Creep Magazine #3, 1979,
Page 17

Nervous Gender started out as four people, one in Dublin Ireland, one in Mexico, one in Los Angeles, and one in an undisclosed location elsewhere in the United States. About a year ago they came together in Los Angeles and since then have been playing regularly in Los Angeles and all too infrequently in San Francisco.    Although they have been referred to as a synthesizers band, according to them, their line-up is as follows:    two ARP oddiseys,    one Moog Satellite,    one guitar;    one rythym unit:       two bass drums with pedals,       one tape loop machine,       one processed rythym box,       one Don Bowels;    four vocalists:       one Phranc,       one Edward Stapleton,       one Gerardo Velazquez,       one Michael Ochoc. With this line-up it is not surprising that they have come up with a new-and interesting sound. Off stage they have a bit to say as well. Some samples taken from a discussion with Gerardo and Edward follow. ************************************************* about the band    Edward and I originally got together because we both had synthesizers and it's kind of hard to find synthesizer players. There are lots of guitar players around, but our original concept was an all electronic band.    We started out wanting to be a pogo band, and a lot of our songs have that kind of rhythm, but people for some reason just sat there and stared. They are real respectful. Sometimes though, they get real crazy, not pogoing, just crazy.    We used to practice at Michael's grandfather's house. It was just the two of us and we would give him some valium to relax.    We are people who are willing to take Chances visually, playing for people who are willing to get excited by the music. The visual thing is very important.    Very few people walk out on our shows which I find strange. ************************************************ synthesizers    A lot of people use them as fancy organs. but we like to use them as machines.    To play a guitar you have to be able to hold a chord change, but to play a synthesizer all you have to do is plug it in. All you really have to do is turn it on, and put it on automatic.    On their own, synthesizers do a lot. All that we do is capture whatever mood we want and find a patch that is proper for that mood. When we're going through the set we just switch from mood to mood. It's much like a machine. ************************************************ a record (?)    A lot of people have listened to records so much and heard everything only when it's really polished up ta the point where it has no personality. When'they actually start to go to concerts they can't believe that that's what songs really sound like. When we record, I hope we keep that raw sound because otherwise it's so sterile. ************************************************ live performance    Places that aren't very controlled are the best. Places where you can scream and shout and do whatever you want to. At places like the Hong Kong which is a sit down restaurant people can only go to a certain point before the owners get upset. We like to play at places where people can go farthest in their reaction toward what's happening    We're not the kind of band that you could go see every weekend. With some bands you don't have to pay attention, but with us, even if you don't like what we're doing, you can't get away unless you leave because it's that kind of sound. ************************************************ a song (I HATE MY PARENTS) I hate my parents for fucking on Sunday they should have jerked off when the drug stores were closed (chorus) I hate my world    (I hate my race. I hate my race) I hate the way I scream    (I hate my race, I hate my race) l hate my world    (I hate the stores, I hate the       stores) I hate the way I dress    (I hate the stores, I hate the       stores) And it's all my countries problem for not granting asylum to those racist aryan Nazis of the    second world war. And it's all my countries problem for not adopting selective breeding they should have murdered daddy be-    fore he was even a boy And it's stupid in the city with all    the tall and cynic people And all the tall and cynic people    with their faces in the TV And it's depressing in the city So I'm not so long and pretty NO, no, no, no, no, no, no.... I should sit on a rock of Cornwall    and comb my hair I should wear tiger pants, I should    have an affair Meanwhile six million uglies are    born every worker day If they're lucky they'll be communist they won't get these consumer blues I hate my world (chorus)