1977
The year in which the band is founded. Recording of 3 songs ("The Closet", "Less Of Me" and "My Eyes").
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Lydia 'Lunch' Koch had moved from Rochester to New York City in 1976 (at the age of 16/17). She will live in NYC until August 1980.
She works as a bar maid/go-go dancer @ the Baby Doll Lounge on White street in Tribeca. Lydia meets Suicide (who become her first friends in NYC) and Willy DeVille (who gives her the name 'Lunch' because she's often stealing lunch for The Dead Boys).
Then she moves in for about a year with James Chance (born James Siegfried) who came to New York (from Milwaukee) in the last week of 1975. They live at a funky two-room fifth-floor walk-up apartment on East 2nd street (between Avenue A and B) and at a tiny storefront on Twelfth street.
The Scabs: After seeing China (pre Mars, with Connie Burg and Mark Cunningham -both came from St.Petersburg, Florida- and Sumner Crane and Nancy Arlen) in January 1977 at CBGB's Lydia wants to form a band with James Chance called The Scabs. At CBGB's Lydia and James meet a Japanese guitar player called Reck who was in the US on a tourist visa with his girlfriend Ikue Mori (a piano player who would become DNA's drummer). Lydia convinces Reck to play bass after trying him as a drummer (Reck's friend Chiko Hige later became briefly The Contortions' drummer). With Jody Harris (who moved to NYC from Lawrence, Kansas in 1974 and in 1978 became a member of The Contortions) on guitar they were rehearsing, one half songs written by James Chance (like "Dish It Out" and "Roving Eye") and the other half Lydia’s. They never really find a suitable drummer and it doesn't really work out.
Teenage Jesus & The Jerks: In the spring of 1977 Lydia convinces Bradley Field (who moved to NYC from Clevland, Ohio, just like Miriam Linna [The Cramps]) to join her band on drums. Initially they share a rehearsal space, named 'The Hole' with The Cramps, but later they find another above an abandoned Chinese movie theater on Delancey street. The space would also be used by Mars, DNA, The Contortions and other artists who would become part of the 'No Wave' movement. At this place Teenage Jesus & The Jerks is formed. The first of many bands that Lydia will erect.
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Line-up #1 (New York City: spring 1977 - August 1977):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ James Chance (sax)/ Reck (bass) & Bradley Field (drum)
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Mid-1977
US NY,New York City,CBGB's,Audition night
Note: Their first concert.
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09/10-Jul-77
US NY,New York City,The Village Gate
[with Jack Ruby(?), The Feelies and The Patti Smith Group]
Note: For some time in 1977 Jay Dee Daugherty (formerly in the Mumps with Kristian Hoffman [in 1980 in Lydia Lunch's Devil Dogs] and drummer for the Patti Smith Group) was doing their sound. Which resulted in TJ&TJ sharing the bill with the Patti Smith Group a few times.
Jack Ruby was George Scott's (later 8 Eyed Spy) band, that lasted until end 1978.
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08-Aug-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
Setlist: Less Of Me/ Don't Talk About(?)/ ?/ Burning Rubber/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ ?/ ?(James Chance on vocals?)/ My Eyes.
Flyer: Reproduction taken from "No Wave", a book by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (Abrams Image 2008).
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1977
US NY,New York City,studio,recording "The Closet", "Less Of Me" and "My Eyes'. Mixed by Lydia Lunch and James Chance. Because there was a risk that these tracks would not be released Lydia allegedly stole the recordings and reportedly sold them for $5,000 to ZE who released them in 1979 as the "Pre" EP.
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September 1977
James Chance leaves the band. He's much more interested in audience participation than Lydia is. He then forms The Contortions with Adele Bertei (a friend of Bradley Field and also from Cleveland, Ohio) on electric piano and initially a fluid line-up including Steve Moses on drums. Their first show was at Max's Kansas City on 04-Dec-77.
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Line-up #2 (New York City: September 1977 - December 1977):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Reck (bass) & Bradley Field (drum)
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13-Sep-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with The Squirells and The Senders]
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December 1977
Reck leaves the band, helps out The Contortions for their first show was at Max's Kansas City on 04-Dec-77 (because they did not have a bass player) and then in early 1978 returns to Japan with Chiko Hige (who briefly drummed for The Contortions) to start a new group which became very famous, Friction.
