Post by petrolino on Aug 8, 2020 21:57:19 GMT
Dancing Masks ... Go, Go, Go, Go, Into A Trance ... Go, Go, Go, Go, Down At The Masque ... Go, Go, Go, Go ...
Belinda Carlisle - Vocals
Jane Wiedlin - Guitar
Charlotte Caffey - Guitar & Keyboards
Kathy Valentine - Guitar & Bass
Margot Olavarria - Bass
Paula Jean Brown - Bass
Elissa Bello - Drums
Gina Schock - Drums & Percussion
'The Go-Go's' (2020, Documentary)
'The Go-Go's' is a new documentary about the Go-Go's directed by Alison Ellwood who made 'Magic Trip : Ken Kesey's Search For A Kool Place' (2011) with documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney. There's some nice footage of the band and interviews with all the key band members. It's basically a promotional film so you don't learn much about the music and it skirts over three of the group's four studio albums, preferring to focus on the evoluton of their debut record, 'Beauty And The Beat' (1981). If you accept it for what it is, it's enjoyable. I'd like to get it on dvd someday just for the interviews.
"As the Los Angeles punk scene emerged in the late 1970s, it was inclusive, diverse, and pioneered by marginalized voices. Bands like the Zeros and the Bags spearheaded a community that encouraged the freedom of self-expression and self-celebration. The scene centered largely around The Canterbury, a derelict, roach-infested apartment building where members of the future Go-Go’s lived. As one version of the story goes, outside a house party in Venice, bassist Margot Olavarria invited two girls to join a band she was starting with drummer Elisa Bello: guitarist Jane Wiedlin, a helium-voiced former glitter rocker known as Jane Drano who was studying fashion design, and vocalist Belinda Carlisle, a former high school cheerleader and Monkees fan-club member who was supposed to play drums in the Germs under the name Dottie Danger until she was sidelined by mono. (Subsequent tellings of the band’s mythology often ignore Olavarria’s contributions, but as Carlisle wrote in her memoir, “she lit the match that started the fire.”) The four novice musicians dubbed themselves the Misfits; they quickly renamed themselves the Go-Go’s.
“Everyone we hung out with were all in a band and they weren’t any good,” Wiedlin later told Sounds. “So we figured if they could do it, why couldn’t we?” Inspired by the Buzzcocks’ pop-punk, they wore dresses made of garbage bags and wrote noisy, shambolic songs that celebrated BDSM, taunted music critics, satirized pretentious poseurs, and extolled the grimy hedonism of their digs. “I wanted to throw up on stage, rip my clothes off, and dye my hair,” Wiedlin told Flipside in 1979. Olavarria just wanted to “spit at Valley girls.”
Down the street from The Canterbury was The Masque, a ramshackle, heavily graffitied DIY venue in the basement of a porn theater on Hollywood Boulevard where, in May 1978, the Go-Go’s played their first show. Missing at that debut gig was Charlotte Caffey, who they had invited to join as lead guitarist. Caffey, who had previously played bass in the L.A. punk group the Eyes, had never played lead before. Yet her presence in the band was transformative, and not just because, as the band often joked, she was the only one who knew how to plug a guitar into an amplifier. Caffey brought in a pop sensibility, and she and Wiedlin quickly became a writing team; as the Go-Go’s became more technically proficient, their music evolved from punk to pop. “One must admit that the wildly amateurish musical approach of their early days has been replaced by a very competent barrage of near melodic tunes and singing,” one Slash magazine critic noted in May 1979.
In the summer of 1979, Bello was replaced by Gina Schock, a recent transplant from Baltimore. Of the five, Schock had the most experience on her instrument and, sensing the band’s potential, she imposed a tighter rehearsal schedule and work ethic. And so the Go-Go’s began their slow transition away from “a serious joke” to simply serious."
“Everyone we hung out with were all in a band and they weren’t any good,” Wiedlin later told Sounds. “So we figured if they could do it, why couldn’t we?” Inspired by the Buzzcocks’ pop-punk, they wore dresses made of garbage bags and wrote noisy, shambolic songs that celebrated BDSM, taunted music critics, satirized pretentious poseurs, and extolled the grimy hedonism of their digs. “I wanted to throw up on stage, rip my clothes off, and dye my hair,” Wiedlin told Flipside in 1979. Olavarria just wanted to “spit at Valley girls.”
Down the street from The Canterbury was The Masque, a ramshackle, heavily graffitied DIY venue in the basement of a porn theater on Hollywood Boulevard where, in May 1978, the Go-Go’s played their first show. Missing at that debut gig was Charlotte Caffey, who they had invited to join as lead guitarist. Caffey, who had previously played bass in the L.A. punk group the Eyes, had never played lead before. Yet her presence in the band was transformative, and not just because, as the band often joked, she was the only one who knew how to plug a guitar into an amplifier. Caffey brought in a pop sensibility, and she and Wiedlin quickly became a writing team; as the Go-Go’s became more technically proficient, their music evolved from punk to pop. “One must admit that the wildly amateurish musical approach of their early days has been replaced by a very competent barrage of near melodic tunes and singing,” one Slash magazine critic noted in May 1979.
