All this might not sound like an ideal nights entertainment to some of you, but in all honesty it was a great gig. L7 play hard rock music strained through post-punk attitudes; and they play it will a passion and vitality sorely lacking in British indie groups, I'll take this over Swervedriver or Ride anyday.
L7 ventilate the ceiling with smart, sassy, loser anthems like `Death Wish' and `Pretend We're dead', and bile laced F U tunes like `Shit List', `Shove': we even get a few bars of `Enter Sandman'. Visually L7 are a bit of a sartorial riot, all ripped up dumpster clothing and smeared lipstick! They bounce hard, play hard, and as one unfortunate who wouldn't leave the stage found out, they kick hard too; ouch. The band obviously enjoy playing, and that's good to see with so much studious apathy crowding stages from John O'groats to Lands End.
Fuck apathy, lets Dance!
Since the gig and interview earlier this year L7's popularity has gone through the roof, thanks in no small part to a great deal of hard slog from the band who made themselves a constant feature on the Summers' festival Circuit.
Also since the interview L7's hometown of LA has exploded in violent release of long suppressed racial tension in the wake of the Rodney King trial fiasco. This puts some of what was essentially a fun interview into a rather unfortunate perspective, but since we can't get extra post-riot commentary from L7 we'll leave it as it stands, an irreverent look at the fun world of trash glam that L7 inhabit.
So there we were, backstage at Calton again, we talked to Donita and Dee (the drummer, and tallest member {um that sounds kinda weird, hope they don't take it the wrong way}). Dee's enthusiastic about everything, sometimes to the point where she says things she shouldn't (don't worry Dee, I kept my promise). Donita's a bit calmer, but none the less endearing. They have a habit of saying the exact same thing at the exact same time, and also of finishing each others sentences which I find kinda cute.
Are you pleased with the way the new album came out? I seems to be a bit cleaner than `Smell the Magic', was that Butch Vig's influence?
"Well `Smell the Magic', we recorded that in 3 days, because of the budget, and because we live in Los Angeles and we were on tour at the time so it was like boom, boom, boom. This one we had a little more time, so we got to fool around a lot more, and experiment more, and take our time. I dunno I think it sounds heavy, sometimes I wish it sounded heavier, but then sometimes I like it just the way it is. I think the guitars are really heavy, I think the drums are really heavy too, I think the drums sound awesome." Donita glances at Dee, and pronounces "Goddess of Thunder!"
Having solved the problem of being seen as a novelty act in the states, do you find the equivalent here in the UK?
"Not this time", states Donita, "Last time we did. In 1990 we were consistently asked about other bands . . .", ". . .Other girl bands . ." interjects Dee, ". . . In the states", says Donita, continuing the sentence "who we're friends with, but musically we don't really have that much in common with them. But this time no, we haven't had much problem with that, its good, its a nice change. Now we get compared with Nirvana constantly. First it was the Runaways, then it was the Seattle sound, then it was foxcore bullshit, and now it's Nirvana bullshit".
So tell us, who's on your shitlist right now?
"Our government, your government," says Donita, before pausing for a moment. "ALL governments." She looks at the cover of our first issue."And your coverboy"(Ice-T), "Yeah, this dork," says Dee.
Your first albums got a song on it called "Ms .45" (named after an obscure pseudo feminist vigilante movie by the director of `Driller Killer", in which a brutally raped woman, kills and dismembers her assailant before going on a crazed killing spree that starts with her killing asshole would-be rapists, but ends with her just killing every man she sees,), and the line `I think my diet pill is wearing off' (from the song `Diet Pill') is a line uttered by the immortal Divine in John Waters Hairspray. Is trash culture and trash movies, an abiding influence?
"I like some stuff, yeah." says Donita, "John Waters is my favourite. Ms 45, I'm not that crazy about that movie, but I like the idea of it. I like B-movies. I used to work for Roger Corman pictures briefly. I used to move props, very heavy props, on the set."
"She's escaped serious injuries many times", says Dee, "Mooseheads ready to fall on her", both of them crack up laughing. "I almost got a part as a punk chick on one of their movies, but there were bare breasts all through the movie. I wouldn't have had to show my breasts", she adds hastily, "but I don't think I could have faced my feminist sisters if I had appeared in that movie, so I declined, but I was tempted, believe you me."
Have you ever thought of doing a soundtrack for a weird movie?
"Yeah, we'd love to; if it was good," states Donita.
I thought you'd be good for a remake of `She Devils on Wheels. "That would be cool." or `Faster Pussycat Kill Kill'. "We'd be interested in that" says Donita obviously a woman of some taste.
OK heres a simple question: what do you hate?
"Theres so many things," says Donita, "Lets see, we hate when the bathtub gets really cold and we're menstruating, we wanna dip our poontangs really bad and it's too cold to do it. We hate that. We hate a lot of people, we hate rappers with Mysogynistic lyrics"
Now the opposite question: What do you love?
"Flowers" says Dee (Slightly sarcastic). "We loved those baby lambs we passed today", says Donita, "Shopping, Eating" adds Dee, "Some of us", states Donita, "Enjoy taking drugs very much, Some of us don't. Well some of us enjoyed it a little too much so they can't do that anymore, "Baby Lambs, and drugs", she sums up.
