LIFE WITH THE FABULOUS POODLES: Bestiality Can Be Fun

Brian Lane, who hasn't done at all badly managing the progressive likes of Yes and Rick Wakeman, is very good with dogs. So when an overwhelmingly large black poodle cantered down the halls of Epic Records and demanded an introduction, Lane did the obvious— started giving orders. The animal was dismissed after satisfactorily sitting and shaking paws, stunts which probably wouldn't seem too demeaning for. Lane's human animals, the Fabulous Poodles. "Yeah, we'll do anything," sighed vocalist/co-author Tony deMeyr (hates puns), who had just completed a rather nasty photo session co-starring a pair of Cheap Trick underpants. But Tony vetoed the idea of wearing said garment onstage at the • Bottom Line. "Do you think I might look a wally if somebody shows, up?" he fretted.

Toriy, with fellow mirthmakers Bryn Burrows; Richie Robertson and Bobby Valentino, had been on a fact-finding tour of America (opening for retireerockers $ha Na Na) trying to determine if pooches in pink really do have more fun. /Things were dodgy at first, like when they were subjected to "small grannies who came up and yelled things at us like, 'screaming idiots'." But the move to a month of headlining venues, plus surprisingly large sales and good reactions to their debut U.S. album Mirror §tqrs; forced the Poodles to wearily admit what a wonderful time they were having. Not to mention Tony's penchant for perfecting a myriad of American accents.