Gordon Stevenson (briefly in DNA and married to Mirielle Cervenka [older sister of Exene and also briefly in DNA] replaces him on bass. Gordon and Mirielle also came from St.Petersburg, Florida. Mirielle Cervenka was for some time the manager of Teenage Jesus. She would on the 12th of April 1980 die in a car accident in Hollywood, on her way to see X (with her sister Exene) play at the Whiskey a Go-Go. Gordon Stevenson died of AIDS not too long after.
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Line-up #3 (New York City: December 1977 - June 1978):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Gordon Stevenson (bass) & Bradley Field (drum)
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09-Dec-77
UK London,The Roxy
12-Dec-77
UK London,The Vortex
[with Generation X]
Note 1: On 1 September, 1977 Freddy Laker's "Skytrain" service took to the air for the first time between London Gatwick and New York JFK airport. The fare one-way from New York was just $99. This was an opportunity taken by Lydia to get to UK/Europe to perform with her bands. "Skytrain" came to an end when the airline went spectacularly bankrupt on 5 February 1982.
Note 2: These dates are odd. Other bands played at the Roxy and The Vortex on those dates. The concert on the 12th coincides with TJ&TJ's concert at Max's in New York city. According to this chronology Generation X had no shows on 12-Dec-77. According to Kris Needs, in an article in Zig Zag March 1980, he saw the (4 piece!) band in 1977 at the Vortex. That could have been in September 1977 when both Reck and James Chance were still in the band.
Poster: Reproduction taken from "No Wave", a book by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (Abrams Image 2008).
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12-Dec-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with the B-52's]
Note: It's possible that the "Live at Max's Kansas City 1977" album is a recording of this (20 mins) show. According to photographer George DuBose Teenage Jesus supported the B52's on this date. Or were they in London on that day?
Poster: Photo of poster.
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29/31-Dec-77
US NY,New York City,CBGB Theater @ the Anderson Theatre,66 Second Ave.
[with The Patti Smith Group, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, The Erasers, and Mars]
Note: Opening weekend of a second, yet short lived, CBGB's on 2nd Ave in the East Village. Teenage Jesus supported Richard Hell and PSG on one of these dates, due to the fact that Jay Dee Daugherty (drummer for the Patti Smith Group) was doing their sound.
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1978
The year in which the "No New York" album tracks are recorded and released. Recording and release of their debut single "Orphans/Less Of Me".
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13-Jan-78
US NY,New York City,CBGB's
[with The Cramps]
Note: Filmed by Michael McClard for his "Alien Portrait" Super-8 short film. Available on the "Video Hysterie" video compilation.
Photo: Screen capture taken from the "Alien Portrait" Super-8 film.
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02-Feb-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with DNA and Mars]
Flyer: Reproduction taken from DNA's "DNA on DNA" CD (2004).
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February 1978
US NY,New York City,studio,recording the "Orphans/Less of Me" 7". Produced by Robert Quine (The Voidoids).
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10-Apr-78
US NY,New York City,CBGB's
[with The Student Teachers]
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06-May-78
US NY,New York City,SoHo,Artist's Space,5 day benefit festival (2 sets)
[with The Contortions, DNA, Mars and many many more..]
Setlist 1st show: Crown Of Thorns/ Red Alert/ Less Of Me/ The Closet/ Red Alert/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Orphans/ Red Alert.
Setlist 2nd show: Roll Your Thunder/ Race Mixing/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Eliminate By Night/ The Closet/ Less Of Me/ Orphans/ Red Alert.
Note 1: Brian Eno (Roxy Music) arrives in New York on 23-Apr-78. Initially he plans to stay for only 3 weeks to master Talking Heads' second album ("More Songs About Buildings and Food"), but he ends up staying for about 7 months. Eno attends this festival (02/06-May-78), likes the music and convinces Island Records to release an anthology album ("No New York"). He reportedly considers ten groups for inclusion on the album: The Contortions, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Mars, DNA, Theoretical Girls (with Glenn Branca), The Gynecologists (with Rhys Chatham), Tone Death (also with Rhys Chatham), Boris Police Band, Red Transistor and Terminal. The final album features only four bands performing four songs each and is released on Antilles (a sub-label of Island) in November 1978.
Note 2: After the Teenage Jesus & The Jerks concert Jim Sclavunos (then in The Gynecologists) interviews Lydia for his music magazine ("NO Magazine"). This is where Lydia and Jim meet for the first time. Lydia offers him the job as bass player in the Teenage Jesus band in June 1978, replacing Gordon Stevenson.
