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Biography
Multiple issues|original research=August 2007|refimprove=October 2008Infobox musical artist | name = Lunachicks| image = Lunachickspic.gif| caption =| landscape = Yes| background = group_or_band| origin = New York , United States|USA | genre = Punk rock , hardcore punk , riot grrrl http://www.gokartrecords.com Go-Kart Records | The Menzingers & Guff| years_active = 1985-2002| label = Blast First , Go Kart Records | associated_acts = Theo and the Skyscrapers Bantam (New York City rock band)|Bantam Toilet Böys Lez Zeppelin | website =| Members =| past_members = Theo Kogan Gina Volpe Sidney "Squid" Silver Sindi Benezra Valsamis Becky Wreck Chip English Helen Destroy Lunachicks were an all-women band|all-women punk rock band from New York City.Allmusic|class=artist|id=p26679|pure_url=yes Allmusic The band formed in 1987 and has been on hiatus since 2000. http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Pride_stage_Theo_And_The_Skyscrapers-1800.aspx http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Pride_stage_Theo_And_The_Skyscrapers-1800.aspx Their music was described as "a frenzied mix of punk, metal, pop and rock". The band claimed influences including The Ramones , Kiss (band)|Kiss , and the MC5 .
Biography
Theo Kogan , Gina Volpe, and Sydney "Squid" Silver were students at New York City's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts when they decided to form a band. Sindi Benezra, an acquaintance of Silver's, was asked to join shortly after. They rehearsed and wrote material in Gina's bedroom for about a year. Their first ever composition, the lengthy "Theme Song", was about killing Kogan's and Silver's English teacher. The band played their first show in 1988 with Theo's then-boyfriend Mike on the drums. Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth were amongst the audience for one of their early performances. Gordon and Moore were impressed with the band and sent a demo tape to Paul Smith (music industry)|Paul Smith in England, which landed them a deal on Smith's label Blast First . With drummer Becky Wreck (Susan Rebecca Lloyd) on board they released a self-titled 4-song EP in 1989 and the full-length Babysitters on Acid http://www.amazon.com/Babysitters-Acid-Lunachicks/dp/B000058DVL (both produced by Wharton Tiers ). The record was only available in Europe until it was re-released on Go-Kart Records in 2001. The band later expressed their strong dislike for the albums production and the fact that they did not earn any money from Blast First. http://users.erols.com/shydoll/luna_seconds.html The band went on to tour with The Dictators in 1991.
1992 saw the release of their second full-length, Binge & Purge . http://www.warr.org/lunachicks.html Around this time drummer Becky Wreck gained slight popularity for a TV appearance on Howard Stern 's Lesbian Dating Game. She left the band some time later and was briefly replaced by Luscious Jackson drummer, Kate Schellenbach before Chip English joined. During their first visit to Japan a 6-song EP entitled Sushi A La Mode , featuring a cover of Boston (band)|Boston 's " More Than a Feeling ", was recorded and released in Japan in the fall of 1993.
The Lunachicks were signed to New York-based label Go Kart Records , on which they released 1995's Jerk of All Trades . The follow-up Pretty Ugly , produced by Ryan Greene and Fat Mike of NOFX , features their most well-known song "Don't Want You", which was accompanied by a humorous video. Guitarist Sindi left the band some time later. http://www.loudithfaire.net/viewfromyou/lunachicks.html Loudithfair.net The band stayed a four piece since then and released their first live album Drop Dead Live in 1998. In 1999 the band released their final album to date Luxury Problem . Lunachicks joined the Warped Tour in 1999, one of only three female acts along with The Donnas and Bif Naked , and again in 2000. Chip English left the band in the fall of 1999 and was replaced by then 18-year old Helen Destroy, http://drumsforgirls.ning.com/profile/HelenDestroy Helen Destroy Biography drumsforgirls.com who stayed with the band until went inactive in the summer of 2000. The band never officially disbanded, but haven't been active since then with the exception of two reunion shows.
Movie appearances
Besides being in active in music, the band also had a fair share of movie appearances. The first one was in a low-budget splatter movie entitled Blue Vengeance (shot in 1989, but not released until 1992). The band also can be seen in the 1990s Riot-Grrrl Documentary, Not Bad For A Girl , http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114001/ as well as Rockstar (produced in 1996, not released commercially until 2004) and High Times' Potluck (2002), two movies that featured lead singer Theo in lead roles. http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2004/04/22/Arts/Lunachick.Unhinged-667794.shtml GW Hatchet - Lunachick Unhinged The band also appeared in Terror Firmer , for which soundtrack they also contributed the song "Say What You Mean". Theo and Squid starred in the movie Hairburners .