In the summer of 1979, Bello was replaced by Gina Schock, a recent transplant from Baltimore. Of the five, Schock had the most experience on her instrument and, sensing the band’s potential, she imposed a tighter rehearsal schedule and work ethic. And so the Go-Go’s began their slow transition away from “a serious joke” to simply serious."
- Quinn Moreland, Pitchfork
Charlotte Caffey, Belinda Carlisle, Kathy Valentine, Jane Wiedlin & Gina Schock
'We Got The Beat' - The Go-Go's
Speakers include the band's original manager Ginger Canzoneri, music producer Richard Gottehrer, poet Pleasant Gehman, guitarist Lynval Golding (The Specials), saxophonist Lee Thompson (Madness) and drummer Stewart Copeland (The Police). British bands are represented as the Go-Go's were massively inspired by British punk music and became a crack road unit by touring the U K. Around this time, Holly And The Italians were also gigging in Britain with bands like Blondie and the Selecter.
"I played in a band with this actress Edith Massey who was in John Waters’ films- our dear boy John from Baltimore. She asked me to be in her little punk band and I did that. I was 21 I think. So I got to go to New York and play at CBGB’s and all that and we went to LA and San Francisco and Philly. And when I came back I thought, this is it, I need to get out of here. Nothing else matters to me except playing in a band. So, I left Baltimore in my dad’s pickup truck with a friend of mine from school, $2,000, and 2 grams of cocaine.
When I got to LA I put my name up in Guitar Center saying I was a girl drummer, and my influences and all that, and I got into two bands right away. I was living with this guy, Steve Martin (not the Steve Martin) and he told me, ‘Gina, there’s this band called the Go-Gos. You need to kick their drummer out and join that band. You’re going to make them great.’
I went to see them play. They had just been together 6 months, so they came out and played two songs, and then they came out and played one of the songs again. They were having so much fun, and there was something about them, man, that just struck a chord in me. So, I had a couple of them over the house. I had my drums set up in the living room and a couple of guitar amps and a PA system. They were really knocked out at the whole setup which is so funny. I played a couple of songs with them, and the next day they fired their drummer and I quit the two bands I was in and joined the Go-Gos.
Jane (Wiedlan) had just picked her instrument up. Belinda (Carlisle) played drums in the band the Germs, but she decided to be the lead singer, so that was new to her. Charlotte (Caffey) had been in a couple of bands so she actually did know how to play guitar pretty decently. Margo (Olavarria), the original bass player, had just picked up her bass. I, on the other hand, had come from Baltimore playing in clubs where I was playing 4 sets a night.
My work ethic was completely different than these guys- I had come to LA to make my mark. They were just kind of doing it for fun. I think I injected this more professional attitude towards making music, and they liked that. Instead of rehearsing two times a month I said we have to rehearse five times a week. They got on board with that, thank god. Because they were all really talented but it’s all about practice.
Before we knew it we started to get a real following. Because we worked! Everybody got serious about doing it. And we started to get better and better, the songs were getting better and better, the harmonies. There was this tremendous upward swing, and that’s contagious. It was really an incredible time.
You know what was so cool about it was, it was very organic. We just came together and just pushed and pushed and pushed, and that’s how it happened for us. We believed we were going to be huge, which is great about being that age. When you actually believe that your dreams come true, if you work hard enough. I love it, being that age is so fantastic because anything is possible. I still feel that way! I’ve been so lucky, my whole life coming from a working class family in Baltimore and leaving and driving to LA. When I left town I said ‘next time you see me I’ll be a big rock star.’ How f*cking cracked is that? When you’re that age you say it and you believe it! You don’t think for a minute that it can’t really happen, that the odds are so stacked against you that you have to be cracked to really think that."
When I got to LA I put my name up in Guitar Center saying I was a girl drummer, and my influences and all that, and I got into two bands right away. I was living with this guy, Steve Martin (not the Steve Martin) and he told me, ‘Gina, there’s this band called the Go-Gos. You need to kick their drummer out and join that band. You’re going to make them great.’
I went to see them play. They had just been together 6 months, so they came out and played two songs, and then they came out and played one of the songs again. They were having so much fun, and there was something about them, man, that just struck a chord in me. So, I had a couple of them over the house. I had my drums set up in the living room and a couple of guitar amps and a PA system. They were really knocked out at the whole setup which is so funny. I played a couple of songs with them, and the next day they fired their drummer and I quit the two bands I was in and joined the Go-Gos.
Jane (Wiedlan) had just picked her instrument up. Belinda (Carlisle) played drums in the band the Germs, but she decided to be the lead singer, so that was new to her. Charlotte (Caffey) had been in a couple of bands so she actually did know how to play guitar pretty decently. Margo (Olavarria), the original bass player, had just picked up her bass. I, on the other hand, had come from Baltimore playing in clubs where I was playing 4 sets a night.
My work ethic was completely different than these guys- I had come to LA to make my mark. They were just kind of doing it for fun. I think I injected this more professional attitude towards making music, and they liked that. Instead of rehearsing two times a month I said we have to rehearse five times a week. They got on board with that, thank god. Because they were all really talented but it’s all about practice.
