More than 10 years ago, a band you may remember — Bush — had a hit, "Glycerine." This weekend the Hard Rock sent out a press release about a show featuring "British musician Gavin Rossdale, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Bush." Really? What else is he known for? The press release does not mention anything.

Oh, did you know that Gwen Stefani was married to the guy who used to sing in a band called Bush?  Same guy. Could it be that being Mr. Gwen Stefani might have eclipsed the fame of singing in Bush. No, of course not. You see, the Hard Rock's press release is quite clear: Rossdale is "best known" for Bush.

Of course, if that were true, the press release would not need to say it. Try finding a press release that mentions Mick Jagger as being best known for the Rolling Stones or Roger Daltrey for the Who. It sort of goes without mentioning.

Or try this test: Off the top of your head, how many Bush songs can you name? Don't beat yourself up.  That was years ago.

Now, try the same count with Stefani songs? Finally, try the count with a metaphoric hand tied behind your back, and leave off all of the No Doubt songs from your list and include only Stefani solo or cameo songs. Who won by a wide margin?

In fact, the accurate version of the press release would read: "Mr. Gwen Stefani, slightly remembered for his time in the band Bush over a decade ago ... ." But the male ego is a tricky thing. See one Pete Wentz.

Photo: Gavin Rossdale. Credit: Hard Rock

For the last few days I have known that Santana would become the first resident headliner rock band at the Hard Rock. I was given the information, which was embargoed until today, for a story I was already doing for Las Vegas Weekly (where I am on staff) on the live event company AEG Live. AEG will be booking Hard Rock's new Joint set to open this month, and the company is also responsible for booking the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Today the story has been released and I am free to write about the Santana residency.

I am sort of glad: Santana is a predictable choice, as news of a reunited Led Zeppelin would have had me deeply worried about an April Fool's joke.

Still, the truth is that before I was given the name, I honestly expected an artist way too big for the room (holding about 3,000 people). After all, the original Joint, at about half the size of the new Joint, made its name doing exactly that by booking the Rolling Stones, the Who, Neil Young, Guns N' Roses and countless other arena acts to play the tiny club.  And, before I express any more disappointment, let me give the man (and band) props. Santana is a legend with a pedigree that dates back to the tail end of the San Francisco psychedelic scene. But, as an act, my guess is that decades on the road have already allowed most fans a few chances to see the ever-rotating cast of band members led by namesake guitarist Carlos Santana.

Actually, if you will excuse the digression, I wonder if you readers can please help clear up a personal memory for me. The first time I saw Santana was in Philadelphia as a teen in the '80s. I did not mean to see them. I was at the stadium to see the Clash, who were opening for the Who, a band on what would turn out to be the first of many final tours, this time with drummer Kenny Jones But here is the odd part of my memory: I think I may have seen one of the only Santana concerts performed without guitarist Carlos Santana. My memory is that just before the show, his partner went into labor and he had to leave town to join her. The band, it was announced from the stage, would be performing without him. Does anyone know if my childhood memory is accurate?

OK, back to Vegas in 2009. Mike Weatherford in the Review-Journal interviewed Carlos Santana about the Vegas residency, and the schedule is a lot less arduous than the number of shows done before by the resident artists at the Colosseum.

According to Weatherford:

"Santana signed a two-year deal to do 36 shows a year in The Joint. ... The first stint runs May 27-June 14; he is scheduled to return in September.

Tickets for the first engagement go on sale today. Prices before taxes and service fees are $79, $89, $129, $155, $229 and $299.

The top price is the most expensive to date for any Las Vegas show here for more than a one-night concert stop. But those 84 seats (out of about 3,000 for each show) at $299 each are in VIP suites; the $229 price is for 120 'VIP table seats' on the same third level."

The title of the show:  "Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits." I have been told to expect more special effects, high-end production values and advanced theatrical stagecraft similar in conception  to Elton John's "The Red Piano," in which the goal is augmenting the experience to make the Hard Rock show different from a regular Santana concert.

It has been a decade since Santana made its most recent comeback: a smash featuring vocalist Rob Thomas. But from the MTV-era "Winning" to classic rock tracks like "Black Magic Woman," the band has enough recognizable hits, and a big enough name, I think, to prove a solid room filler for the Hard Rock. By this I mean that, while Santana will be a good match for the Hard Rock, the show will not define the property or draw people to Vegas in large numbers just to see the performance. It will be a good choice for tourists already here and will fit well with the Hard Rock's established image.

By contrast, Celine Dion's "A New Day" opened and created a new day for the host property, reminding people that despite age, Caesars was a top-tier resort, and many came to Vegas just to see her show here. More recently, Cirque's "Love" helped revive the entire Mirage. Santana is unlikely to do something similar for Hard Rock.