The band has also been involved with movies or music videos other ways, such as being on the soundtrack. In 1997 Theo danced in The Offspring s video " I Choose ". The movie '' Boys Don't Cry (film)|Boys Don't Cry '' has their music video for "Don't Want You" playing in the background of a scene. The Olsen Twins movie Getting There has their song "Say What You Mean" on the soundtrack. Also, C.J. Ramone of the Ramones has been seen wearing a Lunachicks shirt several times, most notably in the music video for Poison Heart .
In the movie Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies Dino the naked drummer said that he had a psychic link with the Lunachicks and showed a picture of himself holding up a Lunachicks album while masturbating. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=KDnd908VfAw
Reunion
The Lunachicks reunited for a 20-minute set at CBGB's on April 6, 2002 with Sindi on guitar and Chip on drums. http://www.nyrock.com/conf/fury21.asp NYrock.com Another Reunion took place at the March for Women's Lives Benefit in Washington, D.C. on April 24, 2004 as a 4-piece with Chip on drums.
Life after the Lunachicks
Singer Theo married Toilet Böys -guitarist Sean Pierce , with whom she formed the band Theo & the Skyscrapers , http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Theo%20& %20The%20Skyscrapers/a/Theo%20& %20The%20Skyscrapers.htm which have released two albums to date (2006's self-titled album and 2007's So Many Ways to Die ). She occasionally works as a fashion model and actress, and had appeared in Bringing Out the Dead as a prostitute, Zoolander as the tattooed woman in Hansel's loft and Tadpole (movie)|Tadpole as a woman at the bar. Gina is now the singer and guitar player for the rock band Bantam (band)|Bantam . http://www.babysue.com/LMNOP-Reviews-July-02.html#anchor424533 Babysue.com - review Helen Destroy plays drums in the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band, Lez Zeppelin . Squid used to work as a tattoo artist, but now she is the proprietor of the Roebling Tea Room, a popular eatery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. http://www.tattoosdownunder.com.au/lunachicks.html Tattoos Down Under - Interview with Theo and Squid Becky Wreck was the drummer for the Blare Bitch Project back in 2000. Chip plays drums for Suicide King.
Discography
Albums
Babysitters on Acid (1990) ( Blast First )
Binge & Purge (1992) (Safe House)
Jerk of All Trades (1995) ( Go Kart Records )
Pretty Ugly (1997) ( Go Kart Records )
Drop Dead Live (1998) ( Go Kart Records )
Luxury Problem (1999) ( Go Kart Records )
Singles & EPs
Lunachicks Double 7" (1989)
"Cookie Monster" / "Complication" 7" (1990)
"C.I.L.L." / "Plugg" 7" (1992)
Apathetic EP (1992)
"F.D.S." / "Light as a Feather" 7" (1993)
Sushi A La Mode EP (1993, Japan Only)
"Edgar" CD Single (1995, Promo)
"Don't Want You" CD Single (1997, Promo)
Videos
XXX Naked (1999, Home Video w/ Video Clips & Interviews)
Trivia
The band performed several cover tunes on stage like Blondie (band)|Blondie 's " Heart of Glass (song)|Heart of Glass " (available on the Japanese issue of Luxury Problem ), The Cars ' " Just What I Needed " and Bad Company 's " Feel Like Makin' Love (Bad Company song)|Feel Like Makin' Love ". Bad Company was mentioned in the liner notes of Binge & Purge , which said, "No thanks to Bad Company".
Lunachicks was the named of the club where Hailey Nihols was working in the episode of the O.C. The L.A.
References
Reflist
External links
MySpace|lunachicks|Lunachicks
http://www.gokartrecords.com/index.php? PAGE=bands& id=8 Lunachicks at Go-Kart Records
http://users.erols.com/shydoll/lunachicks.html Fan Site
http://www.warr.org/lunachicks.html Lunachicks Album Reviews
http://web.archive.org/web/20091027112509/ http://www.geocities.com/Baja/9874 If The Lunachicks ruled the world
punk Category:American pop punk musical groups Category:All-female bands Category:Blast First artists Category:Riot grrrl
