doing whateverâ�”but I donâ�™t think heâ�™s got a band right now, and I donâ�™t think he needs one. He got a real bad rap at the beginning of the show, but he is so sweet, and incredibly funny. I donâ�™t know if you get to see how funny he is.

We pretty much get to see him as the asshole.

I know they probably spin it like that, but he is a fantastic human being and I will always love him. And I canâ�™t wait to buy his records if heâ�™s not in Supernova.

I have this theory. Actually itâ�™s a picture tacked up in my office cubicle. In it youâ�™re in a hot tub surrounded by all the other contestants. Everyone on your left side is still on the show. But there is only person on the right side of you that hasnâ�™t been kicked off. And thatâ�™s Magni. So the next person to get booted should be him. Thatâ�™s my theory. Do you have any theories on how this thing works?

I donâ�™t know how it works. I think itâ�™s a brilliant way to establish a rock band, because itâ�™s the biggest three-month-long test market youâ�™ve ever seen. Theyâ�™re throwing people out there to see how the world responds to them. Whoâ�™s going to be embraced as the lead singer of a band nobody has ever heard ofâ�”full of rock stars? I think theyâ�™re throwing us against the wall to see how we stick. And I think people have been sticking, and now theyâ�™re starting to slide off. Not because they arenâ�™t good enough, not because they arenâ�™t good-looking enough, but just because the world has not embraced them the way they have a handful of others.

Is this a good test-market for Storm and her fame? Because your fame is in Portland. Youâ�™re not â�œrock star famousâ� in the rest of the world. Are you getting a better idea of what you want from your life out of this experience?

Absolutely, if I donâ�™t win thisâ�”I mean, obviously if I win this Iâ�™m going to be very busy with Supernovaâ�”but if I donâ�™t win this, itâ�™s very clear to me what I want to do and in what time frame I want to do it. Television fame, especially reality TV, is very flash-in-the-pan, â�œwhere-are-they-now typeâ� fame. But itâ�™s still some very wide publicity for me that I can definitely use to my advantage. Whether people love me or hate me, they probably know my name in corners of the world where I havenâ�™t even been yet. And so if I donâ�™t win, Iâ�™ve got to hit the ground running and put out my independent record. I have great songs that have been sitting here for a long time. I want to record it, release it. And maybe do some filmsâ�”if I can get a film agent. Iâ�™ve got to strike while the ironâ�™s hot. Iâ�™m giving myself one week to recuperate, to rest, to relax, and then, BAM!, Iâ�™m in the studio, or meetings, or whatever.

Has this changed your work ethic?

Definitely, itâ�™s given me a whole new perspective on time-frames, deadlines, how to work under extreme pressure and extreme time limitations. Itâ�™s a really good brain exercise and a really good nerve exercise. Itâ�™s not like youâ�™re in a control group and they say, â�˜this is your task, this is the amount of time, and weâ�™re going to get it all done and weâ�™re going to get results in two hours.â�™ Itâ�™s that, and by the way, the world will be watching.

What to you say to your fans back in Portland who miss you so fucking much and want you to come home as soon as possible?

I miss them just as much if not more soâ�”Howâ�™s Danteâ�™s by the way? They get to see me all the time, and even though they canâ�™t reach out and talk to me, and Iâ�™m not playing the songs that they would want me to be singing, I miss them. But hey at least get to see me. Well, the LumberJax (a Portland lacrosse team) were at the taping last night.

Thatâ�™s great!

So youâ�™ll see me sporting a LumberJax T-shirt.

Any other surprises for this weekâ�™s show?

No, not that I know of. Weâ�™ll see.

It was so hard to listen to what they said to you after â�œI Will Survive.â� Iâ�™m not worried about you surviving. I think youâ�™re going to do a fucking great job. I just want you to do what you want to do.

Thatâ�™s basically what Iâ�™ve been doing. The one thing I havenâ�™t done is really stand up for myself. I always take care of everyone else first. And thatâ�™s a good thing in life. In music and in business itâ�™s not such a great thing. But thatâ�™s who I am. If being compassionate is going to screw me up in business, so be it. You can still be compassionate, and still stand strong for what you believe and what you want. And thatâ�™s going to be my toughest lesson in this whole experience. Hopefully Iâ�™ll get a chance to fight and learn how to stand my ground and get what I want without it being to the detriment of anything else.