But again, Santana is a good fit at the Hard Rock, and I suspect the show will see enough business to encourage more resident headliners there. But a lot of people in Vegas, including me, in the build-up for the announcement, were hoping for a more exciting choice: a name too big for the room, who could draw people to Vegas in the way Sinatra, Elvis and Dion did. I do not think Santana is that act. For example, imagine how much more exciting a regular small-venue residency by Eric Clapton or Neil Young would have been. That may be unrealistic in this economy. Clapton and Young in a 3,000-seat room would be a rare experience, whereas that seems just about the right sized venue for those prices to match with Santana's draw. This should therefore work for AEG and the Hard Rock and Santana. But this residency announcement won't create buzz and excitement the way that the news of Prince's signing for a Rio residency did.

Some speculation had focused on local band, the Killers, and while a contemporary artist probably would have been more expensive and risky, having the Killers as resident headliners for two years would have drawn a new generation to the Hard Rock, especially among people now going to the Palms. I doubt George Maloof is going to have a hard time sleeping knowing that Santana is the new resident headliner at his competitor. Nor do I think Santana will force the Palms to sign a resident headliner for its concert venue, Pearl, to stay competitive.

This residency may be successful, but it will not be a game changer for how Vegas handles rock bands. Bands will still pass through town primarily as part of their regular tours.

The other tinge of disappointment is that Santana has not proved to be theatrically inclined over decades in the business. After all, residency shows are different from touring shows in large part because of the production value that can be put into a stage that does not have to be lugged from city to city. For example, imagine what a reunited Pink Floyd could have done with a venue in creating a regular production show. And, if getting Waters and Gilmore back together for a Vegas run seems too remote a possibility, how about what David Bowie could have done? How about a reunited Kinks?

Still, I am happy to see the Hard Rock testing a resident headliner. And, if Santana seems too safe a choice, these are times when casino executives are not in the mood to gamble. As for Santana, to borrow the words of a contemporary, what a long strange trip its been from playing Woodstock to headliners in Vegas. (couresty photo from Hard Rock)

Related: Santana putting roots in Vegas

Yesterday I was at the Hard Rock covering the XBIZ summer convention for Las Vegas Weekly. It was the third time this adult industry trade convention was held in Vegas. The organizers love the location, not just Vegas but the Hard Rock too. Of course, right now the Hard Rock is going through major renovations. So, despite constant construction sounds and the occasional warning alarm triggered by construction dust interfering with the convention panels, Steve Javors, the managing editor of XBIZ Premiere, explained why his convention feels a kinship with the off-Strip resort:

"We've had our summer forum at the Hard Rock since its inception and that's because it's just a really cool venue. The pool scene is second to none, and our sponsors really liked that exposure. More than 25 cabanas were sponsored by adult entertainment companies. Is there a place more conducive for networking and making business deals than the Hard Rock pool? It's a chic venue that exudes a cool, hip sophistication, which is the vibe we're looking to create. The Hard Rock has been a good partner with us and we hope to continue that relationship going forward."

And, you haven't experienced weird until you have checked out a porn star bikini talent contest. If one comes to your neighborhood, be sure to go. This one was held at the Hard Rock's pool. One porn star read very serious poetry mostly written with enough iambs to scan, and a rhyme scheme better than most pop songs. Another twirled a hoop around her legs while slapping her butt. But she was trumped by the porn star who brought a bound girl on stage and whipped her.

My favorite talent though was the Swedish porn star who tried to karaoke to an Abba song and missed every note while switching randomly between lead and harmony parts.

Burning Angel owner and star Joanna Angel, left, sang the theme song for her next movie, which involved references to wanting rock music and extreme sex in a very specific combination. Let's leave that there.

Of course, the most popular talent was to wiggle and jiggle to music, which is what the winner did.

Anyway, this seemed a good opportunity to try to get to the bottom of why the Hard Rock canceled its gaming plans featuring adult star Tera Patrick, below left. As I reported on the Buffet, the Hard Rock had built out a gaming pit and was ready to launch it as the Tera Patrick Gaming Pit but backed out of the project at the last minute. I speculated at the time that the Hard Rock got cold feet at this unprecedented pairing of a porn star with a Nevada unrestricted gaming license, the single most valuable piece of paper in the state.

So, I spoke with a Hard Rock vice president about what happened to the Tera Patrick Gaming Pit. I found out that the concept was not just to brand the area with her image and name but also included her dancing in a choreographed routine. I was assured that gaming attorneys for the company approved the project based on two odd, and very Vegas, stipulations.

