Interviews with Women In Punk Rock

This website exists today only because courageous, intelligent and daring women

back

in the 1970's

decided to break the rules of society. They rallied together

under the

banner of the punk movement.

Many of them are no longer with us.

This page is dedicated to their memories.

Because many people have written to me to suggest other people to interview and wondering how I

choose the women I interview, I want to explain my criteria for inclusion in this section. They are:

1) You must be a woman - or have been one at the time.

2) You must have been active in the L.A. punk scene before 1980. By active, I mean actively participating

by frequently going to shows, taking photos, writing, being in a band, supporting the scene in some way.

This section was never intended to be a "celebrities only" section. It's an oral history of the early scene

from the female perspective.

3) You must be able to send me your answers via email. I don't talk on the phone. I have previously sent

interviews via email to women who would seem to be obvious choices for inclusion but they have either

not responded or have told me they are working on it and then they forget about it (you know who you

are). So if you know someone who belongs in this interview series, remind them to finish up their

interviews and send them in.

Everyone gets the same eight questions. No space or

time

limitations. Since I think that women's voices

have already been over-edited

by others, I

reserve the right to refuse to edit these women's responses.

Instead,

intend to publish

them in their entirety, raw and unexpurgated.

LET THE WOMEN SPEA

Durin

g the time I've been doing these interviews, I've received

numerou

s emails

from people who wanted to hear from Gerber. If you're at all familiar with the

Germs, then you know that Gerber (Michelle Bell) was very close to Darby

Crash

She

went from being a muse to a musican and figured into several bands in L.A.

Gerber's interview appears below

exactly

as she wrote her responses

to me. I felt

it was

important

to keep it just as it came to me -

with

typos and all -

because it

shows so much of her personality

I asked her if I should correct it or

run it as it

was and her response was

"fuck thr typos

thats meYes

i chopped many a head

but Dennis from Social D

was the funniest

hrthought he ws gonna get laid like i a car

then he ran around all nite holding onto this one lil long peice I couldnt get off

he jssust held it all nite and tols story of woe

like that girl..... blah blah blah ...

they wwerent even a baand then

but he cmae looking for me next week

with a rod stewart spikey kindda cutt

suuper cutt

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

If there was an "It Girl" of the Masque, that w

ould be

Gerber. Like a punk Delilah,

she

claimed hearts as well as manes. Any party with Gerber in attendance was

100%

guaranteed not to be dull.

In her interview, Gerber writes that punk

"set me free to scream my truth...it

needed to be screamed."

Her answers

below

, like Gerber herself, are all in CAPS.

She was funny, feisty,

unapologetic and in-your-face. And she still is.

What was/is your contribution to the punk community?

WELL AS PER BRENDAN "QUEENOF THE SCENE " AS PER ME , JUST ME , DARBYS BEST

FRIEND , LEAD VOCALIST FOR "SEXSICK" , "TWISTED ROOTS" (POST MAGGIE) AAAAAND OF

"VAGINA DENTATA" - ALSO DID OTHER SOLO PROJECTS - LYRICIST WROTE SONGS

RECORDED BY OTHER PUNKS - TRENDSETTER , INSATIABLE PARTIER AND PARTY

THROWER- ORIGINAL FLIPSIDE GOSSIP COLUMNIST : GERBERS GAB , AND THE "SHOW YER

TITS PUNKETTE OF THE MASQUE" i EVEN GOT PHILOMENAA TO SHOW EM, SHE WAS THE

HARDEST. AND i LOVE HER TO THIS DAY! CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR MUSICIANS TO

COLLABORATE W, FOR NEW PROJECT !

2. Which artist, band concert and/or show had the most impact on your

life?

WEIRDOS , GERMS ,PISTOLS , AVENGERS, BAGS, DEADBOYS , RAMONES, - SEX PISTOLS

OPENDED PUNK DOOR AND DARBY DRAGGED ME IN , I WAS ARREADY A BOWIE /NY

DOLLS/IGGY FREEAK SO ITS WAS A NATURAL TRAANSITION JUST WHACKED THE HAIR AND I

FELT RIGHT , I FOUND MY FAMILY AND BACK THEN IT WAS THAT , FAMILY . EARLY MASQUE

SHOWS IMPACTED ME THE MOST EVEN WHEN NOONE PLAYED OR WE JUST PARTIED ,

EVENTUALLY SOMEONE WOULD PLAY - ZEROS , SKULLS , BAGS , ALLEYCATS , SOMEONE ,

SO MANY GREAT BANDS THE ENERGY HAS NEVER LEFT MY SPIRIT AND NEVER WILL .

PISTOLS AT WINTERLAND WAS FUCKIN AAWESOME. BUT SOME OTHER FAVES WEERE THE

AFTERNOON WHISKEY SHOWS ..... SO MANY BANDS , I CANT LIST EM ALL i LOVED EM ALL ,

MAAYBE A FEW I DDINT CAREFOR AS MUCH , BUT THEY ALL HAD AT LEAST A SSONG I

LOVED OR ALL THERE SONGS .

3. What was the role of women in the early punk scene?

THE MUSE, THE STRENGTH AND INSPIRATION FOR THE SCENE , THE BEAUTY/DANGER

ROLLED INTO "IT" THE QUEENS OF A WASTELAND OF BAD BALDING HIPPIES . i LOVED

WHEN SOME LONG HAIR WOULD GET ALL INFATUATED AND WED GO IN THE ALLEY , AND

AS HE THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA GET LAID , HE LOST HIS HAIR . RIP DENNIS OF SOCIAL

DISTORTION HE LOOKED LIKED LEIF GARRETT OR SOME SHIT TILL HE TOOK A WALK WITH

ME . THE DEMISE OF FLOWY FLUFFY FAKE BEAUTY I.E. STEVIE NICKS SSHIT STYLE.

