Rocking 'out'

The Peecocks and Space Pussy lead the local gay-band scene

by Brett Milano

The notion of an outspokenly gay rock band always brings certain stereotypes to mind, many of them revolving around Elton John or Melissa Etheridge (or Tom Robinson, if your memory stretches back that far). There's a certain element of show-biz camp, a soft-pedaled political consciousness, a certain earnestness.

So where does that leave the Peecocks and Space Pussy, two area bands who take flamboyance to new levels? Space Pussy are likely the only band based in Provincetown who don't know any Melissa Etheridge covers (although bassist Sue Goldberg hails from a female band who did a stack of them). And the Peecocks are without doubt the only Boston band whose preferred Stones cover is the notorious, unreleased "Cocksucker Blues." Both hail from a rock tradition that would include Little Richard, the New York Dolls, and the Cramps in their glitter phase. In fact the last local appearance for either band was a month ago at Mama Kin, where both supported the legendary trash king/queen Jayne County, of "(If You Don't Wanna Fuck Me) Fuck Off" fame.

Neither outfit likes to peg itself as a gay band -- though if you've seen Space Pussy frontman Ryan Landry in full drag, or Peecocks leader Jim Moran literally pegging himself with a dildo in the show's finale, you've gotten the picture. The latter action would cap a set that's also likely to include the Pink Floyd send-up "Another Prick in the Stall" and appropriate covers of Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging" and the Barbarians' "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl," with connotations Barbarians singer/drummer Moulty never intended.

Moran, who lately goes by the stage name Jimmy Shelter, always had as much chutzpah as anyone on the local scene (I can vouch, having gone to college with the guy). What's surprising is how the Peecocks have grown from a joke act to a semi-legit one. A roomful of good old-school players have passed through the line-up (alumni include all of the Classic Ruins, garage pooh-bah Kenne Highland, and Fort Apache co-founder Joe Harvard; among the current cast are veteran punk drummer Matt Burns and back-up singers Jody Urbati and Patty Deeney, collectively dubbed the Cockettes). They've done a memorial tune for Johnny Thunders, "One Last Nod," that's being considered for a documentary film, and they've started to do a non-joke anthem -- "We're Here, We're Queer, Get Used to It" -- with a list of salutees (Oscar Wilde, Lily Tomlin, Gus Van Sant) that gets updated each time it's played. Moran says he doesn't want to preach about homosexuality but adds, "I'm always happy to talk about the subject to people in private. I'm even willing to give demonstrations."

Obvious question: has he ever gotten beat up? "There's always the potential for disaster, but we win them over. The only real incident I had was once at the Rat, where we were doing `Back in the Closet' [Moran's ode to an ex-fling who reverted to his old hetero ways]. There was a guy passed out in front of the stage; I got on and started dry-humping him. He came to with a big grin on his face and a hard-on and grabbed this rather attractive woman in front and started groping her. She sucker-punched him and I realized, `If we don't do something soon we'll have a little Altamont here.' So I hoisted him up on stage and started doing a little two-step with him. I waltzed him over to the side of the stage, onto some waiting bouncers who promptly threw him out the door."

Space Pussy are also a bit of a motley crew; along with Landry and Goldberg, the line-up includes drummer Rikki Bates, whose impending sex-change operation really freaked out his last band, the Incredible Casuals. SP also have some well-chosen cover tunes -- Landry is the first male I've seen sing the Runaways' "Cherry Bomb"-- and at least one classic original, "The Whole World's Turning Dyke, Thank God." For all that, Landry, who's lately stopped playing in drag, is a tad jaded about his target audience. Living in Provincetown and hating disco will do that for you.

"I'm a human being first, a goofball idiot second, a human horse third, and probably a gay man somewhere down the line," he says. "Gay people are too happy in their own misery. Going out week after week doing Ecstasy, dancing to the same music that's been played for 25 years, then going home to your lonely apartment with a teddy bear dressed in leather and listening to Mariah Carey -- seven years in Hell would be preferable to that." Lest we get the wrong idea, Landry points out that he was one of the first 50 members of the gay activist group ACT UP. "Not that I want to see gay people lose their rights, but they need to get over focusing on being gay. I mean, I walk down the street and see rainbow flags and signs that say `I brake for angels' -- who's selling that shit? And they're making a mint off it."

Space Pussy are pressing ahead with plans for a debut album, which may be on a major label if the A&R folks (from Mercury) who came to their last show are any indication. Any kinship with the San Francisco punk band Pansy Division, who were getting big when Space Pussy formed last year? "No, because they stink. I like them as people, but they're bad Ramones and everything sounds the same."

Although neither outfit has any local gigs on the immediate schedule, both promise to be back in the clubs by September. Don't bother locking up your daughters, unless it's with each other.

---

DUMPTRUCK REUNION

Imagine stopping in your local rock joint just to kill a few minutes and finding out that one of your all-time favorite local bands is about to stage an impromptu reunion show. It happened to me last week when Dumptruck improbably wound up on the schedule for one of Skeggie Kendall's Tuesday-night hoedowns at the Middle East bakery. Group leader Seth Tiven, who moved to Austin a few years ago, happened to be in town with his violinist wife, Amy. Both were snagged by Kendall to play a quickie set with longtime rhythm section Brian Dunton (now manager to both Fuzzy and the Flying Nuns) and Shawn King (Helium's drummer). After zero rehearsal and three years since their last gig, the band sounded great, as anyone within a 10-block radius could probably attest (this sure wasn't an unplugged set). The mini-set included the band's local hits, "Island" and "Back Where I Belong." Tiven said afterward that he's got a new Dumptruck in Austin and will be recording with them in the fall.

---

BELLY DISBAND, QUIVVVER CHANGE

Rumors of a Belly break-up were confirmed this week. The band call it quits after two albums, the worldwide hit Star and the commercially flopped but musically solid follow-up King (both Sire). The new material that frontwoman Tanya Donelly has been recording at Fort Apache (with occasional help from ex-Pixies drummer Dave Lovering) will instead be part of her solo debut.

On the other hand, recent rumors of a Quivvver break-up aren't strictly true. But the well-liked band -- whose Been There Done That/Superheroes (Jook-a-Teena) remains one of the year's best local albums -- should look and sound a bit different when you see them next. Kristina Kehrer, their exuberant drummer and lead singer, quit the band after getting pregnant three months ago. New drummer Gabrielle LaFon joined soon after, and guitarist Carol Defeciani took over the vocals. The new line-up has done a handful of out-of-town shows but has played Boston only twice, most recently at T.T. the Bear's Place two weeks ago. Bassist Julie Hardin reports that they're about to work up some new material in the studio, and that they're thinking of adding a rhythm guitarist/back-up singer.