| Archived Interviews |
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, I intend to publish them in their entirety, raw and unexpurgated. LET THE WOMEN SPEAK! |
conducted June 2011 |
In the earlier years circa 1977-1980, somehow or other there seems to have been a thread that based upon your sexual gender, there didn’t appear to be any restrictions on what a girl could or couldn’t do. This lack of gender bias was more intellectual or ideological than even we knew in the early days. From my perspective, yes, we were all damaged kids somehow, reacting to a post- hippie childhood and lashing out into society, breaking down walls. Very often, it was a race to extremes - who could die faster by pushing those limits via drugs alcohol, etc.
fucked up family! Remembering the same faces at those early Hollywood shows, we were all trying so hard to be original. I remember being somewhat intimidated by some on the scene that were slightly older than me; these were the founders of early punk in LA, from more of a creative stance. But it is funny that compared to today’s (generations later) punks, they have more of a political stance, I don’t think we gave too much of a fuck about that (politics) other than when it meant the LAPD was kicking our ass, or outside mainstream society, when your hair or dress was so threatening to society.. society had not really become used to our extreme looks yet. I feel my contribution would stem from being an early punk rock girl drummer, who hit the drums as hard as she could, who put herself out there and didn’t hold back and play “like a girl.” I remember being able to count the number of female drummers, not to mention musicians, on 1 maybe 2 hands, and we would hear about so and so chick in Seattle, or so and so from New York, etc. I remember…and know that I was just one paving stone in a very long road to come. I didn’t make it famous, or memorable in most of today’s history books, But I know being who I was and doing what I did, that today I can count more girls contributing and playing drums. Not as many girls ripping the drums or being successful in the music industry as I dreamed of at this point in my life, but I have seen it grow. And I am not one bit bitter about not being recognized for this. 2. Which Artist, band concert and/or show had the most impact on your life? Well, there were many, but I have to say one was The Runaways at the Whisky, just before they broke up! That opened my eyes wide! And two, on a personal level, it would have to be the Controllers show circa 1978-1979 in Hollywood. When I saw Carla Maddog rip those drums apart, I stared and watched and knew, this is what I wanted to do!!! So I shyly went up to her after the show and spoke with her about how much she inspired me and told her that this is what I wanted to do. She sat me down on a chair next to her and looked me straight in the eyes and said, "YOU have to play! WE NEED YOU TO. I don’t care how you do it, buy some sticks, play on pots and pans or pillows at first, but Just do it, and don’t stop!" And that is exactly what I did. Bought some sticks and every day practiced at home on my parents' throw pillows, with headphones on, playing along to the Avengers, the Germs-“No God” Nicky Beat's drums,The Runaways, Sex Pistols, X, X Ray Spex! 3. What was the role of women in the early punk scene? I think as I mentioned in the above question, The role, I believe, was to not hold anything back because you were a woman, to contribute, to put yourself out there as much as the guys. A very feminist time I suppose, really! 4. What is the legacy of punk in your life? Once a punk, always a punk! Especially from the impact of growing up in those early days. We were hungry for it! Hungry for the next X or Bags show. Hungry for what the Germs would do next, hungry for the Weirdo’s and Screamers!
