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HaRLoW...
the chicks your dad warned you about
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| Okay, there are lots of ways that I meet the bands that I call friends. In this case, I saw HARLOW for the first time on TV, got really excited and I, well, I rang 'em up. I told a friend about this particular style of meeting the band and she said I was creepy. |
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Photo Credit: David Miyamoto |
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HARLOW on television? That's right, these chicks will be known for greater things in the not so distant future but during the Spring of 2001 the band was known as the not-that-kind-of-girl darlings of the VH1 reality show, Bands On The Run (BOTR). The grand prize for the last band standing in this competition gets lots of industry promises. As this interview gets printed here I still don't know how the show ends.
As with any reality type television show the participants risk unforgiving scrutinizing by the viewing audience who will only see the women of HARLOW in a heavily edited version of a small slice of their lives. It's obvious that these chicks are talented and also pretty foxy, but what might go unnoticed - and I'm here to make sure it doesn't - is their funny as fuck sense of humour and their love-you-like-a-sister good nature. All of them sweet, all of them friendly, all of them rock. Meet Amanda, Rayshele, Chimene, and Rebecca.... |
REBECCA GIBB - drums
Uh, we need a fire extinguisher over here...
She is one of two members of the band that has only just begun a career as a wild woman of rock and roll. By far, my favorite episode of BOTR was when Rebecca set her drums afire and the crowd went crazy. She almost set the club on fire too. Cool.
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| Photo Credit: David Miyamoto |
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May 26, 2001
Los Angeles, Ca
"Life has been incredible since the show aired. This is definitely the most exciting experience I have ever had..."
A visit to the band's website tells the story. Fans are visiting and chatting with the musicians daily and hourly. They read and participate in the online diaries of each member. The support is unwavering.
"I've only been playing drums for about 2-1/2 years, since we started Harlow. My brother is a great drummer and I used to mess around on his kit. I never took it seriously though - not until I met Amanda. She believed in me."
Growing up in Toronto, Rebecca's family life was filled with music. So it's no accident that her enthusiasm for her own band is infectious. Every rock band has that one member who is organized and punctual. And if you've ever met Rebecca at a HARLOW show it would seem she is the head cheerleader for the band.
"I think all of us have our strengths and weaknesses when it comes to specific roles in the band. Generally, we make all decisions together. No one person is responsible for any one thing. Maybe that's why we take so long to get shit done!"
There's a running joke that rock bands live by. Well, I guess maybe it's more of an all too true analogy. Band mates compare their relationship to one another as being married to each other. They're together for better or for worse.
"Oh, yes. We all need and love each other very much. Being in this band is kind of like being in a gang. We got each other's backs. And, they always tell me when I have lipstick on my teeth...."
I caught HARLOW just as the band was entering the studio to record their first full-length CD, titled Harlow - A.D. Punk rock daddy guitarist Pat Smear (of GERMS infamy and who more recently spent a few years with Foo Fighters) will produce the album. The band members' online diaries have been pretty candid with their feelings while in the throes of creating and capturing the lives they lead in a place I call Hollywoodland, but they call it something else.
"We have all been living at Harlowland while recording. We share the one fork in the house..."
And lovers alike?
"Now that wouldn't be very nice, would it?"
I asked Rebecca about her first recording experience, assuming it was with HARLOW.
"My family made an insane children's album when I was six. All of us sang on it and did voice-overs. It was called 'Voyage To Triangulos - A Gibb Family Space Adventure'. That was my first experience and I have fond memories of it. Shit, that was so great. Thanks for making me remember!"
Sometimes the only spotlight a drummer gets is onstage - and even then that dang over-head light usually has a green or blue cellophane sheet over it, thus obscuring the vision of the musician more! But, offstage Rebecca is pretty visable in her contribution to the music HARLOW makes.
"I write songs and play guitar as well. We all come up with ideas. (But) no, I wouldn't be interested in singing lead. Amanda has the balls for that. I'm still working up the courage to start singing back ups live."
What's it like being onstage and playing to an audience?
"Fucking great! It gives me such a rush. I highly recommend it."
Have you seen all the episodes of BOTR or do you have to wait for it every Sunday night?
"We only get to see a rough edit of each episode about three days before it airs."
What kinds of things are for sale at the HARLOW website?
"We are selling Harlow rings, t-shirts, baby t's, baseball shirts. And, of course, our first record. We are sooooo excited! The Harlow Bazaah should be up and running in a week or two. Would you like paper or plastic?"
