Despite their penchant for shouting profanity and kickin' major butt on stage, L7 aren't the angry chick rockers they have been labeled.
They are actually just a
bunch of ambitious young
women who love what
they're doing and how
loud they're doing it, they
said. Currently touring the States as headliners in support of their
latest album The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum, they show no
signs of changing their ways. In fact, they've only grown louder
and more obnoxious with time.
What's next for the band? "A foursome with Hanson," Gardner
quipped.
Then she laughed and said, "Actually we are finishing up the tour,
and heading back home to begin writing new material for the next
album."
L7 has recently recorded a version of the Blue Oyster Cult's "This
Ain't The Summer Of Love" for the I Know What You Did Last
Summer (Oct. 7) soundtrack.
But it's they're live show which has really garnered them attention from fans, if for nothing else then they're truck-driveresque stage dialogue, and their domineering sexual energy.
Picture a recent performance: The lights dim as Gardner casually walks up to the microphone. She pauses for a moment, a seemingly innocent and refined young woman rocker about to launch into the first song of the night. Then, reaching from deep within, she screams,"Rock your fucking balls off. Rock your fucking pussies!"
This, in essence, is L7.
The band was formed in 1985 by Gardner and singer guitarist Donita Sparks. They soon enlisted bassist Jennifer Finch and drummer Dee Plakas to complete the line-up. During the writing of The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum, Finch (now in a new band, OtherStarPeople) decided to call it quits, however, forcing the band to record the album as a trio. "We recorded this album as a threesome. Jennifer told us she was quitting after the writing, so we just moved on," Gardner said.
Even without Finch, the group delivered an album that satisfied longtime L7 fans. From the slower, more thoughtful "Off The Wagon" to the more comical identity-crisis song "I Need," (Enough talk about me/ Let's talk about you. What do you think of me?"), the female rockers ventured into some new territory, but with the same "fuck you" attitude. One departure is the ballad-like song, "Moonshine" with Lionel Richie (?!) doing the opening one-two count.
In order to tour, they brough onboard ormer Belly bassist Gail Greenwood. "Gail rocks her pussy off!" Gardner said.
L7 began touring earlier this year opening for Marilyn Manson,and playing dates with the Offspring. They are currently in the last leg of their two-month U. S. headlining tour which ends Oct. 11 in San Diego.
At a recent concert, the band gave the crowd 90 minutes of pure shock rock energy, via their music as well as their in-your-face stage presence. Playing a mixture of new and old material, they started out the gig with the forceful rocker "Andre" from 1994's Hungry For Stink and ended even stronger with balls-to-the-wall thrasher "Pretend Were Dead" from the 1992 Bricks Are Heavy.
"The live show is where it's at!" Sparks bellowed.
[Fri., Oct. 3, 1997, 9 a.m. PDT]