In the years to come Jim will join many of Lydia's bands: Beirut Slump (1978), Eight Eyed Spy (1979), Devil Dogs (1980), In Limbo (1982) and Shotgun Wedding (1991). In 1994 Jim joins Nick Cave's Bad Seeds. Jim has also been member of Sonic Youth (1982), Panther Burns (1983), Trigger & the Thrill Kings (1983-86), The Cramps (1991-92), Congo Norvell (1990-98), The Gunga Din (1999-2000), The Vanity Set (2000-to date) and Grinderman (2006-to date).
Note 3: "Roll Your Thunder" and "Eliminate By Night" are available on the "Shut Up And Bleed" album (2008).
Flyer: Reproduction taken from "No Wave", a book by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (Abrams Image 2008).
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16-May-78
US Release of the "Orphans/Less Of Me" 7" on Migraine Records (via Lust/Unlust Music, Charles Ball's label).
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May/June 1978
US NY,New York City,Big Apple studios,Greene street,recording 4 tracks ("Burning Rubber", "The Closet", "Red Alert" and "I Woke Up Dreaming") for the "No New York" compilation album. Produced by Brian Eno. Production advisor Diego Cortez.
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June 1978
US NY,New York City,Paradise Garage disco
[with The Senders, The Contortions and Richard Hell & Voidoids]
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Line-up #4 (New York City: June 1978 - June 1979):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Jim Sclavunos (bass) & Bradley Field (drum)
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1978
US NY,New York City,CBGB's
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2x-Jul-78
UK London,-
Note: Lydia Lunch meets Steven Severin (of Siouxsie and the Banshees) before their concert @ The Roundhouse on 23-Jul-78. Her band 13.13 would support SATB on some dates of their long US tour of Oct/Nov-81. Years later Lydia will ask Steven to join her for her 13.13/The Agony Is The Ecstacy project in November/December 1981.
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03-Aug-78
CAN ON,Toronto,Horseshoe Tavern
[with The Contortions and The Government]
04-Aug-78
CAN ON,Toronto,Horseshoe Tavern
[with The Contortions and The Government]
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xx-Aug-78
CAN QC,Montréal,-
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1978
US NY,New York City,studio,recording their 2nd single "Baby Doll/Freud In A Flop/Race Mixing". Produced by Robert Quine (The Voidoids).
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Fall/Autumn 1978
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
Setlist: I Woke Up Dreaming/ Freud In Flop/ Race Mixing/ Baby Doll/ Instra-mental (a.k.a. Dioxide Laughing).
Note: Above tracks available on the "Video Hysterie" video compilation.
Photo: Screen capture taken from the "Video Hysterie" video compilation.
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06-Oct-78
US PA,Philadelphia,Artemis
[with Rat at Rat R]
Note: With a screening of some Beth and Scott B.'s films.
Flyer: Reproduction taken from "No Wave", a book by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (Abrams Image 2008).
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04-Nov-78
US NY,New York City,CBGB's
[with DNA, Suicide and Walter Steding]
Flyer: Photo of flyer.
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November 1978
US Release of the "No New York" compilation album (Antilles)
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late 1978/ early 1979
US, NY,New York City. Kid Congo Powers [later Gun Club, Bad Seeds etc..] moves to New York City from Los Angeles and lives with Lydia Lunch and Bradley Field for several months. Kid would in years to come do several musical projects with Lydia (a.o. their collaboration with German band Die Haut).
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1979
The year in which they record and release of their 2nd single "Baby Doll/Freud In A Flop/Race Mixing". They tour Europe in the spring and break-up in Berlin at the end of the tour.
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28-Feb-79
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
Ad: Taken from Soho Weekly News 1-7 March 1979.
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March 1979
US Release of the "Baby Doll/Freud In A Flop/Race Mixing" 7" on Migraine Records (via Lust/Unlust Music, Charles Ball's label).
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17-Apr-79
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City,New York Rock Festival
[with Martin Rev and Von Lmo]
Note: Plus screening of "The Offenders" (part 1 and 2) a film (then in process) by Scott B. and Beth B. Festival ran from 11-Apr-79 till 21-Apr-79.
Ad: Scan of advert.
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May 1979
US NY,New York City,Hurrah's
Note: Last US concert of Teenage Jesus.
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May 1979
US, NY,New York City. Bradley Field is fired just before the European tour and replaced by Johnny O'Kane (Johnny came from St.Petersburg,FL).