1. Tera Patrick could not remove any item of clothing on stage. If she made an entrance in a gown or gloves, those clothing items must remain on her person the entire dance.

2. Tera Patrick may be among the most famous porn stars in the country, but the Hard Rock was not about to help people without the Internet figure that out. The word "porn" or euphemism "adult" could not be used to market her name or the area on the casino floor in any way. "Tera Patrick" good but "Porn star Tera Patrick" bad. Vegas loves labels.

Otherwise, according to the Hard Rock VP, the gaming lawyers saw no problem linking Patrick to part of the gaming floor. So, assuming I was told the truth yesterday, and I think that I was told the truth, that means the Hard Rock did not get cold feet and pull out of doing a deal because of a fear of state regulators. Rather, the project was fine, with certain conditions, in terms of the Hard Rock's willingness to push envelopes.

Obviously, then that raises the question of why did the Tera Patrick Gaming Pit not happen? Sadly, I do not have the answer yet. The Hard Rock seems to sincerely plan to use her in a big way in the growth and promotion of the property. But much like with all of the renovations taking place, the Hard Rock is not ready to make any formal announcement about the specifics of its plans. You only get to make one first impression, and casinos like to control the timing of that as well as the presentation to the last detail.

Meanwhile, Tera Patrick is not waiting around for the Hard Rock. She takes her show on the road from the Hard Rock and holds her XBIZ convention after-party tonight at Prive at Planet Hollywood.

(Photos by Sarah Gerke)

Early last month, I broke the news on the Buffet that the Hard Rock and adult star Tera Patrick had cut an unprecedented deal to transform part of the gaming floor of the casino to have tables branded under Patrick's name. The Hard Rock and Patrick's camp each confirmed for me plans to open "Tera Patrick's Gaming Pit" on the main floor of the casino. The dealers were to be called Hell's Belles.

This deal was really surprising news.

While porn stars make appearances at nightclubs and events at resorts all of the time in Vegas, no resort has ever linked gaming to pornography directly. The Playboy Club at the Palms is the closest to such a precedent. Yet Playboy's naughtiness is almost quaint in 2008 Vegas. Everyone knows about the history of Playboy clubs, and the magazine has an editorial integrity. But the Hard Rock went much further than Palms as the Hard Rock planned to actually begin branding gaming tables with a pornographic actress.

Vegas can be surprisingly prudish about mixing sex workers and gaming. I recently reported on how some eyebrows raised when the Rio opened a pool in partnership with a topless bar, and today comes the news that gaming regulators have already visited the Rio's new pool. But to leave the pool and actually partner with a porn star on the gambling floor really would have been a far closer tie between a Nevada unrestricted gaming license and sex work than has ever before been contemplated by a resort.

But that looked exactly like what was about to happen.

Indeed, when I went to the Sex Pistols concert at the Hard Rock a few days after confirming details, the Tera Patrick area was all set up and practice go-go dancers were working polls behind the tables with dealers. I was asked not to write about what I saw that night because those weren't the actual dealers and dancers hired for the project but regular Hard Rock employees testing everything. I was told the actual new employees would arrive soon and there would be a press conference. Patrick's husband even e-mailed me when they were planning to arrive in Vegas and promised me an exclusive interview with her about the project. Everything was set to begin running by mid-June, or so I believed.

Then nothing happened. Today I reached out to the Hard Rock to find out the status of the Tera Patrick Gaming Pit and received this wonderfully political reply:

"It looks like that due to a higher demand for Tera Patrick as a celebrity, the Hard Rock has decided to focus her appearances on a more exclusive platform.  Her performances will now be programmed and ticketed throughout the course of the year.  Tera Patrick's value as a celebrity doesn't really fall in line with a party pit accessible to the general public on any given day; she has a much higher clientele appeal and hence will make impromptu appearances throughout the property at a different venue (TBD).

So let me get this straight: Since she is MORE famous than Hard Rock expected (higher demand), they are going to make her LESS visible (exclusive) at the Hard Rock?  Then we get to the riddle of impromptu events that are somehow ticketed? How does that work? Or could the truth really be that someone got cold feet and pulled out of the envelope-pushing porn-star-on-the-gaming-floor idea? I asked these questions of the Hard Rock and received this follow-up e-mail as, for lack of a better word, clarification

"Tera Patrick will continue to be involved with Hard Rock, just not with the gaming floor/Hell's Belles.  The Hard Rock has decided to take a different direction because yes, there is a higher demand to see her and hence we are making her appearances more exclusive to attract a higher clientele. Plans for her appearances at a different venue are still in the works."