If I wanted to get on the shit list of each of your band mates what do I have to do?
"Rayshele-make a mess at her house and don't brush your teeth; Amanda-kick her dog LuLu; Chimene-smash a bottle and run at her with it."
Which one of your band mates is most likely to regret her actions after a night of hardcore partying?
"I'll never tell..."
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Gimme a Spinal Tap moment...
"When Amanda wouldn't even let me LOOK at her guitar!"
What non-music interests do you have?
"I LOVE to cook. Emeril is my idol."
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| Photo Credit: Raul Caballero |
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What music does a hard rockin' chick like yourself listen to when hanging out on a Sunday morning?
"I have a huge collection of music. I listen to all kinds. I could rock out to Zepplin, clean to classical, dance around the house to Stevie Wonder, get crazy to the Sex Pistols, hang out with PJ Harvey or trip on some Radiohead."
So what did you think of the whole Lilith Fair concept?
"I think it's cool. It shows strength in women, and I get off on that."
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CHIMENE GONZALEZ - bass
Some salt, a lemon wedge, and the worm...
As a member of the L.A.-based Penny Dreadfuls, she discovered the rock and roll lifestyle. But, as a member of HARLOW she discovered the rock star within. She's also a former Librarian who now has her own fan club, thanks to one of her many admirers.
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May 29, 2001
Los Angeles, Ca
You said something like you vowed never to be in another all girl band yet you're in one again...
"I said I'd never be in an all 'girl' band again - not an all 'woman' band...."
Female musicians are more intense to be with in such close quarters aren't they...
"Yes, yes, yes. In-FUCKING-tense. But, also rewarding."
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| Photo Credit: Joseph Wilbur Ortiz |
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Why do you think working with chicks is so intense?
"Why? You have to ask?!"
Have you always played bass, or did you start out on something else?
"I'm one of the lucky few who knew what I was put on this earth to do. I play other instruments, but I'm still a 100% bass player. Unless, of course, you count the 5 years of clarinet..."
Of ...what?!
"Come on, the clarinet rocks..."
What have been the pros and cons of the Harlow recording experience?
"The hardest part about the studio is waiting. Best part about the studio is getting drunk, turning off the lights and letting whatever happens happen."
I know you sing back up but will you ever sing lead on a song?
"I sing every day in my world but it's not so pretty. Manda's got it covered in your's."
What are your favorite tracks that'll be on the new record?
"What's my favorite track? Shit, who knows. Every time I think I have my fave it changes. We always surprise and impress each other."
Y'all have online diaries that your fans can read at the Harlow website...
"I'd like to thank Amanda for the online diary idea. We started pouring our little hearts out on it before we even thought about a website or VH1."
Are there any topics that would be too private to share?
"Thanks to (the VH1 experience) we don't quite edit ourselves enough. No mystery to these gals. And now, it's just a bad habit. But, one thing I learned is - never name names and never say where you'll be on any given night..."
Do you read your band mates' diaries?
"I try to read the girl's journals when I can. We've been in the studio at different times lately, so it's the only way to know what's going on in each other's lives and heads."
Have they revealed stuff in their diaries that have surprised you?
"Not too many things surprise me about the girls. But one that DID warm my heart recently was something that will piss Rayshele off - okay Bad Ass! She wrote: ' I miss you'. I MISS YOU TOO LADY!
Which of you chicks is the computer geek?
"As if you didn't know. Manda is the biggest computer geek in the body of a rock goddess."
You've not become an Internet junkie?
"I am not a victim of the 21st Century. I am not a 'number'. Y'all have my email address don't ya?"
So, the BOTR show is almost over. What are your thoughts on the editing process VH1 used?
"Um, let's put it this way. VH1 has enough footage on all of us to tell any story they want...(But) I don't think we fight, cheat or hate the other bands enough to get as much air time as the other bands."
Are you unhappy with how you're being profiled?
"The truth is it's not too far from the truth."
What kind of response has the band received becuz of BOTR?
"The people who email us are fab. One hundred percent ROCK and one hundred percent behind us. We love them."
If VH1 ever wanted to do a Behind The Music show about Harlow is there at least one sordid tale you want to cop to right now before VH1 digs it up in an unflattering way?
"Manda taught me a lesson that I'm still trying to learn: 'Never cop to what you haven't been caught doing yet'. Smart, smart lady."
What do you think about VH1 categorizing Harlow as a 'creepy bisexual devil-worshiping' band?