Before we knew it we started to get a real following. Because we worked! Everybody got serious about doing it. And we started to get better and better, the songs were getting better and better, the harmonies. There was this tremendous upward swing, and that’s contagious. It was really an incredible time.
You know what was so cool about it was, it was very organic. We just came together and just pushed and pushed and pushed, and that’s how it happened for us. We believed we were going to be huge, which is great about being that age. When you actually believe that your dreams come true, if you work hard enough. I love it, being that age is so fantastic because anything is possible. I still feel that way! I’ve been so lucky, my whole life coming from a working class family in Baltimore and leaving and driving to LA. When I left town I said ‘next time you see me I’ll be a big rock star.’ How f*cking cracked is that? When you’re that age you say it and you believe it! You don’t think for a minute that it can’t really happen, that the odds are so stacked against you that you have to be cracked to really think that."
- Gina Schock, Tom Tom Mag
'Go-Go Girls In Tiaras & Tutus' by Ginger Canzoneri
'Our Lips Are Sealed' - The Go-Go's
The first part of the documentary also takes in some of the sights and sounds of Los Angeles, California, including the shop (and meeting point) Granny Takes A Trip, and clubs like the Masque, the Whisky A-Go-Go, the Starwood and the Peppermint Lounge. The Go-Go's had passionate fans in California who'd follow them anywhere.
It's weird — you kind of do what you're told sometimes. It just depends on the moment. And especially when there's five people there, one person can still be grumbling and moaning and bitching about something, but they have to pipe down if everybody else is going along with the plan.
It could have been a spin on ‘They’re such wholesome girls!' But I think what rubs salt in that was the ‘Go-Go’s Put Out’ headline. That was unmistakably a dig.”
- Kathy Valentine, Yahoo!
Go-Gomania : On the cover of the 'Rolling Stone' (August 1982)
National Lampoon's 'Motel Madness' starring the Go-Go's (July 1983)
Official trailer for 'The Go-Go's'
Looking at some of the reaction to 'The Go-Go's' online, it seems fair to say this isn't the documentary many fans were hoping for but that doesn't mean it's not worth seeing. The interviewees are honest, frank, courteous and funny, with some great stories to tell. Hopefully somebody will make a documentary that focuses more on the music but that's for the future. For now, I'm fortunate to have seen this documentary as it's screening on the SKY Documentary channel. I believe it's also available to see through Showtime.
"As a band, we always like to promote female performers. Especially ones that either write their songs or play their instruments or both, because it’s kind of what we’re all about. When we got famous in 1981, we thought things were going to change. And that it was going to change quickly. But it hasn’t changed nearly enough yet."
- Jane Wiedlin speaking with musician and real-life valley girl Bethany Cosentino in 2016, Stereogum
The Go-Go's promote their 'Ladies Gone Wild' tour
Interview with Alison Ellwood & the Go-Go's
--
LINNEA BARBARA QUIGLEY : THE GO-GO GIRL NEXT DOOR
Linnea Quigley was born on May 27, 1958 in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of homemaker Dorothy Quigley (November 29, 1922 – December 21, 2009) and psychologist Doctor William Heath Quigley (June 27, 1915 – May 18, 2006). Her father was a pioneer in the field of chiropractic who authored many influential scientific papers, some of which are available to read online. He was a Dean of Education and the Vice President at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport. An only child, Quigley attended Garfield Elementary and Sudlow Middle schools in Davenport. She later attended Bettendorf High School in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Quigley is my favourite living horror movie performer. In 1978, she made her first two films. 'Deathsport' (1978) was produced by Roger Corman and 'Fairy Tales' (1978) was produced by Charles Band. Quigley became the first woman elected to the Fangoria Horror Hall Of Fame when she was inducted in 1993.
"Linnea Quigley, a petite blonde dynamo, arrived in Hollywood in 1976, following her high school graduation."
- Brinke Stevens, 'Attack Of The B Queens'
"I'm still not sure what to make of Dick Clark. He came up to me in the dressing room and said, "You're so baby-soft." I have no idea what that was about. I guess it's just a Dick Clark thing, and I couldn't think of any response. All I could think of to ask him about was the time that Johnny Rotten was on the show and refused to lip-sync to his record, keeping his mouth closed as the music played. I thought that was pretty cool, but it was a mistake to mention the incident to Dick. "No more punk rockers on this show!" he barked, and then he stalked out of the room. I didn't talk to him again."
- Linnea Quigley on filming a Close-Up Toothpaste commercial with Dick Clark
Linnea Quigley : Class Of '76 (Beacon Bettendorf High School Yearbook)
Linnea Quigley pops a brewski in 'Easyriders' magazine for bikers (June 1978)
Linnea Quigley ~ The Close-Up Toothpaste Girl
Folk-infused Iowa has been a historical home to some of the American midwests' renegade jazz wranglers. It's also a state with a proud literary tradition. Quigley's own career in music and songwriting took off when she moved west to Los Angeles, California and became a member of punk outfit Mad Whistle. Guitarist Lucrecia Sarita Russo was the main songwriter in Mad Whistle and she was married at the time to Jeffrey Spry of Felony. Quigley appears with Felony in the film 'Graduation Day' (1981).
