After opening for ADAM ANT, L.A. glitter rock’n’roll band GLAM SKANKS are now touring in Europe. They answered a few questions about the band, glam rock, and Los Angeles in 2017. Don’t miss them if they are playing anywhere near you!
Can you give us a bit of history? How did you meet and get the idea to start GLAM SKANKS?
Sure! V Volume and Ali Cat met by posting almost the same add on Craigslist ! We both wanted to start an all female rock n roll band and turned out we had the same influences from the 70’s Rock n Roll scene. We met at V’s dads studio and jammed on some covers. We then played our first show starting out as a cover band! We are both inspired by over the top stage shows and outfits so we wanted to incorporate that in our band as well ! We later met Cassie and Millie through mutual friends. They share the same dreams as us and we all love music with such a passion so it works well !
You’ve just opened for ADAM ANT on his last tour. How did that happen? How was it?
Yes! We actually opened up for him on his last three tours! It’s been a wild ride for sure. Riding in a van packed with people, driving through EVERY kind of weather, meeting every kind of person, playing theatres and arenas! It’s been amazing! We definitely gained a bigger following by playing with Adam. They seem to respond to us very well! And we absolutely love Adam and his band and crew. We have learned so much from them and consider them family !
Opening for ADAM ANT means playing in big venues, did you feel comfortable from the start on these big stages? How do you feel about getting back to smaller clubs on your upcoming European tour?
We were definitely nervous at first but knew we were ready for big stages. We are a very energetic band so we loved having the freedom of getting to strut around on a big stage. But we did come from playing in small bars so we are super comfortable with that. We are excited to go back to playing smaller clubs. There is a certain energy in a rock n roll bar that you can’t get in a theatre. We love the sweaty, grimy underground feel of a hole in the wall club !
Your Euro tour has just started, how is it goin’ so far?
It’s going great! Each show has been wildly fun with a passionate audience! And the hospitality and friendliness of all the promoters and people we have been staying with has been unforgettable ! We are so grateful to all the open arms! We are most importantly greatful for Ludo at Adrenaline Fix Music for putting our tour together! He has worked hard and has made our album on Vinyl which you can now buy on Adrenalin Fix Music website ! 🙂
We did have our first bump in the road .. we were in the snow in France and Veronica Volume and her huge muscles ripped the van door off! We sat in a Burger King for a few hours and waited for someone to fix it !
Most people in Europe (and especially in non-English speaking countries) probably won’t care about the meaning of your band name, but how do people usually react to it in the US?
Yes it’s funny, people in the states are shocked but usually love it! We originally used the name temporarily and just thought it was funny but we noticed people were really taken away by it, which is a good thing because you know they can never forget it !
Los Angeles is mostly famous for its 80s Sunset Strip glam metal scene, but people sometimes forget that in the early 70s, Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco started it all in the US when it comes to glam/glitter rock. How did you first get into this style/music?
Ya exactly ! Sometime people see us and immediately thing of 80’s hair metal but that’s not what we are at all! We are very influenced by the likes of David Bowie, Queen, Alice Cooper, TRex. I’m not sure how we got into it .. I think it comes from Ali and V’s fathers, they loved all of that kind of music and educated us! We were drawn to the raw feel of the music and the outlandish stage performance and show! We think it is all important for a good band and makes it a full package .
Glam aesthetics and references have never really disappeared since they can be found in the work of people like PEACHES, MARILYN MANSON, or LADY GAGA to an extent, but more surprisingly, glam and glitter rock music has also made its come back these last years with bands like GIUDA or BITERS among others, do you see it as a kind of revival that could appeal to younger generations?
Yes, I think kids are always looking for that rebellious shock factor in music. That’s what stands out to us as well ! Putting on a show that makes you go “woah did that just happen?” All of those artists that you mentioned have that. They smack you in the face with their music, show and outfits and make you want to be apart of the madness! We just do what we think is cool and what we would like to see!, and we hope we can influence kids and especially young girls to want to do the same!
What’s your favourite…
BOWIE album?
“The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust”
IGGY POP/STOOGES album?
“Raw Power”
T.REX song?
“Jeepster”
NEW YORK DOLLS song?
“Lookin for a Kiss”
JOAN JETT song?
“Playin with Fire”
SUZIE QUATRO song?
“Wild One”
There’s been a lot going on lately about sexual harassment on social networks. You recently posted something on Facebook about some guy that sent you a pic of his “private parts.” As a female band, have you ever dealt with such behaviours before?
Ya unfortunately, we get the occasional creepy dudes that won’t leave us alone at shows or get offended when we don’t accept their drink offer. It’s misogyny at its finest! We would like to be treated as profession musicians not just pieces of meat wearing fishnets. The clothes aren’t an invitation they are an artistic expression .
How is the L.A. scene these days? Any bands we should check out?
The scene is kind of over saturated with too many bands that sound the same or don’t really have an image. We are kinda over bands getting away with not have to sound good or have good songs and still be popular because it’s a “trend”, you almost don’t need to even be good musicians anymore to be known, it’s pretty sad . But on a brighter note there is a side that is soo inspiring and you can find super raw artistic talent playing at warehouses or small clubs in LA! Some bands that stand out to us right now are The Vista Kicks ( great rock n roll songs with super soulful vocals) Lauren Ruthward (a wild child with true passion in her vocals) & The Lemon Twigs ( they tour in Europe all the time so you may have heard of them but they are like The Beatles of our generation.. when it comes to songwriting )
What are the best places to buy cool glam/glitter clothes in L.A. in 2017?
Hmmm we all get our clothes different places or sometimes even craft up our own clothes !
We love to go to Vintage stores such as Iguana, JetRag, and American Vintage. We also like to find clothes on our travels !
The movie Velvet Goldmine suggests that Oscar Wilde was the first glam rocker, what do you think about that?
LOVE that movie!!!
It makes sense because he’s an artist. Glam Rock is performance art rock with some glitter thrown on top ! It is a very poetic and romantic lifestyle and that’s what Oscar Wilde is . He told stories and was a walking talking piece of art. It all coincides with each other!
Have you started working on a new album? Are you going to play any new songs on your upcoming Euro tour?
Yes we have started writing new songs and working on some new jams. We are very excited to go back into the studio and be in the creative process again. We aren’t sure if we will release an EP first or just come out with a whole album!! What do you all think? 😉
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