"Alice Cooper. Stones. Stooges. Crue. Manson...etc. We're in good company."
So...how accurate is that description....?
"Ms. Diablo is just a friend, not a lover. 'Bi' the way, she says 'high'!"
Okay, look, I read your diary. I read that you have a 'thing' for Cory Haim, and I just wanna know what the hell does that Cory Haim dude have that I don't have?!
"Quite a bold statement, young lady. Yes, it's true. I prefer men. After all, he is The Haimster! You must be one hell of a woman to think you can compare... I'll have to think about this and get back to you..."
Would you ever invite a dorky guy with a bad haircut to your pad only cuz he agreed to bring a pizza over too?
"Bad hair cut? I hope so! But, if ya got no beer you got nothin'..."
What are your hobbies?
"Décor, clothing, finding new ways to make old things better. Okay, Tequila and cards too."
Was your first guitar and amp a Sears department store special?
"The bass was blue with black and white checkers or stripes. Cheap Trick? Van Halen? The Peavey - who knows what the hell happened to it..."
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What song does a 'creepy bisexual devil-worshiping' hard rocker chick like yourself sing at karaoke?
"Cyndi Lauper - 'Time After Time'"
Oh. Well, anyway, do you think the movie Josie and The Pussycats is gonna turn the new surge of female bands into a joke (again)?
"Well, Josie rocks in a cartoon kind of way, but nothing would change the minds of people who love or hate us. So, who cares?"
So you have faith that society will be able to separate fantasy from reality?
"Even I have a problem separating fantasy from reality, THANK GOD!"
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| Photo Credit: Raul Caballero |
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DIGRESSION: An online diary is so much better for a band to have on their website rather than a message board, where the fans tend to just say things like 'Your band is awesome!' 'You're a fox!" With the diary that each band member has they share with their fans daily (sometimes hourly) thoughts, frustrations, elations, and up to date news on everything Harlow.
This is a very young band going through a really exciting point in their career - 21st Century style. Via cable television they've scored fans in cities, states, and countries they haven't even toured yet, plus they are recording their debut album. It's admirable that they've chosen to share their experiences in such a candid way, and also allow their fans to not only read their thoughts but to comment and communicate with them through the journals.
We've become a voyeuristic society, and we're proud of it!
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| Photo Credit: David Miyamoto |
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RAYSHELE TEIGE - guitar
...And in the Golden Dawn finally she sleeps.
She's soft-spoken yet intense. Her unapologetic attraction to the dark side of rock and roll - and life - has tattooed HARLOW as the band that will devil worship its way into your soul. This is her first band. She's been playing guitar for a couple of years, which should be an inspiration to aspiring rockstars worldwide. Just do it, dude. Playing in a rock band has obviously given her a new way to raise Hell.
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| Photo Credit: David Miyamoto |
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April 11, 2001
Los Angeles, Ca
"I met Amanda and Rebecca from Chimene. We all would drink together. Amanda insisted I could play guitar. She's a great mentor. Hail Amanda."
After years of working in the music business as a non-musician it seems that a whimsical suggestion from a friend has transformed Rayshele into instant rockstar. Not only that but one of her very first gigs was filmed for the VH1 show, and was subsequently brought into millions of households. Whoa...
Not only is HARLOW the only all chick band featured on BOTR but the girls are, as I've said before, portrayed stereotypically. At least one band member is openly bisexual - so that means they ALL are. At least one band member is openly anti-christian - so that means they ALL are. We all have learnt that the art of reality television forms a specific reality while leaving certain other realities on the cutting room floor.
"I think it's funny. Each episode will have it's theme...(Though) towards the end it was becoming monotonous. I began behaving badly and drinking heavily. The series will run for a term of 15 weeks. The last episode figures the winner. And, yeah, I know who won..."
Rayshele's online diaries are pretty consistent. Her entries are short. She writes mostly after midnight - waaay after midnight. She tends to be morose. In one of them she mentions my friend Janis! But, what I've noticed about all the women of HARLOW is that they are boiling over with undying devotion to one another. It's not unusual to get a sugary response when I ask a generic question like 'what is one of your favorite tracks off your new recording?' "Honestly, all the tracks," Rayshele told me before adding, "I love my band." And talk like that seems so bizarre to someone like myself, someone who has been around female bands for almost two decades. But, HARLOW is genuine in their passion for their music and for eachother. Our chat continued...