Don't be 'Cryin' ' for chanteuse yet

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 LEE WILLIAMS Courtesy of oregonlive.com With two weeks left until one rocker on CBS' "Rock Star" reality series goes Supernova, there's no doubt who Portlanders think should win: "Storm all the way! She has got what it takes!" Michelle Peay exclaims after watching Portlander Storm Large's intense delivery of Aerosmith's "Cryin' " on the big screen at Dante's last Tuesday night. Part of that enthusiasm surely is hometown boosterism, but the rest is all Storm herself. The 6-foot-tall singer doled out Aerosmith's 1990s power ballad without having to resort to running around the stage, as singer Ryan Star did, or remove any clothing, a la Australian Toby Rand, who went shirtless during his performance last week. She earned solid, if not glowing, praise from the judges and cruised into the next round. Six performers are left, vying to front the band Supernova, which includes Motley Cre drummer Tommy Lee. On Wednesday, Sept. 13, one performer from the original 15 competitors culled from around the world will be chosen to record an album and tour with the band. On a call from the "Rock Star" mansion, where the performers are living during the show, Storm commends her competitors' showmanship. But as for what she calls "the pre-rehab Aerosmith rock ballad," she says, "I just didn't feel like I needed to camp it up or run around. The song is dramatic enough." On the show's Wednesday night elimination episode, drama took center stage, and her name was Dilana. South African rocker Dilana Robichaux, who has been garnering praise from the judges and votes from the viewers each week, was shown in a string of segments snapping at the media during interviews and sniping at Star for his performance. Suddenly the show had morphed from a prime-time rock 'n' roll contest into a daytime soap. "It was out-of-the-world bizarre," Storm says. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I don't know where it came from. She had a bad day with the press, and it was shown to the world." The reverberations of the episode were felt around the mansion. "It was an awful day . . . and Dilana and I are keeping our space," Storm says. Storm again avoided the bottom three -- the three performers earning the least amount of viewers' votes. Wednesday night, Texan Patrice Pike was ousted after performing an original song the previous night. The song did not impress viewers watching worldwide, and down at Dante's her efforts received boos. "It was absolutely sauteed in wrong sauce," Peay says of the song Pike wrote and fought the other performers for the chance to sing. With the pressure on, Storm says good vibes from Portland are helping out. Last week, a T-shirt for the Portland LumberJax lacrosse team was given to her; she wore it during her time sitting in the "rock pod," before donning a daring black corset for her performance. The show's producers have allowed Storm two brief, nonovernight visits from her boyfriend, Davey Nipples, bass player for her band the Balls. But that will be all the, um, motivation Nipples is allowed to provide until the end of the show's run, Storm says. Last week, the dates were announced for Supernova's tour. The band (with or without Storm fronting) will hit Memorial Coliseum on Friday, Feb. 16 . The tour of arena-size venues would mark the biggest gigs in Storm's career, if she wins. As for the idea of playing the Coliseum, filled with her Portland fans: "Oh, my God. It would be off the . . . chain! I don't know if I'd be able to sing, seriously. I'd be floating in the air."

So your girlfriend's on national TV...