Quigley also studied with comedy troupe the Groundlings in the late 1970s, where she fell in with stoner musical duo Cheech & Chong whose entourage populated the Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Boulevard. Drummer and actress Cheryl Smith was a core member of Cheech & Chong's stock company and a mainstay at the Rainbow (which gave her her nickname Rainbeaux). Quigley appears in Cheech & Chong's movies 'Nice Dreams' (1981) and 'Still Smokin' (1983), and Smith appears in 'Nice Dreams' and 'Up In Smoke' (1978). Quigley's day job during this time was as an attendant at a health spa owned by fitness guru Jack LaLanne and she sends herself up in this regard with her role as an eccentric spa girl in 'Still Smokin'.
"I got into acting when I moved to LA at 16 because, as you know, everyone there is an actor. My friends worked with me at this spa and I decided that maybe I could be one, too. They said, “Go with us!” So I started out doing stand-in work and extra work and just watched and learned a lot. I saw how things worked. Then I took acting classes and I knew I wanted to do it for a living. I never thought I could actually make a go of it but luckily I have, because I was one of those people who never raised a hand in school and if they get called on, they turn red."
- Linnea Quigley, Pop Horror
- Linnea Quigley, Pop Horror
"After seven years of marriage to Dr W Quigley, what a special day, May 27th, will always be to us. On that day, I gave birth to our daughter (Linnea) at 9:32 AM. She weighed five pounds, eight ounces and was nineteen inches in length ... Linnea was a born sales girl and at about age five she would stand at our corner where the bus stopped, with a basket of pine cones, and sell "Lucky" pine cones to people as they got off the bus. One of her selling ventures did not turn out too good. Since we all enjoyed fishing and used dew worms she decided to catch some and sell to our neighbours. When she came home with all the worms she started out with and told me the ladies were afraid of the worms, it was hard for her to believe and she said, "If they didn't want them to fish with, they could have used the worms to aerate the soil". As she got into Junior High School, she and her friend Dawn started selling Greeting and Christmas cards and I must say that the girls were kept busy for many seasons and sold cards for several years."
- Dorothy Quigley, 'Bio & Chainsaw'
"I was about ten years old when I became convinced that my parents were trying to kill me. I'm not sure where I got that idea, but I slept for months with all the covers up over my head and my hands over my throat, even on the most humid Iowa summer nights. I think this fear had something to do with my weird compulsions. One of my worst was my habit of kissing my dad twice before I went to bed. I couldn't just do it once. It had to be twice. He wanted to break me of the habit, and one night he put some cream on his face when I went to kiss him. I kissed him anyway, and he pulled out a bottle, upon which he'd drawn a skull-and-crossbones and written "Poison"! This astounded me! I went to bed and just lay there waiting to die. I couldn't understand why my parents weren't calling the doctor. It never occurred to me that it wasn't really poison because if it was, he couldn't put it on his face. I was too terrified to think straight. I finally went into my parents' room, figuring if they saw me, maybe they'd help me. Finally, later that night, my dad told me there was no poison and he was just trying to break me of my compulsive behavior. Now, I can't even remember if his plan worked, but that's my dad, always the psychologist."
- Linnea Quigley, 'I'm Screaming As Fast As I Can'
- Dorothy Quigley, 'Bio & Chainsaw'
"I was about ten years old when I became convinced that my parents were trying to kill me. I'm not sure where I got that idea, but I slept for months with all the covers up over my head and my hands over my throat, even on the most humid Iowa summer nights. I think this fear had something to do with my weird compulsions. One of my worst was my habit of kissing my dad twice before I went to bed. I couldn't just do it once. It had to be twice. He wanted to break me of the habit, and one night he put some cream on his face when I went to kiss him. I kissed him anyway, and he pulled out a bottle, upon which he'd drawn a skull-and-crossbones and written "Poison"! This astounded me! I went to bed and just lay there waiting to die. I couldn't understand why my parents weren't calling the doctor. It never occurred to me that it wasn't really poison because if it was, he couldn't put it on his face. I was too terrified to think straight. I finally went into my parents' room, figuring if they saw me, maybe they'd help me. Finally, later that night, my dad told me there was no poison and he was just trying to break me of my compulsive behavior. Now, I can't even remember if his plan worked, but that's my dad, always the psychologist."
- Linnea Quigley, 'I'm Screaming As Fast As I Can'
Billy Hufsey & Linnea Quigley in 'Graduation Day' (1981)
Linnea Quigley appears on Stephen King's 'This Is Horror' documentary series
Quigley left Mad Whistle to form her own punk band, the Skirts. The Skirts' bass player, Haydee Pomar, appears alongside Quigley and multi-instrumentalist Cheryl Smith as a member of fictional band the Hot Rollers in 'Nice Dreams'. The Skirts went through a succession of drummers which led to instability, but they cut several records in their time and have often reformed for concerts (sadly, the band's most stable drummer, Joey Image of the Misfits, died earlier this year).