"I've been in recording studios before, but not for myself. (Recording) is no different than jamming as usual - just that we jam the same song over and over 'til all the parts recorded are keepers...And, we are computer-free."
I will burn three cones of Nag Champa and allow the bloodletting to begin in order to get a HARLOW gig in my town once their album is released. Not that I would do this, but out of curiosity I asked Rayshele what she does when there are dumb ass, fuck head hecklers in the crowd.
"I just watch them closely..."
And I can only hope she's casting a wicked hex on their boneheads as well.
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I wanted to know what would be the perfect concert bill for HARLOW to be on. Who would she want to play with?
"P.J. Harvey and Queens of the Stoneage...And a fantasy tour? The Stooges and MC5."
There's only one word for a chick who's first attempt at playing guitar she learned a HARLOW song ("Static Cling") instead of some traditional rock anthem; and, who adamantly states her band would have to fire her before covering a Bon Jovi song...and that word is HARDCORE.
So, what's been her coolest rockstar moment so far?
"Playing an entire gig - indoors - with my cop shades on."
Hardcore, baby.
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| Photo Credit: Raul Caballero |
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AMANDA ROOTES - vocals/guitar
Mama Rocks!
Yes, it's true that she was once in the punk band FLUFFY. And, yes, it's true she disappeared with the chick I was dating the night Fluffy came to my town in 1996. But HARLOW is her one true love these days. She loves her band and I love her accent.
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May 12, 2001
Los Angeles, Ca
Does it seem that the idea of cameras in the face of everyday people - meaning all those reality TV shows - is becoming so nonchalant that it must really be a government ploy to get us used to more of the same for future control over our lives?
"Wow! What a great way of looking at it. A whole conspiracy angle. I hope so! I love that this whole thing could just be an evil plot. 1984, here we come."
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| Photo Credit: David Miyamoto |
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Do you still talk to any of the BOTR boys?
"Yes. We email and occasionally call. Living in that goldfish bowl for so long makes them the only people besides my band who understand how weird this whole thing feels. We got to hang out with them about a month ago when we played SXSW. They make me feel sane."
How do you feel about the BOTR episodes so far?
"Well, they have shown us doing things that we didn't do, but nothing that we WOULDN'T do. So, I am happy with it."
So, Harlow is being portrayed fairly accurately?
"I think we pretty much come across as ourselves - just a little exaggerated."
At what point did the cameras get on your last fucking nerve?
"I was sitting in a bar - about a month into it - and I thought I was gonna fucking lose my mind. My band were promoting, and I went and sat on my own in the corner hoping that no one would notice. Of course, the opposite happened. All the cameras came over to film 'Amanda looking depressed'."
Uh, I'm gonna be out of town when the winner of BOTR is announced, so will you just tell me right now who won the competition?
"(Laughing) If I do they will stick pitchforks in my thighs, boil me alive and throw me into a pit of snakes..."
How long has the band been together?
"I think nearly three years."
HARLOW as we know it today, is this the original line up?
"Rebecca and I decided to play together about a week before we hooked up with Chimene. We got Rayshele about a year later."
When will the new record be out?
"It's called A.D. - after death - and will be out in a few weeks. It will be available on our website."
How'd you get involved with Pat Smear?
"I toured with Foo Fighters when I was in FLUFFY. Pat and I had always hit it off really well. We always wanted to work together, and now we are. It's fun. We spend a lot of time laughing at sick things that no one else is very amused by."
Name some of the songs on the new record that you're really excited about...
"All of them! But here are some titles off the top of my head: My Secret Life, Beautiful Hell, The Box, Blue Lie, Evil Twin."
Pick a song and tell me how it was created...
"My Secret Life - I wrote the music and melody when I was feeling very rushed. I wrote it in about 20 minutes. The band wanted to go to Taco Bell and I was to drive them there. When I tried to sing the song again I found that it was way too high for me. I played the original tape for Pat and he said 'wow, you are totally tuned down...' I guess I had guessed what an 'e' was but really used a 'd', and had tuned everything to that. I love mistakes. They are what will make the Harlow record special. This all happened about a year ago. I wrote the lyrics the day I was in the studio - about a month ago. I was feeling really depressed, suffocated, and evil."
In the recording studio what gets put on tape first: the vocals or the music? And why does Harlow do it that way?