â�˜Supernovaâ�™ is a super nail-biter for Stormâ�™s main squeeze BY ERIC BARTELS The Portland Tribune Aug 28, 2006 Credit to portlandtribune.com He goes by Davey Nipples when heâ�™s a rock musician, and he often is that. But lately, the music world is having a profound effect on the rest of Davey Loprinziâ�™s life as well. It would be one thing if Loprinzi were merely the bass player in the local band Storm and the Balls, whose lead singer, Storm Large, currently is in Hollywood battling on national TV for a job with a new rock supergroup. But Loprinzi and Large also are romantically involved, which adds layers of complexity to questions about where life will take the singer who may or may not front Supernova, a band made up of former members of MÃ¶tley CrÃ¼e, Guns Nâ�™ Roses and Metallica. â�œItâ�™s kinda hard,â� says Loprinzi, who recently visited Large in the Los Angeles mansion where sheâ�™s been sequestered for more than two months. â�œIt has definitely caused some rifts, but it has also strengthened our bonds. We both realize weâ�™re in it through thick and thin. â�œWeâ�™re all just blowing around in the wind. We havenâ�™t really had the chance to discuss the future of anything.â� Stormâ�™s squeeze, who played in Sweaty Nipples and Everclear before becoming one of the Balls four years ago, works full time for a manufacturer of industrial components and shares responsibilities for his 9-year-old son, Case, with his ex-wife. (â�œStormâ�™s pretty much stepmom,â� he says.) But in recent weeks, heâ�™s managed to join wildly enthusiastic crowds of â�œRock Star: Supernovaâ� watchers at the downtown nightclub Danteâ�™s, where Storm and the Balls have long offered their unique and often salty mashups of pop and metal on a weekly basis. â�œItâ�™s enjoyable,â� says Loprinzi, who sat with a large group that included Balls pianist James Beaton last week. â�œItâ�™s an experience that doesnâ�™t come along very often.â� Whatâ�™ll it be? The showâ�™s popularity extends far beyond the throngs at Danteâ�™s. Last Wednesdayâ�™s episode, which saw Large emerge as one of six remaining contestants, captured the 18-49 demographic in its time slot, winning the ratings race and 6.4 million viewers for CBS. If Loprinzi has any inside information on possible outcomes, heâ�™s not revealing it. Will Storm win? Will she get a record deal even if she doesnâ�™t? And would that keep her from returning to Portland? â�œWhoâ�™s to say if anything will come of anything?â� he says. â�œYou just donâ�™t know.â� He agrees with the notion that his girlfriend may not get the Supernova job because other contestants, while less talented, may be a better fit stylistically with rockers Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke and Jason Newsted. â�œI do think it is possible that she could do it,â� he says. â�œShe has the talent. She has the professionalism. That doesnâ�™t necessarily mean itâ�™s going to work. I donâ�™t know Jason, Tommy and Gilby well enough to know what they require.â� Hit big time and come home Loprinzi, 39, says Storm and the Balls agreed long ago that whatever was best for any individual member of the band would gain the support of the group, even if it included breaking away. The band had made up its collective mind to start writing and performing more original songs before â�œSupernovaâ� intervened, he says. â�œThis thing has happened right in the middle of that. â�œObviously, we all want to work together,â� he says. But if a major-label deal comes up (for Large) that would take precedence.â� Itâ�™s not hard to imagine that Loprinzi is rooting for the same outcome many local fans are envisioning: a stirring race to the finish that leaves Large honored, enriched and back in Portland. â�œWe have a very, very rabid fan base,â� Loprinzi says. â�œThe support from them is just incredible. A lot of them have the same sentiment: We want Storm back. â�œI wouldnâ�™t mind having her back, but Iâ�™m also 110 percent behind her.â�

Taken by Storm

Excitement has been building on the set of "Rock Star" in Los Angeles, where Portland's Storm Large is threatening to become a Supernova Sunday, August 20, 2006 LEE WILLIAMS Courtesy of oregonlive.com LOS ANGELES -- Walking down Melrose Avenue in simple denim jeans and red undershirt, Storm Large looks like a supermodel. Six feet tall. Thin, yet lush figure. Blond tresses. It's hard to believe the 37-year-old Portland singer is instead a finalist on the hardscrabble CBS reality series "Rock Star: Supernova." The last of 15 original contestants, after a Sept. 13 finale, will be the lead singer in a hard-rock band formed by Motley Cre drummer Tommy Lee, Metallica bass player Jason Newsted and guitarist Gilby Clarke of Guns N' Roses. The three rockers also judge the contest. The trio, with their new lead singer, will be called Supernova. The group will record an album, then embark on a world tour with an inaugural performance on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas. Competitors came from Iceland, Australia and South Africa. Since the competition started June 25, Storm has made the final seven, spilling her into the 15 minutes of national fame that a reality show can bring. Yet she is no stranger to a wide cross-section of Portlanders; her fans range from barely drinking age to some born in the 1940s. They've seen her bawdy torch band, Storm and the Balls, at Wilf's at Union Station, the Aladdin in Southeast Portland and Dante's, the free-for-all downtown nightclub. Shopping last weekend in the bright sun of Southern California, two things are clear about Storm. The blond tresses are new, thanks to Hollywood-style highlights from makeup experts. And a life confined to the mansion where the competitors live (except for these fashion excursions) and rehearsals, performances and obligatory parties have dropped 15 pounds from her frame. "It's OK, it's just my TV weight," she says in the boutique where she is joined by Supernova stylist Miles Siggins. With the competition getting fierce, Storm is looking for any advantage. On this trip, it's trousers, a T-shirt, a jacket -- a look -- for the song she's going to sing for this week's competition. "It is crunch time," she says. During the competition, the contestants are allowed no incoming phone calls, very limited calls out (to radio and print media) and no Internet access. They receive mail from a few friends and family members pre-approved by the show. So in addition to stylist Siggins (who has chosen the clothes for "American Idol" the past four seasons), her entourage includes handler Felipe Castillo, who is paid by the show to make sure Storm doesn't borrow a cell phone or flip through a magazine or newspaper while she's out. If Storm does reach for a magazine? "We take it away," says Castillo. Storm is outfitting a song that she got stuck with earlier in the week -- Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." "Disco drag queen karaoke," Storm terms it. It's a risky song, especially since all songs this week are acoustic. Her quest for the right look takes her to an unmarked door of a small shop on the corner of Melrose called Lords. The boutique is filled with pants, jackets made of wool and a surprising range of reptilian leather. The shop specializes in "rock couture," custom-fitted clothes usually for male rock stars like Dave Navarro and Prince. "I'm learning fashion," she says. "I'm just used to buying a shirt, ripping it up and boom -- there's fashion. Her idea today? "The girl in a man's suit." It's inspired in part by Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee, who said he wanted to see her dressed as a boy. Storm tells her stylists she wants to "do it up right," adding a cigar and fake sideburns, to the duds. She also wants to go without anything underneath the jacket, but the show's staff worries about a wardrobe malfunction, a la Janet Jackson. Miles recommends something underneath. "What's it called, Miles?" she asks. "Decollete? Underwear for your (breasts)." Farther down Melrose, at a shop called Agent Provocateur, Storm finds what she'll be wearing underneath the jacket -- a $500, two-piece pink and black silk set. "Five-hundred bucks for underwear," she says. "I've never, ever, ever, ever, ever spent anything like that much for underwear." Though expensive, she finds the shop a perfect fit. She aims to be a repeat customer, she says, "when I'm rich." Flair for theatrics Storm's voice can alternate between sultry ferociousness and quiet vulnerability. Part of the theatrics her Portland fans have come to know from songs such as her cover of Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted to You" can be tracked to her associates degree in performance at New York's Academy of Dramatic Arts. The Southboro, Mass., native headed west in 1989 to dive into bands with a less traditional and more punk sound. In 2002, she moved to Portland and formed her band the Balls. She auditioned for "Rock Star" last March in Seattle. A second audition in L.A. cemented her place in the cast. She is the oldest. She's been living in the Hollywood Hills mansion since. On the show, each contestant earns $1,000 a week. Handlers hold it for each performer, doling out cash as needed. The cast has their meals catered. They have no housework or chores in the mansion to speak of, other than doing their own dishes. If Storm wins, she will earn $5,000 a week, plus possible bonuses. The recording of the album would begin almost immediately, and the first gig of the Supernova world tour is scheduled for New Year's Eve at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Last season's "Rock Star" winner, J.D. Fortune, fronted a revived INXS. The Australian band's new album has sold 370,000 copies. The band performed last January at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City. Even with touring and recording, Storm says she'll stay based in Portland. She likes the "roots" she has. And she hopes to pay off the $98,000 on the house she shares with boyfriend Davey Nipples (Portland native David A. Loprinzi II), who is the bassist for the Balls. Win or lose, she plans to marry Loprinzi. "Probably two ceremonies," she says. "In Portland, for all the . . . friends, and a quieter one back home in Southboro -- for Dad." Storm clouds gathering Despite its late-night feel, "Rock Star's" competition episode is taped -- surprisingly -- on a Sunday afternoon. A line of rockers, tourists and hard-core "Rock Star" fans waits outside the gate of CBS Studios. They'll soon enter Studio 36, today a mix of goth and tall red curtains. It's right next to Bob Barker's "The Price Is Right" studio. In the makeup room, beer and wine sit untouched on a snack table. There is a buzz of nervous energy. Giggles punctuate the tension. Storm is now wearing the rock couture "man suit" as she sits in the chair with makeup artist Stacy Stern. Did the bawdy lounge singer ever imagine she'd be in spot like this -- fawned over by a small army of beauty engineers? "You know, yes," she says. "I think I always knew. Inside it was always there. But it's still incredibly weird. I wasn't a pretty kid, I was tall and overweight, but yeah, it was there." The confidence belies an emotional lapse -- her first of the series. A day earlier, Storm broke down in tears in rehearsal with her vocal coach, Lis Lewis. Now with the live taping minutes away, Storm goes through a warmup with Lewis. In a mirrored room just outside the cast's dressing room, the coach runs Storm through the scales. "La la la LA la la la." "Sing that top one again," Lewis asks. Storm hits the highest "LA" again, louder. "Beautiful," says Lewis. Her hands rest on Storm's sleeves. "You don't have to be afraid of that note, Storm," she says. Storm lowers her head, and then raises it, smiling. Twelve minutes to airtime in the dressing room, the cast is subdued. Contestant Toby Rand of Australia listens to an iPod. Ryan Star from New York breathes in clouds of pure air from a portable steamer. Iceland's Magni Asgeirsson looks through digital photos of his wife and child who had been allowed to visit him two weeks earlier. "I don't think I would have survived another week without them," Asgeirsson says. What about the "Rock Star" family? "(Storm) is the anchor in the house, you know. Storm is the mommy, and I'm the daddy. She's the queen," he says smiling. "And I honestly think she should win this." The battle begins. What follows is an afternoon of incredible performances. Rand delivers a furious and hugely received acoustic cover of Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill." Star creates an intense version of Gabriel's "In the Air Tonight," and Lukas Rossi from Toronto and Dilana Robichaux from South Africa earn huge praise for their acoustic sets. And though fans on the floor clapped along with Storm's cover of the Gaynor song, the judges give her across the board thumbs-down -- a first for Storm on the show. In a day of rock, she gave them disco. "Rock Star" co-host Navarro shakes his microphone and head. "It just didn't work, Storm. I hated it," he says. There is a raucous mansion party after the taping, full of music played not for judges, but for sheer joy. Storm is especially lucky in that the show has allowed her boyfriend to visit. They have not seen each other since June, and the visit will be conjugal. The party is one free-swinging jam after another. Cameramen from CBS, the crew of the show, music journalists, producers, musicians and guests of the show pack the main room. There's an open bar. The catered food is carried to all on silver trays. Robichaux and Storm sing "Me and Bobby McGee," with Robichaux ending up dancing on a table. Everyone takes turns backing each other and jumping in on favorite instruments. Later, near midnight, the live party music is gone and everyone has moved onto a lawn in the back of the mansion. Hushed chatter melds with piped-in soft rock music. Storm's arm is around boyfriend Loprinzi. He has smuggled in a photo for Storm, a crowd shot taken at Dante's by her fans, who have been watching every episode on the club's big screen. She introduces Davey to folks at the party -- a woman from Urb magazine, then Richard Blade, a legendary British DJ. Then they are gone. "Where is Stormy?" one of the cameramen filming the night wonders. The mansion is haunted Monday afternoon and the mansion is quieter than the convent it used to be. Rossi sits with a crew member, spilling out his primal need for companionship. He hasn't been with a member of the opposite sex since leaving his home in Toronto in June. Three German shepherds bark at something driving by, but never up to the house. A guard is posted at the driveway gate. On a tour of the house after interviews, Storm says it is haunted. She and roommate Zayra Alvarez of Texas have had close encounters with a few ghosts. Girls are speaking to her. She's awoken to strange feelings and sounds, but she's not scared anymore. Unlike contestants picked off once a week, the ghosts are constant company to her. Before the quiet time can continue, Storm is pulled away for an "OTF," or "on-the-fly" segment for the cameras, a question-and-answer period when she speaks to a camera about a topic. Today she's asked to talk about the harsh words from the judges the day before. She throws it off with a light laugh. "It was good TV," she says. "Or maybe they just think it's time to spank me. It was a sucky song. But I did it the best I could." With the OTF over, Storm heads to the mansion's sun room, where she meditates facing north. She confesses to loneliness, just like Rossi. The conjugal visit with Loprinzi was brief; he did not stay overnight. "They pulled him away," she sighs. But she remembers what he said on the morning after her last night in Portland. "We were at the airport and I was crying," she says, plopped down cross-legged in a room of Indonesian cushions and furniture. "And I just remember him holding me in his arms, and he said, 'Babe, things will be different after this. But not between us.' " She smiles. The look is camera-ready, but straight from the heart "This is an enjoyable process but really hard," she says. "You're without friends, family . . . but it is worth it. If I do win, the band is going to get one helluva rock star. One who can sing on a moment's notice, won't run off to party every night, and one full of piss and vinegar who is ready and wants to rock the world."

