Nervous Gender is an American
punk rock electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
band formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by Gerardo Velazquez, Edward Stapleton,
Phranc
Phranc (born Susan Gottlieb; August 28, 1957), is an American singer-songwriter whose career began playing in several bands in the late 1970s Los Angeles punk rock scene. Her musical style later shifted during the 1980s as a solo artist, into ...
and Michael Ochoa.
Their use of heavily distorted keyboards and synthesizers made them, along with
The Screamers
The Screamers were an American electropunk group founded in 1975. They were among the first wave of the L.A. punk rock scene. The Los Angeles Times applied the label "techno-punk" to the band in 1978. In the documentary '' Punk: Attitude'' ( ...
, one of the original innovators of what is today called "
electropunk
Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrum ...
", although they could equally be considered an early
industrial group. The group was confrontational and experimental.
Phranc's
androgynous appearance was the embodiment of the group's name, garnered the band much press in
zines
A zine ( ; short for ''magazine'' or ''fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very smal ...
such as ''
Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash ...
'' and, later, proving inspirational to founders of the
queercore
Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture and a music genre that comes from punk rock. It is distinguished by its discontent with society in general, and specifical ...
movement. Despite their somewhat high profile, the groups' habit of provoking the audience, obscene material and harsh erotics guaranteed they would never gain commercial acceptance. At their first show in 1979, a benefit for the Women's Video Center, Phranc called the audience "pussies" and "dykes" when the band was requested to stop playing.
History
The band were formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1978 by Gerardo Velazquez, Edward Stapleton, Phranc and Michael Ochoa. In 1979,
Don Bolles of the
Germs joined as drummer. The following year, Phranc left the band and
Paul Roessler
Paul Roessler (born August 27, 1958) is an American musician and record producer. Roessler was a prominent member of the L.A. punk scene during the late 1970s and 1980s. He played keyboards in bands such as The Screamers, Twisted Roots, 45 Gra ...
of the Screamers joined. At this time they recorded the tracks for the compilation ''Live at Target'', released as an LP and a video, both seminal not only in the punk scene but also as early industrial recordings; fellow contributors
Factrix and
Z'EV
Z'EV (born Stefan Joel Weisser, February 8, 1951 – December 16, 2017) was an American poet, percussionist, and sound artist. After studying various world music traditions at CalArts, he began creating his own percussion sounds out of indust ...
(listed on this recording as "UNS") were early industrial acts, and Nervous Gender found more acceptance among that scene initially. All the artists involved in ''Live at Target'' were experimenting with atonality, noise and concepts not common until
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
groups emerged later. Nervous Gender played with bands such as
SPK,
Factrix,
Non,
Einstürzende Neubauten
(, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The group is currently composed of founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals; guitar; keyboard) and N.U. Unruh ( custom-made instruments; p ...
, and
Psychic TV during the early 1980s.
In 1981 they released their LP ''Music from Hell'', which included guest vocalist
Alice Bag from
Bags singing on "Alice's Song". Nervous Gender did not record in the studio again. After the LP came out, Paul Roessler moved to New York City to play with the
Nina Hagen
Catharina "Nina" Hagen (; born 11 March 1955) is a German singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her theatrical vocals and rose to prominence during the punk and new wave movements in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She is known as ...
Band and was replaced by Bill Cline, and Don Bolles left the band to play with
45 Grave
45 Grave is an American rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1979. The original group broke up in 1985, but vocalist Dinah Cancer subsequently revived the band.
History
The band was founded during the punk rock movement by Paul B. Cutler i ...
. He was replaced by an eight-year-old boy, Sven Pfeiffer. In 1982, Sven was deported alongside their mother and both returned to live in Germany. During their career Nervous Gender was called by one critic, "...the thorn in the side of the L.A. music scene..."
During the mid-1980s, the band was on the verge of breaking up when members of
Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States. Though largely an underground act for the majority of its existence, the band came to prominence when its 1982 single "Mexican Radio" became a hit on MTV an ...
Bruce Moreland,
Marc Moreland
Marc Moreland (January 8, 1958 – March 13, 2002) was an American rock musician. He was the former guitarist for rock band Wall of Voodoo, punk band The Skulls, and rock bands Pretty and Twisted and Department of Crooks. He also released a solo ...
and Chas Grey, who were fans, stepped in and offered to collaborate with them. It was at this point that a guitar-driven version of Nervous Gender emerged. During this time
Dinah Cancer
Mary Ann Sims (born August 28, 1960), known professionally as Dinah Cancer, is an American singer. She is the lead vocalist of 45 Grave, which helped found the deathrock music genre.