Have you heard the band Sheep on Drugs? Baby lambs become sheep, you like drugs, sheep & drugs = sheep on drugs. Q.E.D. We finish with a flourish and Donita states at us like we're mad and I suddenly feel somewhat sheepish (A-Ha "Somewhat sheepish!", Oh never mind.)
Mock outrage " I would never drug a sheep! I'd take the drugs myself, I wouldn't share!". "What else do we love Dee?". "I love my parents", answers Dee sweetly. "I love my parents too, we love most of our fans, unless they go Hinkley on us". "We get a lot of Hinkley's some times", says Dee.
I was wanted to ask you some stuff about LA, sort of get the L& tour guide to the city of Angels. Have you every visited the Russ Meyer museum in LA?
"No, but my friend told me about it", says Donita. "I didn't know there was one!" says Dee, "Where is it?" "its in the Hollywood Hills"
I read about it in John Waters book Crackpot, you should try to get into one of his movies
"We'd love to,"states Donita, "But you have to be more of a freak to be in his movies, we're just poser freaks, you have to be a real freak, 400lbs."
I dunno, there were some nice looking people in Crybaby.
"That's true", chips in Dee and Donita in Unison.
"Johnny Depp" says Dee, and Iggy Pop and Patty Hearst
"Susan Tyrell" adds Donita. "There was a lot of good looking people in that movie actually" agrees Dee. "Not to say that we're good looking or anything' adds Donita with a smile.'No, I wasn't trying to say that, I just mean they weren't freaks or anything" chips in Dee. "John Waters said he thought all rock stars were ugly" states Donita. "We're NOT Rockstars" states Dee, definitively.
What are the best tourist spots in LA? That's another thing John Waters has written about. For him, it seems to be a mecca of sleaze, he talks finally about visiting Spahn Ranch where the Manson lived, I think they've demolished that now.
"Yeah, it's not there anymore', says Donita. Pity. "You can go to where the Manson Killings where, Sharon Tates house,' suggests Donita. Dee adds: `You can got the El Coyote where Sharon Tate . . .",". . . ate her last meal, " finishes Donita.
"We go there all the time, its right across the street from Slash records", Dee tells us. "It's our favourite joint", adds Donita, before taking the magical mystery tour in a slightly different direction. "You can go to plenty of game shows. You can go to the Love Connection". The What? "They don't have that here", Donita says to Dee. "That's a shame," says Dee, "its where they match up people . . .",". . . and you tell them about your dates", says Donita, "its really embarrassing."
"You could go to the Rainbow, see all kinds of poodle bear-cut people with big hairdo's" Dee tells us.
"You could see Lemmy", adds Donita "buying his last minute speed".
So is LA degenerate and depraved?
"Of course", answers Donita,"but in a good way",adds Dee.
`Everywhere in America is that way' continues Donita, "but in particular LA, its part of the beauty of it too, people who are into B-movies would love LA, people who aren't into B-movies would snub their noses to it. Its like trashy glamour, its the place to be."
I heard that you recently won an industry award for the best hard rock band in LA, how did that feel?
"I was very sick", says Donita, "I really wanted to go, I missed Brian Wilson, who's a big favourite, he performed there. Dee and Jennifer went. Suzi recuperating from the crane falling on her head, and I . . ." ". . Had the flu", says Dee.
How Prestigious was the awards?
"Not at all," says Donita, "but they were star studded." "I saw Dr. Dre", yelps Dee, "I got to heckle him. Everyone was applauding him so I waited till that died down, and screamed out, `Women beating mother fucker', really loud".
Do you think he heard you?
"I hope so, my voice carries", "When I was backstage I was looking over my shoulder thinking he was gonna beat the shit out of me."
Do you get a lot of female fans at your concerts, because gigs seem to be getting more macho and violent these days?
Donita frowns "I've noticed since we've been on this tour that it's all guys up front, in the US, I see more women in the audience." "Still, I don't see that many',says Dee, "It's unusual to see women upfront. Speaking from experience." "I remember this one night Donita and I were at a Nirvana show, and I don't know what we were thinking". "We had toured with them, "continues Donita,"we just wanted to fuck around and yell stuff at them upfront. We had these two big glasses of beer, they hit the first note and the beers when flying."
"Donita and I were both standing next to one another and we both went flying." says Dee taking up the verbal baton. "I got caught and this guy was pulling my hair. I felt like I was drowning in this big sea, I saw Donita's hand, she pulled me out and we both ran to the side of the stage. Fuck that."
"At our shows, I think to myself, If I wasn't in the band and I went to see us, I wouldn't go up front."
But there are some bits of the US that aren't so neanderthally oriented "Bostons all girls" Dee tells me, "And DC was really cool, " adds Donita, "We'd just played with Fugazi, and they've taught their fans not to stagedive."
And L7's position on the great stage diving debate?
"We stop it somebody's yelling hurt," states Dee, "if either the bouncers are hurting, or if a fight breaks out. I like watching fans enjoying themselves, if they wanna stagedive, fine; so long as it's done somewhat safely."