Brinke Stevens joined The Skirts for a short stint in the 1980s. Stevens was a San Diego beach bunny with a background in science who worked as an actress and figure model. She regularly crossed paths with Quigley in both lines of work. The two of them always got along well and they'd recommend each other for jobs. They remain close friends to this day.
Both Quigley and Stevens have appeared in music videos that some fans feel are a reflection of their different personalities. Quigley has gotten involved with some rather strange videos for the likes of the Ramones, Motorhead, the Revolting Cocks and Sexcrement, whereas Stevens has specialised in classic hair metal and polished power rock videos delivered with decent budgets.
Brinke Stevens joined The Skirts for a short stint in the 1980s. Stevens was a San Diego beach bunny with a background in science who worked as an actress and figure model. She regularly crossed paths with Quigley in both lines of work. The two of them always got along well and they'd recommend each other for jobs. They remain close friends to this day.
Both Quigley and Stevens have appeared in music videos that some fans feel are a reflection of their different personalities. Quigley has gotten involved with some rather strange videos for the likes of the Ramones, Motorhead, the Revolting Cocks and Sexcrement, whereas Stevens has specialised in classic hair metal and polished power rock videos delivered with decent budgets.
"I had met Linnea at a bunch of auditions and we became friends. At the time, she was in this band called The Skirts and her bass player had a broken wrist. So, when Linnea went to this audition for a movie about an all-girl band (Beverly Hills Girls - featuring 'Strange Ways'), she asked me to go along. I became the new member of The Skirts even though I didn't play the bass ... but I did play the guitar as a kid, until my parents sold it one day. I used to have this fantasy where I'd sing along with The Monkees records, using my hairbrush as a microphone. So The Skirts was kind of like living out my fantasy. But it was short lived because both of us were getting more and more into acting."
- Brinke Stevens, 'Invasion Of The B-Girls'
- Brinke Stevens, 'Invasion Of The B-Girls'
"Suzi Quatro, The Runaways, and Gary Glitter. They all influenced me a lot in music as well as Fleetwood Mac. I still love them all. I’m going to try to rerelease the songs with a band. I like the original raw feel of it, and it would give me a chance to write more, which I love."
- Linnea Quigley discusses the Skirts' archived recordings, Cinema Crazed
"In the early 1980's, before I became known as a horror star, I did a lot of small parts in big movies. I also worked on many music videos, which were so popular in the 80's. My all-too-brief appearances led one friend to label me "Don't Blink" Brinke. Sometimes my background roles were fun and glamorous. For "Ice Cream Castles", I wore my own vintage, scarlet, ruffled Flamenco gown from the 1920's. We shot at a fantastic faux castle in the Hollywood Hills. I rocked out with the uber-cool Morris Day and his band, who all have great dance moves. And then... Prince (their producer) stopped by the set to hang out with us! It was truly a magical day."
- Brinke Stevens, 'Don't Blink
- Brinke Stevens, 'Don't Blink
Linnea Quigley with a coffin inside a hearse
Linnea Quigley joins Sally Kirkland on 'The Chuck Woolery Show'
'The Exorcist gave us tubular bells ... now hear the tubular skirts for one night only ...' - that's a banner headline that appeared on a poster advertising a Skirts concert. And there was no false advertising either : Quigley wore classic cut miniskirts in movies like 'Graduation Day' and 'Nice Dreams', a felt tip mini in 'Young Warriors' (1983), pleated mini in 'Savage Streets' (1984), rah-rah mini in 'Nightmare Sisters' (1988), a wraparound mini in 'Treasure Of The Moon Goddess' (1987), a ballerina minidress in 'Night Of The Demons' (1988) ... eventually she went for full-on minimania when working on the 'Vice Academy' series, for which she designed much of her own wardrobe, and the rest, as they say, is history.
So she's the queen of skirts for a reason and she's always liked them short. In addition to having worked successfully as an actress, musician, singer, dancer, journalist, author, figure model and fitness coach, she's also an accomplished puppeteer, make-up artist, jewellery creator and costume designer, so she's always had alot of input into her own fashions.
One thing that doesn't get mentioned so much is that Quigley was also an innovator in short shorts. Some of the most famous examples of this are her comfy track shorts worn for 'Graduation Day', her raggedy-cut jean shorts worn in 'Silent Night Deadly Night' (1984) and her peelable pvc shorts worn in 'The Return Of The Living Dead' (1985). In my opinion, no actress has done more for fashion in low budget horror from her generation, and it's a credit to both Roger Corman and Charles Band that they allowed her to express her creativity on their productions.
- Brinke Stevens, Horror Society
One thing that doesn't get mentioned so much is that Quigley was also an innovator in short shorts. Some of the most famous examples of this are her comfy track shorts worn for 'Graduation Day', her raggedy-cut jean shorts worn in 'Silent Night Deadly Night' (1984) and her peelable pvc shorts worn in 'The Return Of The Living Dead' (1985). In my opinion, no actress has done more for fashion in low budget horror from her generation, and it's a credit to both Roger Corman and Charles Band that they allowed her to express her creativity on their productions.