Rockin' at stardom

Thursday, August 10, 2006 Reality show singer thrills friends By Rushmie Kalke TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF Courtesy of telegram.com It is a Tuesday night, and usually Daphne Phalon is at home doing laundry, putting her kids to bed or catching up on work. But on this night, amid the noisy clatter at JJâ�™s Sports Grill in Northboro, the 37-year-old mother and wife has morphed into a rock â�™nâ�™ roll groupie. Mrs. Phalon, who lives in Southboro, wears a fitted T-shirt that reads â�œStorm Large and The Ballsâ� imprinted with a womanâ�™s silhouette in pink. There are others who wear the same shirt, symbolic of a tight inner circle of friends who knew and listened to Storm Largeâ�™s band before anyone else did. In the crowded sports bar, people wait patiently for 9 p.m. when the big screen television will tune into â�œRock Star: Supernova,â� a reality talent show on CBS. Some fans are clad in newly designed T-shirts that say â�œStorm Watchâ� and many are riding a high that comes from seeing the Southboro native sing Queenâ�™s â�œWe are the Championsâ� on national television. â�œIs that the girl?â� asks a gray-haired man about each female contestant. â�œNo? How about her?â� When Ms. Large, 37, takes the stage, everyone bursts into applause, but no one louder than the friends she grew up with. They slap high-fives when she hits the tough notes and exhale collectively when she nails the songâ�™s intensity. â�œShe did unbelievable!â� exclaimed friend Elizabeth Baldelli after the performance. â�œShe took an impossible artist to replicate and she did it. She totally pulled it off.â� For the past five weeks, Ms. Largeâ�™s close friends from childhood have met at each otherâ�™s homes to watch the show. As the circle grew to include spouses, co-workers and friends-of-friends, they decided to meet at the bar, making fliers and T-shirts to rally support. â�œWe go right home at 10 to vote,â� said Karen Connell Morgan, 37, of Southboro, who met Ms. Large at Fay School. Mrs. Phalon, who has been best friends with Ms. Large since they were both in diapers, said she and her husband stay up for almost two hours after the show to cast numerous online votes. Mrs. Phalon said that she also sends out reminder e-mails so others donâ�™t forget to vote. In its second season this summer, the show dangles in front of 15 contestants the ultimate opportunity of becoming the lead singer for Supernova â�” a new band with legendary bad boy and once Motley CrÃ¼e drummer Tommy Lee, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and Gilby Clarke, the ex-Guns Nâ�™ Roses guitarist. Viewers cast votes for their favorite performer after the show, and on Wednesday nights, the three with the fewest votes perform in another hourlong show, after which Mr. Lee usually axes one of the bottom three. As she had in the five preceding weeks, Ms. Large survived elimination this week, when two performers were ousted last night. After the group is whittled down, a winner will be selected to record the bandâ�™s debut album and begin touring, according to the showâ�™s Web site. â�œThe first night (of the show) I cried, I was so excited,â� Mrs. Phalon said. â�œEvery now and again it really sets in that she could win.â� The members of Supernova seem to be fans of Ms. Large as well, especially Mr. Lee, who flirtatiously gives his praise. Storm Susan Large (her real name) does indeed have a large voice and presence on stage. Standing 6 feet tall with long blond hair, turquoise-colored eyes and an angelic face, she looks like she should be gracing the cover of Vogue instead of rubbing elbows with the heavy metal crowd. But as soon as she sings, her chocolaty smooth voice tinged with raspy edginess proves she is a serious rocker. â�œShe has always been singing, and has had aspirations of being famous,â� Mrs. Phalon said. â�œNobody can sing â�˜Hungry like the Wolfâ� like Storm.â� Ms. Largeâ�™s roots sprouted in Southboro. She attended the townâ�™s public schools before going to St. Markâ�™s School, where her father, Henry, has taught history. She earned her associate degree in performance at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1989, but after realizing that theater wasnâ�™t her true passion she moved to San Francisco to start a band called Flower SF, according to her bio on the showâ�™s Web site. Eventually she moved to Portland, Ore., where she has continued her music career with a band she formed called The Balls. â�œWhat I really want people to know is that sheâ�™s not some badass rock and roller. She can be all that, but she really is the nicest, sweetest person,â� Mrs. Phalon said. â�œShe is goofy Storm who lays on my couch, reading stories to my kids. When she comes home she visits with family and always stops in Philly to visit her grandparents.â� Ms. Large hasnâ�™t been able to communicate with her support system because contestants are sequestered from discussing the show and are permitted only one 15-minute phone call a week, her friends said. She has been in contact with her boyfriend and her father, who was in Los Angeles watching the taping of this weekâ�™s episode. Five of her friends plan on visiting her in Los Angeles next month. â�œWe are that confident that she will still be on the show,â� Mrs. Connell Morgan said. Fame might change some things in Ms. Largeâ�™s life, but not her friendships, Mrs. Phalon said. There might even be some perks to those who can say they knew her before she became a star. â�œI think sheâ�™s fabulous,â� said family friend Bea T. Ginga, 73, of Southboro, on Tuesday night. â�œWhen she went away to Hollywood, she said â�˜If I win, I am going to get you a car.â�™ I think she did a super job tonight, so I think I am getting closer and closer to a new car.â�

