Band of Susans tonight. In session for John Peel at BBC Radio 1 on October 10, 1988.
As lifespans of bands go, Band Of Susans wasn’t around relatively that long – active from 1986 to 1996 before pulling up stakes and calling it a day.
But in that short period of time, they made a big dent in the New York No Wave noise rock scene, but due to their layered guitar sound were sometimes seen as the American counterparts to the UK shoegazing bands. Like Sonic Youth, they drew influence from noise music experimental composers for the electric guitar Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca.
Band of Susans released the 12″ EP Blessing And Curse on Poss’s own Trace Elements label. A record-release party (also said to be the band’s first-ever live gig) was held at NYC’s The Love Club on January 31, 1987; BoS were the opening act for a band called Das Furlines. They were soon signed to the avant-garde Blast First imprint of UK record label Mute Records.
After the release of début album Hope Against Hope, vocalist Alva Rogers, guitarist Susan Lyall and guitarist Susan Tallman quit. They were replaced by Karen Haglof (guitar) and Page Hamilton (guitar). This lineup recorded the album Love Agenda and a Peel Sessions EP, which featured a cover of Gang Of Four’s “I Found That Essence Rare”. The two new guitarists then quit, with Hamilton quickly forming the more metal-influenced Helmet. Anne Husick (guitar) and Mark Lonergan (guitar) then joined BoS, yielding the band’s “classic lineup” which made three more albums, including The Word and the Flesh and one EP, all on Restless Records.
According to The Great Indie Discography compilation, “…unfortunately, success is the one thing that has eluded the Band of Susans and Co. throughout their decade-plus lifespan.”
Band of Susans toured the U.S. and Europe sporadically. They played with bands such as Live Skull, My Bloody Valentine, Butthole Surfers, Wire, Rollins Band, Smegma, Das Furlines, and Lovely. During the band’s final U.S. and European tours, Jay Braun (who formed the Negatones shortly thereafter) filled in for Lonergan and Kelly Burns filled in for Ron Spitzer. Band of Susans also performed, with Rhys Chatham as a warmup “group”, at “The Kitchen” on 19th Street, in the early 1980s as part of a “performance art” piece. Afterward, they performed at CBGB, although not with their original lineup, with the exception of Susan Stenger, Robert Poss, and possibly Karen Hagloff. Forgotten drummer during the 1991 European and American support tour for the band’s release, “Word and the Flesh” was New Jersey–based drummer, Joseph Kochan, who performed as “Joey Kaye”.
Here they are in session for John Peel from the Maida Vale studios on October 10, 1988.
