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Laura Litter: lead vocals
Lynda Mandolyn: guitar, vocals
Mr. Nancy: bass, vocals
Sally Gess: drums



F - Let’s start with a short history of the band. Where and how did you meet and when did you decide to start a band.

Lynda - We got drunk on night and decided to form Fab D, so we’ve been around since Jan 1998.

F - Did you always envision your band as an all-female one or did it just happen by chance?

Lynda - We wanted to form an all female side project for one show and it ended up being the real deal and still is.

F - Were you in any previous bands?

Lynda - We had all been in previous bands before. I was in Inside Out all female from Detroit and Mr. Nancy was in Angel Corpus Christi.

F - When you were in The Piston, you released a 7" titled "Dyke Fight Tonight"... what was it about and how did the lesbian scene react to it? (Did you know that an mp3 of this song exists, but when you try to download it, it’s actually another song?)

Laura - Well, it was actually about dykes in love and fighting and drinking... that's my take on it anyway! I don't want to speak for the person who wrote the song. Jimmy, wrote it... and the lesbian scene never reacted! I did not know that an mp3 song of it was around!



F - NOFX did also put out a lesbian-themed song, "Liza and Louise", in which Liza turns to women afte getting tired of men. Did you experience anything similar or were you always certain about your sexual orientation?

Laura - I always knew I was a dyke!

F - Do you think that heterosexual men (like NOFX are) are effectively able to write a lesbian-themed song, without sounding banal or stereotyped?

Laura - Fat Mike is a lesbian, you didn't know! :-) He writes the best lesbian songs around! He is obsessed with them!! He is the cutest lesbian I know! He is my bitch!

F - Is "Put Out or Get Out" your first record? How were you able to involve Fat Mike in its distribution ? Is the story true, about Sally giving him a ride on her chopper?

Lynda - It is our first real record on a real label, we had an earlier release called "Pretty Killers" out on Evil Eye Records, it came out in Dec 1999, Mr. Nancy gave Erin Mike’s wife a CD and they came to a show, and yes Sally did give Mike a ride previously and he really dug it!

F - Are you aware of the fact (and prepared to the consequences) that Fat Wreck-backing will give your music a greater and wider exposure?

Lynda - Absolutely, if it wasn’t for them we’d still be playing in obscurity somewhere in San Francisco, we are a very lucky band.

F - All the bands you quote As an influence - The Go-Go’s, Joan Jett, The Descendents - seem to come from the early 80’s. Anything more recent that you like?

Lynda - Yes, Lunachicks, The Muffs, Guided By Voices lots of other bands.

F - What are your favourite Fat Wreck bands?

Lynda - Avail and Propaghandi are our boyfriends of rock!!!

F - Don’t you think most recent releases on Fat Wreck sound alike? Do you think it’s a question of style or just conforming to the market’s expectations?

Lynda - Fat Wreck puts out good stuff, whatever they want, they make it happen, they are a great label and people buy their stuff!!!

F - You’re touring Italy this month (April). Do you have any expectations or have you been there before? Many other bands on your label toured here... did they tell you anything, their impressions,...?

Lynda - I am answering these questions after the fact, they were great shows, we played Pinerella and Biella, we met lots of great people, Italian loves to rock!!!

F - Visually, you all look like very strong women. Are there any lesbians in the band?

Lynda - Yes three out of 4 of us are gay, I'm married to a man.

F - What do you think about bands like The Butchies, Haggard, Tribe 8, who are openly queer?

Lynda - They are very important bands, we are good friends with Tribe 8!

F - By the way, Tribe 8 come from San Francisco as well. Do you happen to know them? Last year they were in Italy and played in Rome during the World Pride week. If you were asked to, would you play at a Gay Pride event?

Lynda - Yes we would love to play the Pride Event.

F - Recently read "The Vagina Monologues" by Eve Ensler and I ended up wondering how many women have a difficult relationship with their genitals. Do you think this is limited to older people or is it a cultural taboo that still exists, even among young people?

Lynda - It depends, I definately think our generation is more open, nothing shocks us anymore, we grew up with sex and violence openly, the older generation have a harder time because everything used to be behind closed doors and women weren’t allowed to enjoy sex, just make babies, my how times have changed, for the better!!!

F - Tattoos, motorcycles, punk rock... this seems to be the world you love living in! What do you hate the most, when it comes to women’s most conformist attitudes?

Lynda - We just hate for anyone in general to tell us what to do, we’re good people that love bizarre that’s all, we wish there were more women in the rock scene too, it’s time for women to dominate these music charts here, it’s been way too long!!!

F - I saw quite a few picture of you on the web and one of them is with Angelina Jolie. Is she a fan of your band ? Also, in movies like "Girls Interrupted" and "Lara Croft", she portrays female characters that are positive and winning as well. Do you think it’s a good message for teenage girls?

Laura - I hope she is a fan, she has our old cd! Yes, I think strong woman who are positive and take charge and chances are sending good messages!



F - You probably can’t make a living out of Fabulous Disaster... what else do you do to pay the rent?

Lynda - We have quit our day jobs and now to Fab D full time.

F - There has always been a number of wealthy, rich people in punk rock, who were probably in it just for the music (or just to have fun). I feel such people can’t understand the true essence of punk, they take away its meaning... have you ever met such kind of people?

Lynda - Sure, but who wants to be poor all their life and struggle when they’ve been doing art for many years, I rejoice when people who have been doing it for so long make it big in punk rock, they deserve the fruits of their labor, besides punk is mainstream now, look around you.

F - Many all-female bands complain about the fact that they sometimes have to play for horny and stupid teenage males. Would you like to play foe an all-female audience?

Lynda - Whoever digs our music and enjoys what we do that would be the best audience, male or female we appeal to everyone!!!

F - Being an all- female band, it probably happens that men make passes at you. Do you react by simply refusing such offers or do you always make your sexuality explicit?

Laura - Yes, they do make passes and I tell them right away that I am a dyke! so they know!

F - Touring worldwide, you get to meet quite a lot of people. What do you retain of the experience and of all the contacts you’ve made?

Laura - Touring in this band is so much fun and I try to remember as much as possible about the people we meet! They are all so nice and big fans and I keep in touch with quite a few of the people that I got along well with!!!

F - Where did you get that name, Fabulous Disaster, from?

Lynda - The Sid and Nancy Movie.



questions: flavio          answers: lynda & laura
crew@speeddemon.it  © hotskin productions 2001