Early Los Angeles punk band, with members like Alice Bag (The Bags), Dinah Cancer (45 Grave), Phranc (Nervous Gender), Shannon Wilhelm, Tracy Lea (of Redd Kross and appeared in Desperate Teenage Lovedolls), Elissa Bello (Go-Go’s) and Tiffany Kennedy (Cambridge Apostles). They never had any official releases but appeared on New Wave Theatre television show.
Related: The Bags, 45 Grave, Nervous Gender, Red Kross, Cambridge Apostles, Alice Bag, Phranc, Dinah Cancer, Los Angeles, New Wave Theatre
Christian Death formed in 1979 in the Los Angeles area. Along with 45 Grave and related projects, they were instrumental in forming what would become known as ‘deathrock’, a genre most often associated with bands of the southern California scene, but more broadly applies to bands the world over. Rozz Williams formed the original lineup with George Belanger and James McGearty. Rikk Agnew of the Adolescents (also Social Distortion, D.I., many other LA punk bands, an accomplished solo artist, and a later era 45 Grave) joined on guitar, and their debut recording appeared in 1981 on the essential ‘Hell Comes To Your House’ compilation, and released their first LP in 1982, ‘Only Theatre of Pain’ on Frontier Records. Keith Walsh (Der Stab) played keyboards in this era of Christian Death.
By their second album, ‘Catastrophe Ballet’ in 1984, the lineup had changed significantly, with Rozz Williams the only remaining original member, and Valor Kand (guitar), Gitane Demone (backing vocals) and David Glass (drums), all of whom were previously the band Pompeii 99. This lineup lasted til 1985’s ‘Ashes’. During a European tour, Rozz Williams left the band, however Kand continued using Christian Death against Williams’ wishes, resulting in a severe division amongst fans. Despite Valor’s talent as a musician, which continued to shine over the next few albums, most fans familiar with the distinction between Rozz Williams era and Valor era Christian Death refer to the later as Valor era or Valor’s Christian Death. Valor’s nonconsensual appropriation of the name continues to be bone of contention.
Rozz Williams continued with other musical projects including noise / performance art collaborations like Premature Ejaculation, several solo projects and a collaborative album with Gitane Demone. The most relevant progressions from his Christian Death work were Shadow Project, and Daucus Karota which emerged from it. Shadow Project was a collaboration with Eva O of the Super Heroines, as well as Johann Schumann and Barry Galvin of Mephisto Walz, who had also played with and departed post-Rozz Christian Death) David Glass also returned to work with Shadow Project.
Williams also performed and released further Christian Death material, despite the existence of Valor’s continued use of the name. Legal disputes failed any significant conclusions. In 1990, the original Christian Death reformed with Rozz Williams, Rikk Agnew and Eva O for a rare live performance at the Mason Jar in Phoenix, Arizona supported by Bootbeast. The performance was recorded for an audio and video release entitled Sleepless Nights, one of a very few efforts made by Rozz Williams to perform original Christian Death material during the band’s late era. The Path of Shadows, Rage of Angels, and Skeleton Kiss EP were all released by Christian Death under Rozz’s direction during this time.
Rozz Williams died in his home in Los Angeles of suicide on April 1, 1998.
Related: Shadow Project, Der Stab, Adolescents, Social Distortion, D.I., Pompeii 99, Super Heroines, Mephisto Walz, Daucus Karota
Fusing elements of punk, blues, voodoo, horror comics and a western atmosphere, Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Kid Congo Powers co-founded The Gun Club in Los Angeles in 1979 as Creeping Ritual until adopting the new name by early 1980. Their membership fluctuated on a regular basis around Pierce’s wild behavior, with Kid Congo joining The Cramps later that year. Their early lineups saw Terry Graham, Rob Ritter (45 Grave), both formerly of The Bags and Ward Dotson (Der Stab). Patricia Morrison, also a former Bag, would join in 1982.
After touring as support with Siouxsie and the Banshees and another headline tour with support band Sisters of Mercy, The Gun Club split up in 1985, leading Morrisson and Desi Desperate to form the band Fur Bible, while Pierce went on a solo career. They would reform in 1986 with Kid Congo Powers (then with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) back on guitar. Lineup changes continued to occur during their next few albums. Jeffrey Lee Pierce died March 31, 1996 of a brain hemorrhage, leaving behind a legacy that his peers and new generations of musicians continue to revere.
Related:45 Grave, The Cramps, Tex & The Horseheads, The Bags, Patricia Morrison
Based in Phoenix, Arizona until relocating to Los Angeles where Paul Cutler would eventually form the nucleus of 45 Grave along with fellow Phoenix punk transplants, The Exterminators who brought Don Bolles (Nervous Gender, Vox Pop, The Germs) and Rob Graves aka Rob Ritter (†June 28, 1990) who would also play with The Gun Club and The Bags. Consumers songs like ‘Concerned Citizen’, ‘Dream Hits’, and ‘Anti Anti Anti’ carried over to 45 Grave. The sole album from The Consumers was only posthumously released as ‘All My Friends Are Dead’ in 1995. Other projects that the members were involved in included Human Hands, Cathedral Of Tears, and Vox Pop.
One of the earliest bands in the US and Los Angeles punk movement. The Screamers (along with bands like Monitor, Nervous Gender and others in LA) utilized electronic instruments and a drumset, a departure from the traditional guitar-bass-drums formula of rock bands of the time.
They began in Seattle as the Tupperwares with singer Tomata DuPlenty, Rio de Janeiro and Tommy Gear. While in Seattle, the Tupperwares collaborated with members Bill Reiflin (Blackouts, Ministry) and Eldon “El Duce” Hoke (Mentors). DuPlenty and Gear would relocate soon to Los Angeles and re-emerge as The Screamers, bringing in K. K. Barrett and David Brown (Dangerhouse Records) who was soon replaced by Paul Roessler (45 Grave, Nervous Gender).
The Screamers never released officially, though several demos and live recordings exist and have been released posthumously. They even made a cover version of fellow punk pioneers The Germs’ Sex Boy’. While they existed they did play prodigiously including gigs in New York (CBGBs) and San Francisco. By 1980 the Screamers had ceased all activity.
Tomata Du Plenty continued as a visual artist. He passed away in August 21, 2000, in San Francisco. His remains were cremated, and his ashes are interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, in a niche in the Chapel Columbarium not far from the remains of Rozz Williams (Christian Death).
