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L.A.-based Carla Bozulich has been a frequent visiting performer in San Diego over the years, singing in Ethyl Meatplow and later leading alt-country indie-rock outfit Geraldine Fibbers. She's been touring the world supporting her Evangelista album the past couple years, performing with friends and mainstay bassist Tara Barnes, who booked shows at UCSD's Che Café and played in influential local art-noise band Business Lady.

Last Wednesday in Paris, Bozulich was glad she had Barnes along for more than her musical abilities.

In a MySpace bulletin under the heading "Tara Is a Super Hero" and the sub-heading "My Face Looks Like a Very Special Multi-colored Skin-like Bird Motif," Bozulich informed fans last Friday of an attack she and Barnes suffered before a gig, while strolling about the City of Light with a film crew that shoots bands in said performance context.

"We were...having a great time when this bunch of men turned a corner towards us. One guy started talking aggressively to the guy with the camera. I started talking to the bad guy trying to get him to chill....

"He started swinging on everyone -- he was on some major drugs. I don't remember everything but Tara started fighting him off. I had my guitar strapped on and a mini-amp clipped to my skirt and a microphone pinned to me. The guitar cord was wrapped around my neck.... I saw Tara getting hit and beating on him furiously. I was scrambling -- I wanted to help but I was trapped inside my guitar cords and everything.... That was extremely frustrating because I could have beaten him with my guitar.

"Tara beat him down and he ran away and we started moving up the street.... Then I saw a flash of him as he raced past Tara and slam[med] his fist into my face with all his force. He cracked me hard in the head.... I fell and was confused and cried.... I don't want to go to the doctor but will go tomorrow if I have anything but the natural signs of recovery from a bad pounding to the face. The guys got hit. Tara is ok. As she says, it would have hurt her more if it [had been] a couple of 12-year-old girls that jumped her. He couldn't get more than one punch in with her cuz she's too fast and strong. She also managed to jam her fingers into his eye sockets and tried to rip his ears off. I'm sure he's not feeling good today -- the bad guy.

"I'm fine, or rather, I'll be fine soon enough. I've been laughing on and off all day and feel mostly that I've been a part of some surreal dream.... The gig tonite in Brussels is not canceled. None of the shows are canceled."

Barnes's blog entry on her MySpace page was more succinct: "Attacked by a sad bastard on the streets of gay Paris. It is debatable whether he was on crack, dust, or a cocktail of the two. What is the drug that makes dumb thugs want to beat up girls?"