"This tiny, cute, shapely blonde from Iowa had bounced around unnoticed for about five years in minor parts in Grade-Z horror films and a couple of Cheech & Chong comedies when she gained instant notoriety with her role in Return of the Living Dead. She was a wild-haired punk rocker named Trash who strips naked and dances under the moon in a cemetery before being devoured by ghouls. Horror fans took notice, adolescents fell in love, and soon she was starring in her own horror films. She has been billed as "The Queen of the Bs", but her campy, quickly made films have rarely been expensive enough to qualify as Bs."
- Danny Peary on Linnea Quigley, 'Cult Movie Stars'
- Danny Peary on Linnea Quigley, 'Cult Movie Stars'
"I grew up in Iowa, but liked the bands like New York Dolls. I loved the drive-ins. My dad would drive us and watch "Billy Jack", "Boxcar Bertha", all those classics."
- Linnea Quigley, Retro Junk
"The 1980s was a very special decade, and it truly made my career what it is today. At that time, the low-budget, independent horror films we were making were totally unique. Now, however, Hollywood is remaking so many of those old classics — like, Last House On The Left, Friday The 13th, Halloween, The Hills Have Eyes, and so on. It’s as if they’re terrified of having a new idea, and so they have to bank on “re-imaginings” of the original stuff. My advice is to go rent the old videos ... they’re so much fun."
- Brinke Stevens, Horror Society
Covid-19 Pandemic Public Health Warning
MTV Interview with Linnea Quigley
In the late 1990s, Quigley formed the Bi-Polar Bears to undertake some session work in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These sessions remain shrouded in mystery, though they led to the creation of the limited edition release, 'Linnea Quigley And The Bi-Polar Bears : Surfboards And Chainsaws', which includes some cover versions and re-recorded material, as well as several new compositions. Highlights include the cosmic rap 'Strange Obsession' and the Halloween party anthem 'Zombie On The Beach'.
Some fun trivia : When Linnea Quigley auditioned for the role of rock superfan Riff Randell in 'Rock N Roll High School' (1979) it wasn't the Ramones lined up to play the band in the movie ... it was Illinois power-poppers Cheap Trick who happen to be one of Quigley's all-time favourite bands.
'Linnea Quigley is an animal hero. She’s also an established and well known actress in the horror movie genre. Quigley is known for her role as “Trash” in Return of the Living Dead (1985), but she has been in 125 horror films. In addition to her continued filming and attending horror conventions, she also operates an animal sanctuary in Victorville named Moulin Rouge Animal Rescue.“
I’ve always had a thing for animals,” said Quigley, who was at the time autographing memorabilia at a booth during the Midsummer Scream convention at the Long Beach Convention Center on August 3 and 4. “I feel like I’ve been predestined to do this.”
She recounted one of her most recent rescues. After the film fest at the Hollywood Egyptian, almost two months ago. Quigley said she was driving home very late at night in an area with no street lights. She said, “While I was driving, my headlights hit upon a shape in the middle of the road which could have been a bobcat…a mountain lion…coyote so I got out and it was a husky laying exhausted in the middle of the road, in a desolate area where there aren’t any houses.”
“I got him in my car,” she continued, “where he ate the rest of my spaghetti in fast order and got him to my home and I took him into this big structure I have for rescues.”
The husky stayed the night with another rescue, a cat. “There were doors separating the two,” she added.
The next day, Quigley took the husky to the vet and “Yay, he had an identifying chip!” she said.
“Well, maybe not yay,” she continued. The husky originally belonged to someone from Auburn, Washington. “We did some digging around and found out that the owners were bankrupt … but how did the husky end up in Southern California?”
They were unable to find out how the dog wound up so far from home. “He is up for adoption,” said Quigley. Quigley is currently looking for volunteers to help staff the Rescue. She’s also looking for other donations.
If anyone wants to help, they can reach her through the Official Linnea Quigley page on Facebook.
Moulin Rouge Animal Shelter is currently accepting only dogs and cats who are not aggressive. Eventually, she would like an area for other forms of domesticated animals (like goats or sheep).'
I’ve always had a thing for animals,” said Quigley, who was at the time autographing memorabilia at a booth during the Midsummer Scream convention at the Long Beach Convention Center on August 3 and 4. “I feel like I’ve been predestined to do this.”
She recounted one of her most recent rescues. After the film fest at the Hollywood Egyptian, almost two months ago. Quigley said she was driving home very late at night in an area with no street lights. She said, “While I was driving, my headlights hit upon a shape in the middle of the road which could have been a bobcat…a mountain lion…coyote so I got out and it was a husky laying exhausted in the middle of the road, in a desolate area where there aren’t any houses.”
“I got him in my car,” she continued, “where he ate the rest of my spaghetti in fast order and got him to my home and I took him into this big structure I have for rescues.”
The husky stayed the night with another rescue, a cat. “There were doors separating the two,” she added.
The next day, Quigley took the husky to the vet and “Yay, he had an identifying chip!” she said.
