The Plasmatics
New York-based, The Plasmatics established a cult reputation for
their outrageous stage presentation, built around Wendy O'Williams'
contortions, distortions and disrobing.
The group built up a loyal
following among those fans of American avant-garde rock & roll
whose other favourite practitioners were people like Lydia
Lunch and Suicide.
In fact one critic remarked that the band "take all the
marketable aspects of those musicians and combine them with the
formularised commercialism of KISS, Alice Cooper
and Blondie to come up with a truly perverse yet utterly
saleable commodity"
Sure, The Plasmatics music sounded more like unadulterated
noise than music; Sure, Wendy's blatant exhibitionism
stood eroticism on its head, turning sexual pleasure into a
castrating horror show, but so what? No one ever lost money
underestimating the intelligence of the American public.
The band's debut EP was titled Meet The Plasmatics,
and contained Sometimes, Won't You? and Want
You Baby.
During the instrumental section of Want You
Baby the band members were isolated from one another so that
no one could see or hear what the other was playing!
As a visual act, The Plasmatics made The Tubes look like a
temperance-union meeting. Wendy O' Williams, usually topless,
systematically destroyed all manner of objects on stage -
including motor vehicles.
Police officers attending a 1981 Plasmatics gig in Milwaukee
felt that Wendy had perhaps exceeded the entertainment brief when
they arrested her for simulating masturbation on stage with a
sledgehammer(!).
In the ensuing fracas, police officers wrestled
her to the floor of the auditorium and pinned her down. The singer
received cuts to the head and face requiring 12 stitches.
On 6 April 1998, Wendy O Williams committed suicide. A memorial
was held at CBGBs on 18 May.
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