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"I
think, being women,
we got a lot of shit
from people, particularly because we didn't always
come across as rowdy and
boisterous, good-time girls.
We gave the audience
a harder time in terms of
coping with our music.
We took ourselves seriously."
-- GINA BIRCH
THE RAINCOATS
Previous
Articles:
Speaking
with the FABULOUS
Voice Is Venom interviews SF's own
FABULOUS DISASTER
by Lisa Hayle
In a perfect world, an all woman band wouldn't be a novelty. No eyebrows would be raised at the conspicuous lack of men, only at the talent on stage. There would be no gender divide. Music stores would be staffed with more women than we see now and little girls would come in to buy electric guitars. In the less than perfect music world of today, good punk bands tend to attract loyal enthusiastic audiences. Fans of SF-based Fabulous Disaster do not come to shows because they're an all woman band. They're there to hear really good music! Measured against genderless standards, regardless of any precedents these heroines of punk rock might be setting, the women of Fabulous Disaster simply rock. I had the pleasure of interviewing the band and then seeing them dominate the stage at SF's 18th annual Folsom Street Fair. They are Laura Litter on vocals, Lynda Mandolyn on guitar and vocals, Mr.Nancy on bass, and Sally Gess on drums.
L.H.: Tell
me about the origins of Fabulous Disaster - when did you form?
What bands were you all coming from? How did you all meet?
LYNDA: We formed here is San Francisco
in early 1998, Laura, Sally and I were in a punk rock band called Piston
and Mr. Nancy came from the great band Fiction. We just wanted to form
an all female thing for fun and originally it was going to be just for
one show, but it turned into our main band within a month or two. We met
Nancy at Bottom of the Hill where she works. She was a Piston fan, and
of course we checked out a Fiction show. We just clicked as a band and
as friends very fast.
L.H.: Who writes
the music? The words?
SALLY: We all chip in our parts. I
write music only and Laura writes all the lyrics and melodies to my songs.
It's like I'm Elton John and she's my Bernie Taupin!
LYNDA: I write music and words but
lately Laura's been doing most of the lyrics. I'm the melody lady, but
together as a whole we make it happen. A song wouldn't be the same without
the 4 of us.
L.H.: Tell
me about your progression from when you just started out until now. What
are some of your accomplishments? What were some obstacles (if any) along
the way?
LYNDA: I guess a lot of people would
say that we've gotten a lot better and tighter as a band. We get loads
of people coming up to us and saying, "Man, I saw you three years ago
and you're really different now- a really fucking tight band." Yeah, we
practice, oh well (laughs) Our main accomplishment, I would have to say,
is getting signed to the absolute best indie punk label on the planet
Pink & Black/Fat Wreck. They have treated us like gold as they do all
their bands. We've already done 3 great tours, two European and one American
with great bands like Propagandhi, Avail, J Church, The Mad Caddies and
the Atari's. Some obstacles we faced include dick head managers and promoters,
but every band has to deal with that. But they really think that they
can get one over on an all-girl band. We just speak up for what we believe
in and it usually works. Believe me no guy wants to deal with a crazy
PMS bitch (laughs) It's hard being in an all female band cuz that's what
you're usually labeled. Many people come up to us and say, "I
usually don't listen to girl bands but you guys are the greatest, you
blow all those male bands away." They see us play on stage and
the whole sex thing goes away. Then they see us as a great band - period.
L.H.: Are there
many other all female punk bands in the Bay Area? Who? Who would you compare
yourselves to?
LYNDA: We don't compare ourselves
to anyone. I think that bands like Hell Fire Choir are fucking rocking!
Not necessarily punk, cuz there's not that many girls out there doing
our style right now. But there are lots of gals world wide that we love,
like Pink Kross from Scotland and the Gore Gore Girls from Detroit.
L.H.: Sally,
you are an outstanding drummer! Do you have any role models? There are
so few famous women drummers. My generation was told the drums were for
boys! When you were a little girl - who inspired you to play drums? Are
there any contemporary female drummers you like?
SALLY: Well, that's an easy one as
for role models. When I was 11 years old I was stuck in this hick Texas
town and all I had was this shitty clock radio, but there was a station
out of San Antonio that played some decent new music. One day I was lying
on my bed and this drum beat came slamming out of my radio and I was captured…after
the song, the DJ said that was a new song called "We Got The Beat" by
an all girl band out of LA called The Go-Go's. Instantly I was hooked
and Gina Schock was my idol. I also got into DJ Bonebreak from X and Stuart
Copeland from The Police and later on all the great punk drummers. Today
I think that Chip,formerly of The Lunachicks is a fellow "ass kicker"
on the drums.