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Line-up #5 (Europe: June 1979):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Jim Sclavunos (bass) and Johnny O'Kane (percussion/drum)
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01-Jun-79
FR Paris,Hippodrome de Paris,Porte de Pantin
No New York Festival (from 18:00h-24:00h)
[with DNA,James Chance,Robin Crutchfeld and Beirut Slump]
Note: Start of the European tour. Beirut Slump is listed but it's most unlikely they actually performed. Most of the bands' names are misspelled: Beirut Slamp, Robin Crutchsield, The Contorsions.
Poster: Original poster.
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19-Jun-79
NL Nijmegen,O.S. 42,Now New York festival
[with Adele Bertei & the Assasins]
Note: Scott & Beth B screen their films ("Black Box", "G-Man" and "Letters To Dad"). Only a 10 mins concert. Lydia Lunch performs sitting in a wheelchair. She has just left a Dutch hospital due to a rather serious problem with her innards. Adele Bertei performed solo over taped background music.
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2x-Jun-79
NL Rotterdam,Café Heavy
Note: Scott & Beth B screen their films ("Black Box", "G-Man" and "Letters To Dad"). Another 10 mins concert. Lydia Lunch performs sitting in a wheelchair.
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2x-Jun-79
Germany/Europe, most likely some more live concerts
Note: Scott & Beth B screen their films ("Black Box", "G-Man" and "Letters To Dad").
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2x-Jun-79
GE Frankfurt,-
Note: Cancelled by the promotor when he got hit by a beer mug thrown by Lydia at the Nijmegen concert on 19-Jun-79.
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30-Jun-79
GE Berlin,S.O.36,New York film festival
Note: Their final concert. Scott & Beth B screen their films ("Black Box", "G-Man" and "Letters To Dad"). Jim Sclavunos wrote a 2 page article ("Diary Of A Jerk") about this tour in the November 1979 issue of New York Rocker.
Photo: Graffiti on the Berlin Wall announcing the TJ&TJ concert. Credit Cathy Dumas, as published in New York Rocker #45, December 1981.
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June/July 1979
UK, London. While Jim and Adele stay for another week in Berlin, Lydia (with Johnny) goes to London where a.o. she is interviewed by Mary Harron, who's article is published in the 28-Jul-79 issue of Melody Maker.
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July 1979
US NY,New York City. When returning from Europe Lydia Lunch finds out she and Bradley Field have been evicted from their place. Lydia then moves to a place on East 12th street living with Jim Sclavunos, Annene Kaye [New York Rocker music journalist], James Chance and Chris Nelson [Mofungo/NO magazine] alledgedly doing a lot of acid. Around this time Lydia (having turned 20 on June 2nd) decides that Teenage Jesus was done.
Bradley Field joins James Chance's Contortions (with Patrick Geoffries, Kristian Hoffman, Lester Bowie and Steven Kramer) during August 1979. During the 80's he ends up living as a bum in the streets of New York City (Tompkins Square) and almost had to have his arm amputated due to bad drugs. By 1987/88 he is back working for Lydia Lunch at her theater play written with Emilio Cubeiro "South Of Your Border".
Apparently he died of misfortune in the 1990's.
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1979
US Release of the "Pink" EP on Lust/Unlust.
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1979
US Release of the "Pre" EP on ZE Records.
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June 1980
FR Release of the "Pre" EP on Celluloid/ZE Records.
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2008
The year in which they reunite for 2 shows in New York and in which the definite Teenage Jesus CD is released.
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Reunion Line-up (New York City: 13 June 2008):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Thurston Moore (bass) and Jim Sclavunos (drum)
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13-Jun-08
US NY,New York City,Knitting Factory,Main Space (2 shows: 8pm and 11pm)
[with Information and Byron Coley DJ-set]
Setlist: (2nd show) Red Alert/ instrumental/ The Closet/ Crown Of Thorns/ Crown Of Thorns (reprise)/ Burning Rubber/ instrumental/ instrumental/ Red Alert/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ instrumental/ Baby Doll/ Orphans.
Note: Coincides with the publishing on June 1 of "No Wave: Post Punk, Underground, New York, 1976–1980", a book edited by Byron Coley and Thurston Moore. Information is Rick Brown [Mofungo], Phil Dray [Mofungo], Chris Nelson [Mofungo, NO magazine,etc..].
Flyer: e-Flyer.
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21-Jul-08
UK Release of the "Shut Up And Bleed" compilation CD (Cherry Red).
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02-Sep-08
US Release of the "Shut Up And Bleed" compilation CD (Atavistic).
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Chronology
Beirut Slump (June 1978 - June 1979)
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Made by Hans (don't forget to remove the anti spam section).
Last modified 11th of August, 2008
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