So from a partnership to nebulous plans. But one thing is clear: The "venue" will not be the gaming floor.

And by the way, what does it say about the Hard Rock's view of its regular clientele that in both these statements the Hard Rock makes clear that it hopes to realize a higher clientele through porn. (photo by Sarah Gerke)

On Saturday I went on assignment for Rolling Stone to the sold-out Sex Pistols concert at the Hard Rock. This was the second Sex Pistols concert I have been to at the Hard Rock. The last one was a few years ago, and the band was better and so was the Hard Rock.

I haven't been to the Hard Rock in awhile. There is definitely a lot of construction going on there now. So, the future may be bright. But the present has some drawbacks. The front parking lot is now cut off, as is the way through the Hard Rock lot to the garage. Instead cars were directed to valet, which, of course, was closed to all but hotel guests and those willing to slip money to the valet attendant. The valet then sent those unwilling to palm money back onto the street to drive around the casino.

The businesses around the Hard Rock probably generate a substantial secondary income from all the towing away of cars left by the people who ignore the posted warnings and leave their cars across the street from the Hard Rock.

The concert was even more crowded than the parking line. The Hard Rock is giving out an attendance number of 2,000 for the sold-out show. Yet, the Hard Rock used to claim and advertise the Joint's capacity at 1,400. Giving the resort the benefit of the doubt, let's assume the 1,400 number might be for seated events. Still, for the Sex Pistols' only U.S. stop in 2008, it was clear the Hard Rock was trying to get as many people in as possible. This was a moment people really wanted to be at a casino that has seen better days. So, audience members spent a lot of the night packed too tightly and being shoved from one spot to another by security, who seemed to have random opinions about where people could stand. Many people were thrown out.

Johnny Rotten began the encore by lambasting security. It was a point Rotten had made repeatedly during the show. He accused Hard Rock security of throwing people out for no reason. I lacked his view. It was hard enough for me to view Rotten. Certainly the dancing was more of a massive surge, pushing toward the front of the stage. It was general admission on the floor. And people were constantly trying to body surf to the stage. Surprisingly, Hard Rock security seemed unfamiliar with how to handle this common audience practice. If the Joint's capacity for a general admission show is 2,000, I would never recommend going to one.

The one thing Hard Rock security knows how to handle for sure is VIPs. Even at a Sex Pistols concert, the VIPs matter more than the plebes who bought tickets. So former fighter Tito Ortiz and former porn star Jenna Jameson (pictured, above) were escorted to the front of the massive line by security, while the rest of us were shoved aside. They were walked into the only elevator that allowed audience members to the balcony, which offered VIP seating and for those with tickets like mine: standing way in the far back behind the seats where the best view is the celebrities in front of you at VIP tables and the concert on monitors. (To be fair: I hit the jackpot and was invited to join a VIP table by a friend who saw me, and that was a relief because it allowed me a view to do my job.)

Anyway, back to Ortiz and Jameson. I usually see celebrities at red carpets, where I am surrounded by other press. We ask our questions and the public is kept at a distance. So I never really hear how the public, or at least the Vegas public, directs so much flattering palaver at famous people in hopes of drawing their attention. It was interesting to listen to the Sex Pistols fans yelling praise to Ortiz and Jameson like giddy kids. Almost all of it, by the way, was about how great they looked. "Jenna, you look so beautiful," one person raptured. Another, to Tito: "Looking good, dude."

The next day, by chance, Buffet photographer Sarah Gerke saw Ortiz and Jameson at the Venetian's pool. She used her phone's camera to capture this shot. Forget beautiful, how healthy does this couple look to you?

(Photo by Sarah Gerke)

When you work for a resort in Vegas, people will pitch all sorts of barter to get special treatment or access.

On Friday afternoon I got a call from a representative of the Hard Rock. She wanted to share a story about the oddest trade she has yet to be offered for a show happening that night. 

It seems the teen girls who grew up with Duran Duran posters on the wall are now adult women with careers and childhood crushes that have yet to fully evaporate. On Friday night Duran Duran was set to play the Hard Rock, and one Duran Duran fan from the '80s reached out to the Hard Rock. She is now a prominent plastic surgeon and her offer: In exchange for meeting the band, the Hard Rock's representative could have a free work. "She said I could have anything like Botox." The twentysomething Hard Rock representative declined the offer. Of course, with Duran Duran, the surgeon may not have been a fan so much as looking to get its business.

Also, coming out that night to support the old new wavers were new new wavers Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, from local hit makers the Killers, who joined Duran Duran for "Planet Earth."

(Photo courtesy of Hard Rock)