Rarely do escapees from the loony bin gather together to play rock 'n' roll, but such just might be the case with the Nu Kats . Although their background is sketchy, their white pallor suggests a period of confinement. However, it is known that all four members grew up within blocks of each other in Minneapolis, only to inexplicably rendezvous in Hollywood many years later.

   Once a wall overheard drummer Allen Galles raving about his split musical personalities, everything from surf bands to rhythm & blues to Zappa to Crosby, Stills and Nash to a barbershop quartet. Bassist Dennis Peters is known all over Hollywood for his extreme stinginess - "he'll do anything for money." On at least two occasions he appeared in drag to take advantage of the Ladies Night Special, thereby saving 49 cents a drink. Try him sometime.

   Multi-instrumentalist Bobbyzio Moore has a character for each instrument he plays. He can be dangerous. At any given moment his eyes will glaze, and he'll froth in an unrelenting barrage of self-effacing jokes in the manner of Rodney Dangerfield. One of the band's strongest attributes, he says is "We have the ability for looking interesting even during the boring moments."

   Most manic of all is Clark Kent-ish Freddy Moore . While he appears totally in control on stage, in his personal life Moore is a one-man sandtrap. Once, on his moped, he crashed into a truck and broke both legs. His day-to-day turmoil includes knocking over drinks, and stumbling along in romance. In "Shoplifter" he sings about trying to cope while dreading the clobbering he'll get from his mom when she finds out. Actually Moore feels good about all these anxieties, as it gives him the inspiration for writing.

   Producer Larry Lee (a member of the Scooters rock band) was the only one who could possibly exert any control, wisely wearing his intimidating "white jacket" to the studio. When the band became unruly he knew just what to do. He locked Bobbyzio in the bathroom for his sax solo; and isolated Freddy in the parking lot where he had to sing while dodging cars.

   The Nu Kats have channeled their overabundance of energy and jocularity into an effective whole that has catapulted them to the top of the heap among Los Angeles' most popular bands. They do the local circuit of the Starwood, Whisky, Madame Wong's and others. They are, however, banned from Miraletse High School in the Palos Verdes area.