Even if so and so or I dropped out of society, becoming society or those that even are ashamed of their past, this fabric is what we wear, deep inside. It composes us. I have changed my look, my outlook, my life several times in so many ways. Yeah, I work for the man now, but I am also an adult with historical reference and guidance to what I achieve in life at this stage and of having made it to this point alive, needless to mention. I took these so called punk sensibilities and continued living my life by mentoring others as Carla Maddog had done for me. I played my ass off on the drums until I could not really do it any more, less interested or physically harder to do it. I kept my ”hunger” and zest for the outbreak of the unusual, creative, just that little “ping” which made me feel how I felt when I would catch on to something in the early punk days or shows. I decided at age 30, on my 1st nervous breakdown of “what am I going to do now with my life now…” I wanted to be a Sound Engineer. I went to sound school in Hollywood because one of the instructors there was this guy Malcolm, who had done all of the electronic keyboard production on Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions album. I was becoming interested in Listening, and creating art out of sound waves, seeing them as colorizations. I became intensely involved with early sonic electronic music, from Stockhausen to Throbbing Gristle. When I realized after sound school in the late 80’s that I did not want to be a Hollywood hair band sound recordist in the studio babysitting these dudes, I fell into Motion Picture Post Production doing backgrounds and textures in sound for TV and movies. I loved this, but exited out of the movie scene and picked up to move to Portland, Oregon, as in the X song….”She…Had to leave….Los Angeles!...” I then pursued electronic based music as it was emerging in the late 90’s, early 2000 as a post-feminist expression. I always believed women had something different to offer in their compositions, playing style and presence in the punk scene and after. I moved to New York City and got mixed up in the DJ scene, and further was introduced to Female DJ’s and Electronic musicians from Europe and beyond, such as Peaches, Le Tigre, Chicks on Speed. There I got that PING again, that was an exciting expression of new music, the same way I felt from the early days of punk. I followed that in my sound engineering career to this day. I know how to colorize this music and express it live, almost as an additional band member in interpretation. And my attraction was not just to the women who were producing this music but also to the emergence that was coming from the female side at this time for me! 5. What are you listening to now? I am still drawn to electronic music, Peaches, Chicks on Speed, Electronica, blips and beeps. 6. Do you have any funny or interesting stories? Many are related to all of those drunken, drug nights out. I am now completely sober. But I do laugh at those daze! I remember when I think of going to the Hong Kong Café, back when the division of punk and new wave was entirely drawn solid. Punks were NOT into new wave! Hong Kong Café was for Punks and Madame Wong’s was for New Wavers. We were the Long Beach scene back then, and myself, Crystal, Tab Effit went to raise hell at the Hong Kong, and Berlin was playing there. We were outraged that New Wave had the gall to cross over to the Hong Kong so we were yelling at them, dog-piling, throwing things at Teri, the lead singer. I remember she had a tube top on. We rushed the stage, telling them to fuck off when somehow or another Tab got a hold of Teri’s tube top, yes she was wearing a tube top! And it somehow got pulled down. I have never seen someone get thrown out on their head as Tab did that night! We just sat out in the alley with 40’s and laughed! 7. Are there any punk women from the early scene that you feel have not been adequately recognized? Many and all! Carla Maddog! 8. What is something we should know about you that we probably don’t know? I always wanted to be a firefighter! And I finally became one for a season of wild-land firefighting at the ripe age of 48!! |
Timing is everything, they say. My latest Women In Punk interview happens to come at a time when I have been re-examining the impact that individuals can make on the world around us. Can one person really change things for the better? Can one isolated incident affect a person in such a way that it literally alters the course of her life? Allow me to introduce to you the truly talented woman named Killer. In 1978, Killer was relatively younger than most of the members of the original Hollywood punk scene, nevertheless she is a product of that scene. Those early days profoundly marked her, in particular the experience of listening to Carla Maddog play drums with the legendary early punk band, the Controllers. Killer's inspiring post-gig conversation with Carla Maddog would lead to her own career as a drummer and a punk ethic that would last throughout her life. Killer went on to play in The Speed Queens and numerous other bands. As time passed, she fell off my radar until quite by accident I ran into her a few years ago at a Peaches show. Killer was her sound engineer. We spoke briefly and then fell out of touch again until a mutual friend led her to my website interviews. I was thrilled to reconnect with her and to find that she continues to blast through society's imposed limitations as fearlessly now as when she was a young teen. |
| Killer in the shadows. |
| KIller Photo by Tracy Mostovoy |
| Badass welder. |
| Killer with Strong Silent Types |
| Badass firefighter. |