Although their "fame" lasted for a full 15 minutes, few bands entered rock & roll with such a crazy reputation as the Plasmatics did. Started by Rod Swenson, a porn film producer who wanted to be the next Malcolm McLaren, the Plasmatics were fronted by sex film "star" Wendy O. Williams, a muscular, raspy-voiced "singer" who generally wore next to nothing onstage. (Her most radical bit of fashion accessorizing consisted of covering her nipples with black electrical tape.) Almost as captivating was guitarist Richie Stotts, a tall, gangly geek who fancied garters and stockings and a blue mohawk; he also liked to smash his guitar against his head until he drew blood.
Playing the New York punk circuit, the Plasmatics became notorious for their extreme stage shows, which, early on, started with Williams firing blanks from a sawed-off shotgun and taking a chainsaw to a human dummy filled with stage blood, sending a spray of fake gore throughout the club and anticipating the fake carnage of GWAR by nearly a decade. The music, however, was another story: mostly sub-literate punk rock loaded with lots of quasi-sci-fi totalitarianism and consumer nightmares of unknown proportions that on record didn't work without the stage pyrotechnics, something Swenson and the Plasmatics understood completely as the stage shows quickly became more elaborate: cars were blown up, guitars were sawed in half (oddly, the dummy disappeared), equipment was set on fire -- it was a Beavis and Butt-Head wet dream come to life, although none of this translated into good record sales.
While Williams became something of a demi-celebrity in punk circles, especially after she was busted (and brutalized by police) in Milwaukee for "public indecency," the Plasmatics were all show and no substance. Jean Beauvoir, apparently on a quest for legitimacy, quit the band, and the focus became Wendy O. rather than the bunch of unknowns backing her up. After 1982's Coup D'Etat, Williams went solo, worked with Lemmy from Motorhead, and roped in Kiss's Gene Simmons to produce her album W.O.W. She made another solo LP, 1986's Kommander of Kaos, and that same year appeared in the movie Reform School Girls; after a 1989 Plasmatics reunion outing, Maggots: The Record, she made a few more acting appearances before essentially dropping from sight altogether during the early 1990s. On April 8, 1998, it was announced that Williams had committed suicide; she was 48.
Playing the New York punk circuit, the Plasmatics became notorious for their extreme stage shows, which, early on, started with Williams firing blanks from a sawed-off shotgun and taking a chainsaw to a human dummy filled with stage blood, sending a spray of fake gore throughout the club and anticipating the fake carnage of GWAR by nearly a decade. The music, however, was another story: mostly sub-literate punk rock loaded with lots of quasi-sci-fi totalitarianism and consumer nightmares of unknown proportions that on record didn't work without the stage pyrotechnics, something Swenson and the Plasmatics understood completely as the stage shows quickly became more elaborate: cars were blown up, guitars were sawed in half (oddly, the dummy disappeared), equipment was set on fire -- it was a Beavis and Butt-Head wet dream come to life, although none of this translated into good record sales.
While Williams became something of a demi-celebrity in punk circles, especially after she was busted (and brutalized by police) in Milwaukee for "public indecency," the Plasmatics were all show and no substance. Jean Beauvoir, apparently on a quest for legitimacy, quit the band, and the focus became Wendy O. rather than the bunch of unknowns backing her up. After 1982's Coup D'Etat, Williams went solo, worked with Lemmy from Motorhead, and roped in Kiss's Gene Simmons to produce her album W.O.W. She made another solo LP, 1986's Kommander of Kaos, and that same year appeared in the movie Reform School Girls; after a 1989 Plasmatics reunion outing, Maggots: The Record, she made a few more acting appearances before essentially dropping from sight altogether during the early 1990s. On April 8, 1998, it was announced that Williams had committed suicide; she was 48.
A great band that wasn't understood by the public. They were so punk that it was impossible to describe them as that.
by Freak Face May 09, 2005
Horrid music that is similar to heavy metal. Led Zeppelin was considered the fathers of hard rock. Fans of hard rock were like punx but they were more violent and they had no purpose.
by Freak Face February 10, 2005
Political hardcore, or any type of punk that deals with politics. Many policore bands and supporters were anarchists.
Crass, Subhumans, Dead Kennedys, The Exploited, Sham 69, Sex Pistols, Relient K(some) and The Unseen.
by Freak Face May 25, 2005
Watered down punk rock. It was started by CBGB bands Television, Talking Heads and Blondie. Although these bands were originally known as punk, they were renamed new wave because they didn't share punk's negative image and were more experimental. Eventually new wave evolved into a bunch of bullcrap like The Romantics.
"We're not a punk rock band, were a new wave band which means we're shit. ha ha ha!"
Pull My Strings- Dead Kennedys
New wave- U2, Go-Go's, Echo & The Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, INXS, Devo, Oingo Boingo, Human League, Soft Cell, Duran Duran, Tears For Fears, A Flock Of Seagulls.
Pull My Strings- Dead Kennedys
New wave- U2, Go-Go's, Echo & The Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, INXS, Devo, Oingo Boingo, Human League, Soft Cell, Duran Duran, Tears For Fears, A Flock Of Seagulls.
by Freak Face June 22, 2005
A style of rock started in the 70's. It was music played by men who wore wigs, makeup, high heels. It was started by The New York Dolls.
by Freak Face February 10, 2005
The most notorious punk band of all time. Started in 1976, the Sex Pistols' original lineup consisted of Johnny Rotten(b. John Lydon) on vocals, Glen Matlock on bass, Steve Jones and Paul Cook. The one and only time they were on national television, they swore 8 times. Fuck, 4 times. Shit, 3 times. Bastard, once. Their first release was God Save The Queen. Upon being released, it was banned from the majority of record stores in England. Their next release was Anarchy In The U.K. The Sex Pistols were the most publicized band in history because of all that circulated around Sid Vicious.
"I am an antichrist, I am an anarchist. Don't Know what I want, but i know how to get it!" Anarchy In The U.K.-Sex Pistols
by Freak Face May 05, 2005
A dealer in New York City in the '70s. He specialized in speed and heroin, since marijuana was considered a hippie drug. He was quite known throughout the under ground for his great deals and for the fact that you could gipp him easily, because he had no common sense. One evening in the year of '77, Rockets Redglare was found at a bar with a bunch of his buddys, drinking beer. He footed the bill, which is something he never did, because he was almost always broke. One of his friends asked him where he got the money. On hearing this Rockets promptly started bragging to his friends that he killed Nancy Spungen. Yes, the same Nancy Spungen who at the time, was the girlfriend of Sid Vicious. Nancy was killed with Sid's favorite knife, that never got seperated from him. Sid was blamed for killing his girlfriend and stayed doped up on heroin for a week. At the end of the week, he and a bunch of friends had a huge party. One of Sid's friends told him that he knew of a great heroin dealer that could make him a good deal because of who he was. The dealer came to where Sid was staying and sold him some heroin. Sid took it and partyed till he dropped. The next morning he was found in the home, dead. We now know that what was given to Sid was a hot shot. Rockets Redglare was later reported to have comitted suicide.
by Freak Face May 06, 2005