Pop Culture Pop Quiz: Remember that episode of Roseanne where Darlene gets busted for returning home hours late after attending a concert with her trashy slutbag of a neighbor? Do you remember what band Darlene was willing to risk Roseanne’s wrath for? It was Daisy Chainsaw. Those early-90’s stars of MTV’s 120 Minutes known for the ridiculously catchy grunge-pop single, “Love Your Money”, and madcap front-woman KatieJane Garside (whom Courtney Love dubbed “The first riot grrrl”). Darlene probably long forgot about Daisy Chainsaw and their brand of gothic and arty big-rock buzz by the time she had her first lesbian experience in college.

(Daisy Chainsaw circa 1992. Courtesy of Room-Eleven.org)

However, the band had sunk their teeth into a cult following and left a strong impression long after it petered out in the mid-90’s, after a series of line-up changes (including the re-casting of KatieJane following her perceived public breakdown). Enough so, that when Garside and her Daisy Chainsaw band-mate, guitarist Crispin Gray, reunited as Queen Adreena in the late 90’s, they were met with much fanfare and the joyous moans of the British rock press creaming their collective pants.

and

NME said of the band’s debut album, 2000’s Taxidermy.


(Queen Adreena circa 2005)

When Kerrang! hailed

it was not the slightest bit hyperbolic. Queen Adreena had delivered on Daisy Chainsaw’s promise. HARDCORE. Where Daisy Chainsaw produced winking comic book horrors, Queen Adreena dived headlong into the nightmare. Their live shows were famously frenetic, as well, KatieJane seemingly possessed and channeling all manner of demon and ghostly saint alike.

(Queen Adreena live circa 2005. Photo by Gary Lloyd)

In 2005, preceded by the single “F.M. Doll” (AKA “Fuck Me Doll”, in which Garside casts herself as Jon-Benet Ramsey), Queen Adreena released their 3rd full-length album. A massive and gloriously dark 16 track conceptual opus, entitled The Butcher and The Butterfly. Here, Garside shows off her honed vocal skills, a whiskey-soaked sister to PJ Harvey waxing on innocence lost and dark sexuality and wailing against, to and with Gray’s metallic buzz-saw approach to New York Doll chug and T. Rex sway. Lullabies cross over into revved-up punk screech & hard-edged Zeppelin groove, then veer into sexed-up coo fests with serious swagger. This is what you call Pure Rock Alchemy. The band (Garside, Gray, seriously bitchin’ Drummer Pete Howard and the ever-changing bassist role - currently filled by Welsh musician Nomi Leonard - that is worthy of a “Spinal Tap exploding drummer” crack) toured extensively in 2005 and 2006. Also in 2005, Queen Adreena saw their first stateside release with a slightly edited and “revamped for the American market” edition of Butcher. In early 2006, KatieJane released a graphic novel in collaboration with Dogwitch illustrator Dan Schaffer, entitled Indigo Vertigo, and her first solo album, Lalleshwari-Lullabies in a Glass Wilderness, a collection of 4-Track recordings done over a 6-year period.
By year’s end Garside will unveil yet another of her fascinating artistic personas. A project called Ruby Throat sees her pairing up with slide-guitarist Chris Whittingham. Much more hushed than any of its predecessors, Ruby Throat has distinct country-lilt and dreamlike haze that brings to mind Mazzy Star (Be Sure to check out “Salto Angel” on their Myspace page, it’s like humping clouds!).


(Ruby Throat Artwork by James Sutton)

With the Ruby Throat album in the can and a release date as well as shows imminent, one would assume Garside is busy. Not busy enough, apparently. KatieJane has also been invited by Hector Zazou (previous collaborator with Bjork, Matmos and Siouxsie Sioux) to perform at the Presences Electroniques Festival in France where she will be backed by a band consisting of Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Bill Rieflin of Ministry. The concert will take place on March 15, 2007 and will be recorded for broadcast on Radio France and a later CD Release.
And that’s just the first half of the year! Queen Adreena are currently writing and rehearsing new songs for a possible Summer 2007 release. One of these songs, “Lick The Itch”, was debuted recently at Queen Adreena’s one-off club show in London, this past September. I think it’s high time Darlene dug that Daisy Chainsaw T-Shirt out of the closet (Cough!).

For Your Perusal:
KatieJane's Official Site
Ruby Throat's Myspace
Queen Adreena's Myspace
KatieJane's Myspace
Indigo Vertigo
Cool KatieJane Fan-Site


Recommended Listening:

Queen Adreena The Butcher & The Butterfly


Daisy Chainsaw Eleventeen

Both available for sale at One Little Indian Records

Recommended Viewing:
The Episode of Roseanne, in which Darlene attends the Daisy Chainsaw concert, is from Season 5 and has just been released on DVD for your viewing pleasure.
Available for sale here.