Holidaze Are Upon Us

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I guess the holiday season has officially arrived. That gives me an excuse to share these holiday songs with you all. I recorded these with Goddess 13 (me and Teresa Covarrubias) over ten years ago to give out as Christmas presents to a few of our friends. They were never officially released...we hope you enjoy them. I'll post a different song each week as we get closer to December 25.

The first selection is called "Los Peces En El Rio" and it is a traditional Spanish Christmas song with a Moorish influence. If you know more about the origins of this song and would like to share, please comment!

Women In L.A. Punk

I am VERY pleased and excited to announce that we have just opened a new section at www.alicebag.com, dedicated to the women who were involved in the early L.A. punk scene. One of the goals of this website is to expose the important and too-often overlooked contributions of female artists in the late seventies punk movement. The Women In L.A. Punk section aims to address that by allowing interviewees to share their recollections and opinions in an unrestricted forum. The format is eight questions and responses- no time or space limitations, no editing of content.



I had the good fortune to have as my first interview Ms. Jenny Lens, the legendary punk photographer who shot some of the most iconic images of Patti Smith, The Ramones, The Screamers and so many others. I've considered Jenny a friend for well over twenty years now and believe me when I say that the stories she shares in her interview are not even the tip of the iceberg.

Enjoy!

Alice

Hollywood Has Been Bombed...On To San Diego

Stay At Home Bomb played a fast and furious set last night at the Knitting Factory, opening for Girlschool. Lysa Flores (lead guitar and vocals) had seriously injured her back earlier in the week and was not even able to stand up at one point, so we were more than a little worried. After soundcheck and before the show, we all walked down to Hooters to "get some food" and on our way back to the club we had to help Lysa hobble quickly across Hollywood Blvd before the light changed.

We love playing all ages shows because you don't typically get many stage climbers at 21 and over gigs. To the kid who got pulled off the stage: Sorry if you got hurt, whoever you are! Don't you know it's against the rules to climb onstage?

Got to sleep at 2 am after the show, had a conference with my daughter's school principal this morning at 8 am, then I drive to San Diego for our show tonight at the Casbah.

On another note: Go SEE THE DRESDEN DOLLS AT THE EL REY THIS FRIDAY!
Gotta run now.

BOMBS OVER HOLLYWOOD, SAN DIEGO

O.K., so no one reads these posts anyway, but...Stay At Home Bomb is performing with Girlschool Wednesday night at The Knitting Factory in Hollywood - we go on at 9:45 and Thursday night at The Casbah in San Diego. If you come up to our merch table or see us at the club and tell us you saw our bulletin on MySpace or that you read my blog, we'll give you a free, limited edition (we won't be making anymore of these) Stay At Home Bomb button or a sticker, while supplies last! Hope to see you at the show.

Punk Mommy Blues

I signed up on MySpace recently for Stay At Home Bomb and I found a community of punk parents with whom I could relate. I joined a MySpace Punk Parents group and started chatting. It's kind of a web based support group. Anyway, I decided to ask them about my 9 year old daughter, who is having serious trouble fitting in at her school and was suspended for "willful defiance and disobedience" a week ago. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. I've reprinted some of my MySpace posting below because I've had several people ask me how I manage to be in a punk band and be a mommy at the same time. It ain't easy.

"I wish I knew the whole story, but I don't feel like I do. The people who were there seemed to have stories that were missing details. All I know is that something upset my daughter, an adult told her to stop making a fuss, my daughter replied "you're not my teacher, you can't tell me what to do", and she ended up in the principal's office. At some point during her visit to the office she crawled under the vice principal's desk and refused to come out. That's when I got the phone call.

I do feel responsible. I've always taught my daughter and step daughters to question authority. I guess I have mixed feelings about it. Although I truly believe in questioning authority I'm not sure that children who practice that policy get a fair shake from those in positions of authority. In the end, we as adults can always walk away and say "fuck you" to anyone we choose because we are in a position to assert control over our own situations. Children don't have the same options. My daughter has my support, but ultimately it's she who has to go back to the classroom and deal with peers and adults who may now see her as a troublemaker.
It's one thing for me as an adult to blow off people with whom I disagree, but I remember how bad it felt to be a "weird" kid trying to fit in. Am I teaching my daughter to be a misanthrope?

I'm torn. Part of me wonders whether there is a way to stop this train wreck with society at large from happening. I never appreciated being different until I was much older. As a young child, it was just a sad and lonely route to go. Now I see how different my own daughter is from her peers and I wonder how much I've contributed to that, through my genes and the environment I've raised her in. Is the best that I can offer her as a parent my love and support? Or did I unintentionally screw up her life by raising her in a home that values individuality above fitting in? And are those two things mutually exclusive?"

Alice

Happy Birthday To ME!

Castration Squad's Plan For America

Tracy found this little bit of history in her collection and kindly allowed me to share it with you all. It's the Castration Squad manifesto. Click on the image below to view a full size reproduction. And if the American people somehow fail to elect a different President this time, remember there's always Castration...Squad!