The Plasmatics
New York-based, The Plasmatics established a cult reputation
for their outrageous stage presentation, built around Wendy's
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 Williams' 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 April 6, 1998, Wendy O Williams committed suicide. A
memorial was held at CBGB on May 18.
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