L.H.: Nancy,
what made you want to play the bass (which is almost as "forbidden" for
women as the drums)? Any role models for you: past and present?
MR.NANCY: There are so many, and they
aren't necessarily bass players...Patti Smith,Chrissie Hynde, Siouxie
Sioux, Kim from the Fastbacks, Exene, Johnette Napolitano, Patricia Morrison,
Ruyter Suys from Nashville Pussy… I'm on a Marianne Faithfull trip at
the moment...I like all kinds of things and am inspired by a lot of different
things.
L.H.: Tell
me about your tour experiences. Were you a rarity everywhere you went
being all women? Any drunken fights? Stage diving? Obsessed fans?
LYNDA: For the most part, yes we were
the only women on the tours, hey that's alright with me.(giggles) We and
Mr. N raged on the Euro tour. With bands like The Caddies, you just can't
help it. We had a blast. Tons of stage divers, especially in Germany.
Young men and women taking their clothes off while we're on stage, people
stage diving with full glasses of beer in their hands. It was a riot.
We have obsessed fans everywhere even here in SF but I won't dwell on
this subject.(laughs)
L.H.: Compare
the Bay Area music scene to scenes in other places you've played. Is punk
still alive and well in San Francisco? If not, how has the scene changed?
SALLY: For one, I found out on the
U.S. tour that the Midwest has a great audience. I don't think they have
much of a scene there at all, so when bands come to town they go all out
- dressing up and getting drunk and going crazy - lot's of stage diving,
which has pretty much died here in the Bay Area. Punk is still alive in
SF, but the scene has really changed and it's much more underground now.
SF is by far the toughest crowd to play to. Getting them excited and into
the music is tough.
MR.NANCY: The scene here used to be
a lot healthier, it seems like people used to go out and support each
other and hang out. Plus there were great shows all the time - all over
the place. The Midwest really rocks hard, as well as Germany.
LYNDA: I agree with Sally, not going
on much punk wise. The scene has definitely changed since I moved here
in 95 due to all the yuppies closing down our precious clubs. Well, they
got theirs and lost all their jobs. Now I think the scene is just trying
to rebuild, we really don't do all that well here. You have to go outside
your own back yard before people start to appreciate what you do.
L.H.: Tell
me about Pink & Black. How did you get on this label? What is the label
doing for you that you couldn't do for yourselves? What are the benefits
and disadvantages (if any) to being on an indie label?
LYNDA: Well, Erin, our label manager
got a copy of our first cd, Pretty Killers. She and the rest of Fat Wreck
came down to see one of our shows and the rest is history. The label is
really the best thing that has ever happened to us. We have killer distribution
(something we couldn't do on our own) and much wider audience. We got
to record in the best studio in town,Motor Studios SF, and work with the
best people in the biz if ya ask me. We are extremely happy. If it's wasn't
for them, we'd still be playing SF in obscurity.
L.H.: Do you
think that female punk bands face more obstacles than male punk bands?
Or is the opposite true? Do you think you've had more opportunities than
guys would have because of your gender?
SALLY: When we first started Fabulous
Disaster, I thought people would embrace a really powerful female punk
band, but it's been hard getting people to buy our stuff until they see
us live. Once they see us live, they're fans and even if they're not into
girl bands, they always buy our stuff. Sometimes you get more press for
being an all girl band, but I wish the day would come when we'd just be
considered a BAND, not a girl band.
LYNDA: Ditto, you do face more obstacles
because most people don't like girl bands. We really haven't had all that
many good ones. Who was the first and only all female band to have a hit
and number 1 album and wrote all their own songs?? The Go-Go's and that
was 20 years ago, it's about time things change - and we're out to change
all that!!!!
L.H.: What
advice would you give to other girls and women out there starting a band?
What are your ultimate goals and dreams for FABULOUS DISASTER? What is
next? Tell me about upcoming shows, etc.
LYNDA: We just want to do our music
full time, all the time, and make somewhat of a nice living at it. I won't
lie, we've been suffering for our art long enough dammit! We'd like to
be remembered for changing things, that would be good. And to give women
everywhere a voice. I just tell people to keep going and follow their
heart, pick up a guitar, write songs, do your art. We are lucky to have
the freedom we do and our hearts and thoughts go out to other women in
the world who don't have that freedom......
MR.NANCY: To be a working self supporting
band and to continue to tour and record. And, like all bands - complete
world domination of course!
LYNDA: Our next show is Oct 6th at
the Fillmore. Then we start a 3 week tour of Canada with a great band
called The Real Mckenzies! Then our own tour of the southern states in
November.
Go to Fabulous Disaster's website www.fabulous-disaster.com and check out their energetic and appealing music.