Tommy can Google her, but he can't ogle Storm

By George Rush and Joanna Molloy Courtesy of nydailynews.com If Tommy Lee was trolling the Internet for a certain babe the other night, he could have been stunted by his own show's rules. The Motley Crue drummer, who recently got the news that ex-wife Pamela Anderson will marry Kid Rock, was so wowed by Storm Large, a contestant on his show "Rock Star: Supernova," he seemed to want her to star in his next honeymoon video. "I want to see more of you," Lee oozed after the Amazonian singer performed "Just What I Needed" by The Cars in a bid to front Lee's new band with former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and Gilby Clarke from Guns N' Roses. "I've got six letters for you," Large retorted without missing a beat. "G-O-O-G-L-E." But Lee and any viewers calling up the sinewy singer's site with her band The Balls would see the following message: "Some of the links on this site are inactive during Storm's appearance on 'Rock Star' per rule of the Powers-That-Be in Hollywood. I know, we're as bummed as you are, but we cooperated." Lee, along with reality-show king Mark Burnett and co-host Dave Navarro, are executive producers of the CBS show. "We don't comment on individual contestants" so as not to show favoritism, said a spokesman for Lee. Large explained that all 16 contestants were asked to sequester their sites until the show was over - but lucky for Lee, the pink-tressed punkette has friends who posted their own sexy snaps of her. "There are some pictures out there, but nothing gynecological," Large told our Deborah Newman. "Let me put it this way: My father is a very conservative teacher, an ex-Marine, and there's nothing - no pictures out there - that I'd be afraid of him seeing." And what of the on-set chemistry with Lee? "[Tommy's] a big flirt," Storm laughs. "He flirts with the girls. â�¦ He flirts with the furniture. He's just like that. â�¦ Underneath all the tattoos and crazy behavior is a sweet, excited kid who loves music more than anything in the world." Still, she's not counting on sex to sell herself. "I want to be a singer. I do it with my gut, not my skin." And underneath that impressive 6-foot frame, Storm Large may just be the next rock star.

Storm watch!