Biography
Cancer's first band was Castration Squad, an ...
of 45 Grave was a frequent guest performer with them, and they played shows with bands such as
Christian Death
Christian Death is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles County, California, in 1979 by Rozz Williams. With major line-up changes over the years, Christian Death has retained "a relentlessly confrontational stand against organized religi ...
,
Super Heroines,
Kommunity FK and Gobsheit (a side project of Stapleton's with Patrice Repose) at venues such as the Anti Club. In 1988, Edward Stapleton played his last show with the band.
In early 1990, original members Gerardo Velasquez and Michael Ochoa along with Joe Zinnato (a long time Ochoa collaborator) revived Nervous Gender as a trio. This formation did a series of 8 performances, and were working on what would have been the final Nervous Gender album (working title "American Regime") with producer
Paul B. Cutler (of
45 Grave
45 Grave is an American rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1979. The original group broke up in 1985, but vocalist Dinah Cancer subsequently revived the band.
History
The band was founded during the punk rock movement by Paul B. Cutler i ...
). The final performance of Nervous Gender was on August 26, 1991, at Club A.S.S. in Silverlake, CA. Gerardo Velasquez died on March 28, 1992, at age 33.
After Gerardo's death, members Ochoa and Zinnato, with the addition of singer Claire Lawrence – Slater (of Honeymoon Killers, Huge Killer Ships), formed "HighHeelTitWig" a punk-industrial-pop-grunge hybrid, which played a series of shows. In 1995 Joe Zinnato suffered a serious stroke which put an end to musical activities.
As of 2005, Edward Stapleton, Michael Ochoa and Joe Zinnato were reviewing all of the Nervous Gender material (studio, live and rehearsal recordings and performance videos) with an eye towards releasing a NG retrospective. At this time, Edward Stapleton (with Karene Stapleton) also recorded under the nam
Kali's Thugs In 2007 the band reformed with Stapleton, Ochoa, Zinnato and Tammy Fraser.
As of 2017, Edward Stapleton, and Matt Comeione, San Diego Mod and Cal Arts trained composer starte
nervous genderreloaded.
Discography
*
Nervous Gender Reloaded on Bandcamp'
*(1980) on
Subterranean Records
* ''
Music from Hell'' (1981) on Subterranean Records
* Nervous Gender Archives, series of archival recordings available from Nervous Gender via their web site
** ''Nervous Gender Live at the Hong Kong Cafe 1979'' (2006)
** ''Nervous Gender – Live at the Whiskey A Go-Go 1980'' (2006)
** ''Nervous Gender Live at the Roxy 1986'' (2006)
** ''Nervous Gender – Music from Hell 2009 Remixed / Remastered'' (2009) (Limited Edition CD Limited to 250 numbered copies)
* ''Gestalt / Green Tile Floors (Test Tube Records. 2011) 7 inch green vinyl 45 record. 2 songs from 1979 newly recorded for the first time in 2010. Engineered by Paul Roessler of the Screamers and former Nervous Gender member.
*THE NERVOUS GENDER Eastside Punks is a film series about Los Angeles's other punk scene story https://www.facebook.com/razorcake/videos/262662958825298
''Music from Hell''
''Music from Hell'' is the first studio album by Los Angeles
electropunk
Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrum ...
band Nervous Gender.
;Side A (Martyr Complex)
# Monsters
# Nothing to Hide
# Cardinal Newman
# Fat Cow
# Alien Point of View
# People Like You
# Regress for You
;Side B (Beelzebub Youth)
# Christian Lovers
# Exorcism
# Bathroom Sluts
# Pie on a Ledge
# Push, Push, Push
# Alice's Song
See also
*
List of musicians in the first wave of punk music
This is a list of notable first wave punk rock musicians (1975–1979).
0-9
* 4 Skins
* 45 Grave
* 999
A
*Abrasive Wheels
* Adam & the Ants
* The Adicts
* Adolescents (band)
*The Adverts
* Agent Orange (band)
* The Alley Cats (Los Angeles)
...
References
External links
*
Nervous Gender ReloadedNervous Gender unofficial site2015 Nervous Gender interview
{{Authority control
LGBT-themed musical groups
Punk rock groups from California
Electropunk musical groups
Queercore groups
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Musical groups established in 1978
1978 establishments in California