Turn back the rock clock

Remember when Bono’s new-wave mullet was cool and George Michael wore Daisy Dukes?

That era’s warm and fuzzy memories chug to life for those who walk like an Egyptian to see Video Star, a New Romantic cover band playing each Thursday at the Key Club’s Plush Lounge.

And just ask the ladies, Video Star is hot. Each time the singer croons “Don’t You Want Me,” the answer is an emphatic, “Yes!”

“These guys are awesome!” says Tara Donogue, a fan from Northridge. “The music makes you feel so good and free.”

To be sure, Video Star knows how to work a crowd. The glammed-up singer, who looks like he could be Simon Le Bon and David Bowie’s love child, tells the ladies surrounding the stage how beautiful they are as he croons songs by the Cure and Duran Duran with pompous precision.

The well-coiffed quartet is the offspring of Metal Skool -- a rock ‘n’ roll comedy group that gave birth to Monday’s rawk dynasty at the Roxy. Two of Video Star’s members, its singer and drummer, are also in Metal Skool.

“With Metal Skool we have a blast turning young people on to spandex and hair bands,” says Travis Haley, the singer in Video Star and the bass player in Metal Skool. “But the music we play in Video Star is all the stuff the heshers used to hate: Depeche Mode, the sensitive stuff, the songs the hot chicks used to dig.”

Judging by the crowd on a recent Thursday, the chicks are still digging it.

Playing at Plush, a downstairs lounge at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip, Video Star fills the room with ladies eager to hear what they’ll pull out of their bag of hits, as well as men who get to revisit their ‘80s glory days.

Josh Martin makes the trip each week from Ventura. “They’re the best, from what I’ve seen,” he says. “Good vocals, talented musicians, original and comedic. They go all the way.”

Video Star draws in its audience by pretending to be a real -- albeit very vain -- band from the ‘80s. With eyes closed, Haley, whose stage name is Roland Garros, cocks his head to the side with great affectation and begins singing the Cure’s “Love Song.”

The crowd swoons to the words, and when it’s over, Garros holds a mirror up to his face and starts primping for his next number -- an over-the-top rendition of “Jesse’s Girl.”

Each member does his part to bring it on home. From the bass player, Curt Radmacher (“Taylor”), who’s sporting the famed Bono mullet, to guitarist Matt Fuller (“Vyvyan”), who looks like an extra in a Dexy’s Midnight Runners video, each has a certain savoir-faire.

“We have to be in character to pull it off,” says Darren Leader (“Nigel”), Video Star’s drummer. “This music means a lot to people, and you can see how certain songs have certain effects. Each song is special for different reasons.”

The Plush Lounge’s small, intimate environment helps pack just the right amount of heat for Video Star’s antics and has even seen some celebrity drop-ins in recent weeks, such as Roger Daltrey and Keanu Reeves.

By the time Video Star busts out Modern English to stop the world and melt with you, the crowd is already pretty mushy.

“This is definitely the highlight of my week,” says Donogue, taking a break from doing the safety dance. “It just takes you to a younger place.”

Like a million miles away.

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Heidi Siegmund Cuda can be reached at [email protected].

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Video Star at the Plush Lounge

Where: Key Club, 9041 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood

When: 9 p.m. Thursdays

Price: $10; 21 and older

Info: (310) 274-5800 or www.keyclub.com