"We record the drums, guitar and bass usually without me even singing at all. We will play it over and over until Rebecca is happy with her drum take. Then, we will overdub guitars if necessary. Vocals are done at different studio, weeks later. This is because I like to be alone when I do vocals. I like it to be in a serious atmosphere. I like to make a total arse of myself, and experiment. I don't want my band to hear - and have to fire me. That would be just awful..."
How has the press been treating y'all?
"I think that the press have tended to focus on the show, rather than us as a band. So, I guess we have that to look forward to..."
And how does the American press differ from the British press?
"American press is much more serious and detailed than British press. English press tends to be very, very 'tabloid'. An American journalist will ask which type of guitar you are playing; whereas, an English journalist will ask which guitar players you are fucking."
Okay, let's talk guitars...
"I play a black SG. I love how SGs look. They are all gothy and vampy. Yummy! I will also be playing a Burns London (make) guitar live, as it is a baritone guitar and it sounds very, very heavy. I also play a double neck Gibson - and my band are gonna laugh at me. It's normal. I ignore it...Rayshele plays Hagstrom guitars."
This is your second all-female band...
"Chimene and I both SWORE that we would never play with other women again. I never learn...Yet again, I have three wives. I guess I am just drawn to it. I love playing the rock with the women."
Why do you think people seem to want to act negatively and rudely toward women in music?
"The '...she's good for a girl...' bullshit. I think that what always amazed me on tour was how people acted after they had seen us play. They looked really surprised and they would say 'wow, you guys were REALLY good!' They were expecting us to be terrible cuz we're chicks. And we when we weren't they were totally shocked. I think you have to prove yourself constantly...Saying that, though, I also think that you get a lot of breaks BECUZ you are women. I dunno. Whatever you do there will ALWAYS be someone who thinks you suck. Comes with the territory."
Since you're from the UK how is it that you get to spend so much time here in The States?
"I have a visa thingy. It is a continual problem, and I wish I could just be given a green card for my birthday. Right now, I can't even leave the country if I wanted to. I would love to go visit my mum in London, but I have to pay a load of money. And, get some kind permission letter. Then, line up downtown for hours and hours..."
What's the weirdest thing you've noticed about American culture?
"You Yanks are uptight about sex but are totally cool with violence. You would rather that your kids see a man blowing his head off live on the news, than a pair of tits. Very strange to me..."
Does L.A. live up to your expectations?
"I hated L.A. before I moved here. Now, I really like it. I have good friends here. And, it is good for me that everything closes at 2am. I would have been dead already had I moved to NYC."
Have you experienced an earthquake yet?
"Yes. One in Tokyo. It was so weird. I was with Fluffy and we were on the tenth floor. It was exhilerating. One in New Zealand - though I thought I was having a drug flashback...And, two in L.A. They are kinda fun. I love how everyone gets scared. LuLu, my dog, started barking at the last one. It made her very angry."
Met any Hollywood celebs unexpectedly yet?
"I met Ron Jeremy backstage at a Fu Manchu show. It was amazing. I shook his hand and everything."
What about rockstars?
"Johnny Rotten..."
What kind of movie would you want to star in?
"One of the upcoming Star Wars prequels. Even if i was just an extra. Wow...it is my wet dream. And, I still have two chances! Yes, the secret is out, I am NERDY..."
What is the punchline to your favorite joke?
"William Shatner."
What was the last book you read?
"'The Killer Inside Me' by Jim Thompson."
The online diaries are pretty candid. Has anyone stepped over the line yet, revealing too much info?
"We all read each others diaries. We needed to make some rules, though, so that we can keep being open but not tread on anyone's privacy...As a band we are pretty straight forward with each other. Rebecca and I have had to learn from Chimene and Rayshele. They tell it like it is. It is totally refreshing. No more passive/aggressive bullshit."
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If I wanted to get on the good side of your bandmates tell me what I gotta do for each...
"Rayshele - bring her cleaning products and a toy goat; Rebecca - bring her some artichokes to cook and a bottle of white wine; Chimene - bring her a bottle of Tequila and a copy of Jesus Christ Superstar."
Which of your bandmates is is most likely to write a love song?
"Rayshele, believe it or not."
Hey Amanda...
"Yes darling..."
You fucking ROCK my world...
"No. YOU ROCK. And, sorry that I stole your date in SF all those years ago..."
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| Photo Credit: Raul Caballero |
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| Photo Credit: Trevor Nokturne |
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for more info on CD release and way cool merchandise:
www.harlowland.com
and check the 'links' page at their site to find more HARLOW fan sites!!
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