'The Roar of L'Amour'

DJ ALEX KAYNE - Always in the mix

Where to start with Alex?

How about the beginning. 

A Brooklyn native and disco DJ, he was a regular in L'Amour when it was a disco and stayed through the transition to rock/metal. 

A disco DJ by trade, but a rock and metal fan by heart.

His encyclopedia knowledge of metal helped the current DJ Mike Pace, who was unfamiliar with the underground metal scene that was exploding.

Through my 4 decades of friendship with Alex, he told me stories of being in the booth with Pace and helping him choose what to play on the more metal evenings.

In 1982, Pace quit to open his own club and recommended Kayne take his position.

Alex was the sole DJ at L'Amour until 10/20/84 when Chuck Kaye (hey, that's me) took over the position.

In that roughly 2-year period of time, Alex was pretty much the only 'metal' DJ in NYC and was proudly there for the beginning of the transition to metal.

He went to my old position at L'Amour East beginning the next week, but the core owners of L'Amour were no longer involved in "East" and Alex quit about 3 months later.

In fall of 85, he returned to L'Amour (to hang out) and later came to my booth and said the most gracious thing possible. He said "I understand why they hired you and you are doing a great job".

We talked shop for a bit and again he graciously said, "I know you are kind of in a management position and if you ever need my help to spin a song or two, just ask".

Fuckin' A - I told Alex he was spinning the next two songs, and he loved spinning so jumped at the chance.

I used that time to go to the front and I told the owners "I am hiring Alex to be my back-up and taking a night off in a few weeks to go to a concert (Cheap Trick?).

By fall of 85, I had pull and the owners agreed and Alex was shocked I gave him a night immediately.

He explained that he was a club DJ for almost a decade at this point, and he never saw a DJ willing to give up nights.

I explained, I am not like other DJ's and his graciousness and history in the club warranted the offer.

That convo began decades of friendship between us.

The next three years, Alex was a godsend. He would be in the club 90% of the nights and anytime i needed help in the booth to go on-stage, go backstage, go to the front desk, he was always an "Alex To Da Boot" mic call away.

When I left the club in 11/88, I thought Alex deserved the gig, but they went with a rotation of DJ's (including him), but Alex was always "in the mix" (pun).

He DJ'd on/off in every 90/00 version of the club and in the late zero's begin building what would become a MONSTER DJ career as 'The Legendary US DJ Alex Kayne'

Check out his website for all his career news.

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Alex is also responsible for keeping "L'Amour - The Rock Capital of Brooklyn' name alive.

He went through the expense to buy the trademark (one day we will tell a funny story) and spend thousands trying to publish a book.

While I (and others) certainly have issues with some of his recollections of who did what, Alex deserves credit for his efforts in keeping the L'Amour name alive and his success as a DJ that is involved in clubs, concert halls and festivals.

Thanks for your help, Alex and ...

I am keeping an eye on you and your "memory" and still waiting for you to release the full podcast we recorded in November of 2025.

Chuck Kaye

Ah Yes Indeed

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