“Well, maybe not yay,” she continued. The husky originally belonged to someone from Auburn, Washington. “We did some digging around and found out that the owners were bankrupt … but how did the husky end up in Southern California?”
They were unable to find out how the dog wound up so far from home. “He is up for adoption,” said Quigley. Quigley is currently looking for volunteers to help staff the Rescue. She’s also looking for other donations.
If anyone wants to help, they can reach her through the Official Linnea Quigley page on Facebook.
Moulin Rouge Animal Shelter is currently accepting only dogs and cats who are not aggressive. Eventually, she would like an area for other forms of domesticated animals (like goats or sheep).'
- These Curious Times : A Journal Of The Abnormal, The Paranormal, And Our Odd Universe
"Record label Strange Disc Records & Filmworks recently announced their triumphant return to releasing weird music by bringing back to life a track from one of the most iconic women in horror of all time: Linnea Quigley. They are re-introducing This Chainsaw’s Made for Cutting, a single by lady Linnea Quigley and her band, Men In Skirts.
Does Linnea Quigley really need an introduction? The actress is perhaps best known from her appearances in classics like The Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Demons, Silent Night, Deadly Night, The Barn, and much more. However, her body of work doesn’t end there. She also a badass rock star. Her band, The Skirts, recorded sessions with the Legendary California hardcore/punk label Mystic Records; with the track from those sessions, “Santa Monica Blvd Boy,” being featured in the movie Nightmare Sisters, as well as the Mystic Records compilation, The Sound of Hollywood Girls.
“This Chainsaw’s Made For Cutting,” a one sided single recorded in 1997, continues where The Skirts left off, with Linnea Quigley fronting a new group, Men In Skirts. The single is a tongue in cheek, cautionary tale warning of horrific and gruesome revenge on a cheating lover. Originally a cassette, fan club release only available out of the back pages of horror mags or at conventions. Strange Disc is super proud to be working closely with Linnea to bring this super fun track to vinyl for the first time ever. The track was remastered by Josh Bonati, and features a new layout excellently crafted by Mike Turzanski."
- Chris Alexander, 'Linnea Quigley Sings! Classic Cut Returns To Vinyl'
Does Linnea Quigley really need an introduction? The actress is perhaps best known from her appearances in classics like The Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Demons, Silent Night, Deadly Night, The Barn, and much more. However, her body of work doesn’t end there. She also a badass rock star. Her band, The Skirts, recorded sessions with the Legendary California hardcore/punk label Mystic Records; with the track from those sessions, “Santa Monica Blvd Boy,” being featured in the movie Nightmare Sisters, as well as the Mystic Records compilation, The Sound of Hollywood Girls.
“This Chainsaw’s Made For Cutting,” a one sided single recorded in 1997, continues where The Skirts left off, with Linnea Quigley fronting a new group, Men In Skirts. The single is a tongue in cheek, cautionary tale warning of horrific and gruesome revenge on a cheating lover. Originally a cassette, fan club release only available out of the back pages of horror mags or at conventions. Strange Disc is super proud to be working closely with Linnea to bring this super fun track to vinyl for the first time ever. The track was remastered by Josh Bonati, and features a new layout excellently crafted by Mike Turzanski."
- Chris Alexander, 'Linnea Quigley Sings! Classic Cut Returns To Vinyl'
From Iowa, to California, to Florida : Linnea Quigley ~ Friend To Abandoned Animals
Linnea Quigley joins Joe Bob Briggs on 'Monstervision'
Linnea Quigley's legacy in horror is now often being spoken about, but I think it's equally beneficial to remember her contributions to fashion and music too. For those of us that are devoted to punk rock and horror cinema, she's a genuine icon. Long may she continue ...
Interview Excerpt : Cryptic Rock speak with Linnea Quigley (article published November 1, 2013)
Crypticrock.com – Now you have been involved in music as well. Many may not realize but you played in your own band The Skirts in the 80’s which you reformed in 2003. You have also been in music videos for bands like Motorhead and The Ramones. Are you currently working on any new music?
Linnea Quigley – I’m surprised you know that (laughs). Well right now our bass player is on the other side of Florida. We are trying to get together to write some more stuff. There is a load of stuff that we had that we didn’t record and we want to get into the recording studio to get some of that done. I love recording, it’s one of my favorite things.
Crypticrock.com – That sounds cool. You have been involved in music for a long time now.
Linnea Quigley –Yea I started pretty early in my career. When my career started taking off I was learning guitar and started joining punk rock bands. I went through a few of those until The Skirts were solidified.
Crypticrock.com – That’s really cool. Speaking of the Punk Rock scene in the 80’s, what was the scene like back then? It had to be really amazing.
Linnea Quigley – It was great. When pure punks were around it was really fun. People really lived the part. It was like Suicide in Return Of The Living Dead said, “It’s a way of life”. They really lived the part and they had fun. It was really fun, we used to rehearse underneath the Pussycat Theater on Hollywood Blvd at the Masque. It was this place where the Go-Go’s were on one side of us, The Motels on the other, and The Germs would come in and try to break instruments every now and then.
