MUSIC THE ULTRAS : Glam Update : Hollywood hard-rock band brings the glittery style of the ‘70s into the current decade.

Although they look like cheerleaders from high school 20 years ago, they are not exactly the girls next door. No, they are the Ultras.

Are the Ultras just the latest in a long line of Hollyweird musical maniacs who just happen to dress nicer than most of the young women hanging out at all the malls from sea to shining sea? Do these band members have an account at ClothesTime? Is Boy George having their babies? Are they just another glam-rock band with a serious makeup bill? Are they boys? Are they girls? If you can’t tell the difference, does it even matter?

What is certain is that the Ultras is a hard-rock band from Hollywood that is on the verge of releasing its six-song debut EP, “The Complete Handbook of Songwriting,” on Triple X Records. The Ultras will be appearing at the Anaconda on Saturday, sharing the bill with those ethereal and moody Santa Barbarians, This Ascension. Also on the bill is Shadow Project, featuring the former lead singer of Christian Death.

It is certain that the band’s drummer, Jeffrey Zimmitti, is more loquacious than any 10 other drummers.

The band used to be called the Ultraviolets, but now it’s just the Ultras. What’s the deal?

Well, we started the band a year and a half ago, and we thought, “This is it, the name for us.” Within a couple of months, two or three other bands with the same name came up to us and said, “That’s cool. Keep the name.” But there was this other Ultraviolets band from Chicago that put out an independent album, then found out about some other band with the same name. Their lawyer sued and got 12 grand. So we dropped the “violets” part.

Your album only has six songs on it. Does the band know more songs, or do you just play six real long songs when you perform?

Sure, we do six 10-minute versions of the six songs. Actually, we’re just giving a tease for our first release. We have a stockpile of songs--maybe 10 or 15. Our guitar player, Brian Butler, comes up with the divine inspiration, the melody and what not. Then the singer, Alistarr Liddell, comes into play with the lyrics.

On your bio sheet, there’s a line about “putting the fear back in rock ‘n’ roll.” Does this mean you’re going to hire Lee Ving, Derf Scratch and those guys in Fear, the band?

No, no. We just want to stir up a little bit of people’s thoughts about how things are supposed to work. We want people to stand up for what they believe from the get-go. I’m talking about the stuff that Jane’s Addiction is doing, like not selling out to the big-label style and not compromising your style.

Your bio also talks about atomic power, sonic transmutation and photosynthesis. Are you guys getting scientific on us?

Well, it means whatever you want it to mean. We’re not your usual beer-drinking, fast car-driving band. We want people to think.

Your bio says you incorporate influences from Shakespeare and Bugs Bunny.

I wrote that. It was the first thing that popped into my head. I mentioned Shakespeare because of theatrics. We’re very big on theatrics. We shock the audience by wearing things that most people wouldn’t wear. And as far as Bugs goes, some bands take themselves too seriously. We don’t.

Do you shop at ClothesTime?

No, we’re big Gap fans. If we had more money, we’d spend more money on clothes. The way it is now, we sort of mix and match. We throw all the stuff into a big pile and have our own complete outfits in minutes. We go as far out as we can and we avoid the sun at all costs.

Who’s cuter, the Ultras or Poison?

We’re younger and more virile.

What is glam? Where did it come from and why hasn’t it gone away?

Glam for us means classic glam from the early ‘70s--Gary Glitter, Mott the Hoople, early Iggy Pop when he was still with the Stooges, and David Bowie doing his Ziggy Stardust thing. Or the New York Dolls, a lot of people that come to our shows can relate to them. I think classic glam is from your basic teen-age Angst, not the stuff you see now where you just spike your hair and buy some glitter. Anyway, the girls dig it.

What’s the Hollywood scene like these days?

Sheep. Everyone likes to follow what everyone else is doing. A few years ago, it was Guns N’ Roses, and now it’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And all of a sudden now, there’s a lot of rock and funk bands. There’s not a lot of originality.

Describe Ultras music.

We have elements of early ‘70s stuff and the bands we were into then. We sort of update that stuff and bring it into the atomic age. Anyway, I want to make one thing clear: We are not a retro band. We’re not rehashing old stuff.

What’s the best and worst thing about your job?

The best thing is that I’m doing what I love to do. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. It’s a way to use that portion of the brain that isn’t normally used--the creative part. The worst thing about being in the band is that no one ever sees me because I’m the drummer.

What would be your dream gig?

We would have four acts on the bill. Opening would be Charles Manson, if we could get him out of San Quentin. He could do an acoustic set and do all his hits off the CD, such as “Garbage Dump.” Then he could hang around for awhile, if they didn’t take him right back. Next up would be William Burroughs doing a little reading, some free verse. Then us. And finally, they’d have to resurrect Andy Warhol to show a film.

Drummers never talk. Why do you talk so much?

I have no idea, except that most drummers are idiots. All that bombastic pounding doesn’t take much intellectual prowess.

* WHERE AND WHEN

The Ultras, Shadow Project, This Ascension at the Anaconda Theatre, 935 Embarcadero del Norte, Isla Vista, 685-3112. Saturday, 8 p.m. Admission $5.