Portland chanteuse Storm Large hangs on in the reality TV competition to join Supernova Tuesday, July 18, 2006 LEE WILLIAMS Courtesy of oregonlive.com Portland's Storm has breezed through two rounds of eliminations. But the sultry singer's quest to lead the rock supergroup Supernova is far from done. "It's nerve-racking," says Storm Large, on a call from the Hollywood Hills mansion where the cast and contenders of CBS TV's "Rockstar: Supernova" have been holed up since June 27. "But that's the reality of this reality show," she says, referring to the weekly voting-off process that follows the Tuesday night performance episodes of "Rockstar." "Every performance, every show, I'm just tryin' to do my Portland peeps proud," Storm says. To catch up the uninitiated, the 37-year-old Storm, backed by her band the Balls, has been wowing Portland fans with her theatrical, velvet-voiced renditions of classic torch songs since 2002. On June 23, the producers of "Rockstar: Supernova" announced that the statuesque, 6-foot-tall singer had won a place in its cast, who live with and contend against each other on the "Survivor"-like series. From an original cast of 15 hard-rocking singers culled from around the world, one will be chosen to lead Supernova, which comprises none other than Motley Cre drummer Tommy Lee, former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke and former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. After the series, Supernova will cut an album and tour worldwide. As on "American Idol," viewers vote for their favorite singer each week. The three artists who have garnered the fewest votes are pulled from the cast. Storm fired off a rendition of the Who's "Pinball Wizard" in week one, then sang Cheap Trick's "Surrender" last Tuesday. So far, Storm has not been among the bottom three. A fact she's very much thankful for, she says. But saying goodbye to the other rockers? "Heartbreaking," she says, citing the artistic bonds quickly forged among the cast members/contestants. For Storm, the oldest member of the cast, it's especially difficult. "Magni (Icelandic singer Magni Asgeirsson) and I are the mom and dad of the house," she says. "And you can't help but feel like these are your kids. . . . Everyone you see performing is as cool and as sweet as they are talented." Storm works out in the house's gym with Texan Dilana Robichaux, and already counts roommate Jenny Galt (from Canada) and Texan Patrice Pike ("an amazing singer") as close friends. Though Storm hasn't hit the bottom three, she has had to take some lumps. Last week, her dramatic rendition of "Surrender" had judge Dave Navarro, the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, comparing her performance to a Broadway musical. "He compared me to 'Cats,' " Storm says. "It was inaccurate. But his point was that my facial and physical expressions were overtaking the song." Storm says she has taken the criticism and will apply it to tonight's performance. "More rock, less walk. That's what I'm working on this week," she says. In Portland, "Rockstar" has been the buzz at rock venues around town, particularly Dante's, where, before Hollywood's call, Storm and the Balls had played shows each Wednesday night for four years. The spot now hosts free Tuesday and Wednesday big-screen viewings of the show. Each week's song choice is crucial to success. Storm says choosing the material is a "very high-stress time" among the cast. "There's been some fighting, but nothing that's killed any relationships," she says. "Producers, everyone, tell you that you have to be very careful about the songs you pick. It has to showcase your vocal range, vocal ability and creativity." Already she's had to make do with leftovers. "I took 'Pinball Wizard' because it was the only one left on the board," she says, referring to the first week's episode. "I said, 'OK, I'll do it, and I'll go out there and sing it as best I can, (as if) I wrote it." This is her only strategy, she says: "Just be fearless." Song choice, and fashion choice, made a splash last week, big time, when Spain's Jill Gioia sang a version of Courtney Love's "Violet" while wearing a wedding dress and combat boots, much like the cover art for the album by Love's band, Hole. Gioia was rapped by the show's judges for copying the look. But Gioia denied ever having seen the Hole CD. While in the Northwest, where the CD dots many collections, this seems unfathomable, Storm says Gioia was telling the truth. "She was thinking Madonna, 'Like a Virgin,' " Storm says. "She was trying to show the judges a different side and that she could be aggressive." For tonight's song choice, Storm says she expects to get a bit of flak herself. "I know (the judges) are going to ask, 'Why did you pick this song?' " Storm says, though she won't reveal what she'll perform. Wowing the judges isn't always foremost on her mind. Storm says she came into "Rockstar" to "challenge and push myself, and win or lose, I want to leave here a better artist." That, of course, is not enough for her many Portland-area fans, who are collectively wishing our star goes Supernova.