Linnea Quigley – I’m surprised you know that (laughs). Well right now our bass player is on the other side of Florida. We are trying to get together to write some more stuff. There is a load of stuff that we had that we didn’t record and we want to get into the recording studio to get some of that done. I love recording, it’s one of my favorite things.
Crypticrock.com – That sounds cool. You have been involved in music for a long time now.
Linnea Quigley –Yea I started pretty early in my career. When my career started taking off I was learning guitar and started joining punk rock bands. I went through a few of those until The Skirts were solidified.
Crypticrock.com – That’s really cool. Speaking of the Punk Rock scene in the 80’s, what was the scene like back then? It had to be really amazing.
Linnea Quigley – It was great. When pure punks were around it was really fun. People really lived the part. It was like Suicide in Return Of The Living Dead said, “It’s a way of life”. They really lived the part and they had fun. It was really fun, we used to rehearse underneath the Pussycat Theater on Hollywood Blvd at the Masque. It was this place where the Go-Go’s were on one side of us, The Motels on the other, and The Germs would come in and try to break instruments every now and then.
Crypticrock.com – (laughs) It sounds like it would have been a blast because there is so much great music from that era and so much influential music. Being involved in music as long as you have I imagine you are a passionate music fan as well. What are some of your favorite bands and musical influences?
Linnea Quigley – I love Fleetwood Mac, that’s one of my favorite’s. I like Stone Temple Pilots and Metallica. It’s hard to say all the bands that I like, but those are the top bands. The Rembrandts. I have a vast variety of different music that I like. Those are some of my favorites. AC/DC and The Ramones of course (laughs).
Crypticrock.com – Did you ever have a opportunity to hang out with the Ramones?
Linnea Quigley – Yea I did mainly it was just Johnny. He was really sweet, really nice guy. When you think Punk Rock you think of the Ramones. Plus they did that movie Rock N Roll High School. I actually read for that movie and I was new to my career when that was happening. I had never done Return Of The Living Dead or Savage Streets or anything. They actually had Cheap Trick as the band instead of the Ramones, but thank god they changed to the Ramones because that really played better than Cheap Trick would have.
Crypticrock.com – Yes the music alone makes the movie. Did you ever have an opportunity to hang out with The Cramps at all?
Linnea Quigley – Oh yea, definitely. Down at the Masque, the Cramps would be down there, the Dead Kennedys, and everybody. That was kind of the hang out for the bands practicing and to do an impromptu show down there. The punks were really cool. They were nice people and caring. They were really decent people until the beach punks came in, then it was a different story.
Crypticrock.com – I think that’s a misconception people had about original punk scene, that they were not good people and that’s a bunch of nonsense.
Linnea Quigley – I love Fleetwood Mac, that’s one of my favorite’s. I like Stone Temple Pilots and Metallica. It’s hard to say all the bands that I like, but those are the top bands. The Rembrandts. I have a vast variety of different music that I like. Those are some of my favorites. AC/DC and The Ramones of course (laughs).
Crypticrock.com – Did you ever have a opportunity to hang out with the Ramones?
Linnea Quigley – Yea I did mainly it was just Johnny. He was really sweet, really nice guy. When you think Punk Rock you think of the Ramones. Plus they did that movie Rock N Roll High School. I actually read for that movie and I was new to my career when that was happening. I had never done Return Of The Living Dead or Savage Streets or anything. They actually had Cheap Trick as the band instead of the Ramones, but thank god they changed to the Ramones because that really played better than Cheap Trick would have.
Crypticrock.com – Yes the music alone makes the movie. Did you ever have an opportunity to hang out with The Cramps at all?
Linnea Quigley – Oh yea, definitely. Down at the Masque, the Cramps would be down there, the Dead Kennedys, and everybody. That was kind of the hang out for the bands practicing and to do an impromptu show down there. The punks were really cool. They were nice people and caring. They were really decent people until the beach punks came in, then it was a different story.
Crypticrock.com – I think that’s a misconception people had about original punk scene, that they were not good people and that’s a bunch of nonsense.
My last question for you is regarding films. Crypticrock.com is a rock/metal and horror news site so we like to focus on all genres. Being a fan of horror films, what are some of your favorite horror films?
Linnea Quigley – Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), When A Stranger Calls (1979), the original one. I am kind of a fan of The Saw movies, the first couple they came out with I liked them pretty well. They were a little bit different and then it got old after a while. I like Hershel Gordon Lewis films too because there is comedy and horror.
Crypticrock.com – That’s interesting because you speak about comedy and horror. Horror is supposed to be terrifying yes, but there needs to be elements of humor in there for it be effective.
Linnea Quigley – Yes, exactly. You always have a scene like when a girl opens a door and a cat jumps out or something like that. You have to have that relief in there or it’s dull, it’s really dull, you don’t have those scares in there.
Crypticrock.com – Yes, and that is something a lot of the new horror films are lacking. They either go over the top on the comedy or it’s not subtle enough and it’s not the right formula.
Linnea Quigley – Yes you're right, you’re very right about that.
Up All Night : Catholic Girls (1994)