Walking into a nightclub that’s blasting Black Flag is always a good sign.When it’s followed by Turbonegro, that’s even better. When this happened at Public Assembly on Sunday night, I knew I was in for a treat. How could it not be with dozens of Gotham Girls—New York’s favorite rough-and-tumble roller derby league—their fans and a slew of fresh-meat newbies dressed in white and waiting to find out what teams they would be assigned to? In honor of the fifth annual Derbytaunt Ball, the space was decked out with metallic hanging planets and stars. After all, the night’s chosen theme was “The Future.”

“I hope the derby will be around for the next 5,000 years,”said a jewel-and-glitter-faced Ginger Snap (aka Natily Blair), league president and member of the Bronx Gridlock.

As DJ Theo continued to spin punk, ‘80s and dance-rock beats, the future roller girls gracefully downed the gratis Cape Cods while waiting to make their debut.

Newcomer Steel Magnolia (Tammy Walters), had dressed to the nines in a white summer hat and space glasses.When asked about how long she’d roller skated, the belle said in a Southern accent, “That’s what we do in Georgia, we drink, we bowl and we roller skate.” At 47, Magnolia’s the oldest derby participant, but when crowned a member of the Queens of Pain, she jumped on stage like a schoolgirl.

After all the girls claimed their teams, league coach Flying Squirrel (Jonathan Rocky) paid homage to the new members with a rap-style poem that included all their names, from Mac-n-Sleaze to Anais Ninja and Sarah Impalin. Let the games begin!