4. What is the legacy of punk in your life?

IT FILLED THE HOLE , STILL DOES , I FOUND MYSELF , IT INSPIRED ME , IT GAVE ME THE

INSPIRATION AND GUMPTION TO DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO , RAAATHER THAN PRETEND

TO BE SOMEONE i WASENT IN A WORLD OF PUPPETS, NOT TO SAY I HAVENT GROWN AND

CHANGED AND THATS A CONSTANT , BUT ITS MY CENTER , IT HELPED ME DEFINE MY

MORALS , LIKES , DISLIKES , WITHOUT WEARING A 99C PAIR OF TAUPE LEGGS HATING

MYSELF - THOUGH I HAD MOMENTS OF TRYING THAT , IT NEVER LASTED , I ALWAYS LOST

THEM AND DUG THRU MY BAGS

F THRIFT STORE TREASURES , AND D

ONN

ED MY WHITE

POWDER AND BLACK ORCHID LIPSTICK ... IT SET ME FREE TO SCREAM MY TRUTH , IT

NEEDED TO BE SCREAMED .

5. What are you listening to now?

SOME OF THE SAME OLD STUFF , SOME OF THE STUFF THAT VEINED OUT OF THAT

SCENE,

ALWAYS WRITING NEW STUFF OF MY OWN , OLDIES , I LOVE HARPS

CHORD

CONCERTOS ( SCARLATTI , MY FAVE ) OLD BLUES... BILLIE , BESSY -YMA SUMAC STILL

LOVE NINA HAGAN , HATE RAP , NOT TOO FOND OF MAINSTREAM ALT

NATIVE ,

SPECIALLY THAT POLISHED TO A PLEDGE LEMON SHINE SHIT ... LIKE ZOMBIE , STILL LIKE

GHOUL ROCK AND THE PEPPERS HAVE REEALLY GOTTEN GOOD , LIKE THOSE EVERLY

BROS MELODIES AND HARMONIES ... NOT A CONTRY FAN , OTHER THAN OLD MARTY

ROBBINS , CASH , ETC ... B

T VERY LITTLE , I AAAINT GOT NO COWGIRL IN THIS CITY

GUTTER PUNK. ITS SO HARD TO SAY , DEPENDS ON MY MOOD. AND WHATS HAPPENED TO

RADIO ? AND VIDEO ? IM JUST A REEAL ROCKER . STONES AND BOWIE TO THE BONE AND

FROM THERE THE PATH JUST GOES ...

6. Do you have any funny or interesting stories to share?

MY PET ONION ( A GIFT FROM TOP JIMMY VIA TOP TACO ) NOTHING COULD KILL IT , NOT

EVEN DARBY , IT WAS PROBOBLY THE DEADLIEST WEAPON I EVER HAD , THIS FUCKER

WAS HUUUUUUGE , -

GREAT PICSS AND MEMOREIS OF NICKY WRITING ALICE CONSTANTLY POST CARDS FROM

SF IN HIS SHOWEER SHOES , I GOTTA SEND YOU THOSE , HE WAS JUST SOOOO IN LOVE

W/U MISS ALICE !

JUMPING LONG HAIRS W SNICKERS AND PUNK SCALPING !

THE " EVER GET THE FEELING YOU BEEN CHEATED " THEMED FAKE WEDDING PARTY @

MARINA SKATEPARK - I MADE A KILLING , NOONE GOT MARRIED , EVERYONE PLAYED ,

MARGO ALMOST KILLED ME W. TUINALS .

7. Are there any punk women from the early scene that you feel have

not been been

adequately recognized?

MISS CLARE - DOOR PERSON AND BRAAVE DOG OWNER .... NOT IN BANDS BUT BEAUTFUL

AND STILL CLARE - NO TAUPE LEGGS FOR HER ! LIL DEE , MAY SHE RIP/AIDS I HEARD,

BUT THATS HERESAY. BOBBIE BRAT SINGER OF RED SCARE ,MAY SHE REST IN PEACE

ALSO.MARY THE RATT - COOOOOOOOOOOOL AS COOOOOOL GETS, KINDA QUIET

SOMETIMES, NOT ALWAYS THOUGH .MELISSA MORSE ROTH , GUITARIRST OF SEXSICK ,

BEST FEMALE QUITARIST I EVER PLAYED WITH ! A FUCKIN FEMALE PAT SMEAR/DIX DENNEY

. THAT BITCH CAN MAKE SOUNDS COME OUT OF A QUITAAR THAT MADE ME THINK I WAS

HAVING AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS.

8. What is something we should know about you that we probably don't

know?

HMMMMM? THERES SOMETHINGS THAT GOTTA GO TO THE GRAVE W /ME . PROBOBLY

DESPITE MY REPUATATION , IM A REEAL GIRL GIRL ,VERY ROMANTIC AND DEDICATED. A

ONE MAN ROMANTIC. GOT TO LIVE ALL MY WHATEVER I WANT STUFF OUT REAL YOUNG ,

AN REALLY GOOD WRITER , BETTER THAN I THINK . I LOVE TO BAKE AND AM LIKE FUCKING

AMAZING WITH THAT . I WILL ALWAYS LOVE DIX DENNEY.(shhhhhhhhhh)!