THE ULTIMATE ROCK AND ROLL STORY
Rebel Rebel (R2) was born in 1988, when Jet and I moved to
L.A. We started off as a Suicide type act, mixed with the
Plasmatics. I handled the guitars, sound Efx and the drum
programs (drum machine) and Jet handled the vocals and mass
destruction of TV sets, computer monitors and animals parts
(goat heads, chicken feet, etc.). We played porno on
monitors as we played and finished the set by setting fire
to the American flag, which usually ended in a fight with an
audience member and his homies who got offended. Our main
point was to offend and make people think and react.
Eventually in 1990, we got Gizmo to drum for us and released
our 7 inch single “Fuck The World”, which got us noticed and
got rave reviews for it’s Sigue Sigue Sputnik like
construction. We destroyed all the L.A. clubs and quickly
got banned and a reputation for fucking clubs up, which
still haunts us today (we often play under assumed band
names) in 2008!!! Through the 1990’s and 2000’s, we continue
to play anywhere that will have us.
Our stage show has always consisted of a dangerous and messy
element. Smashing things up and setting them on fire, and by
the grace of God, no one has gotten hurt at one of our
shows. We have been known to throw razor blades, bullets,
matches and syringes into the audience. Jet’s latest is his
bed of nails routine, flaming codpiece cock and the grand
finale of a dildo that shoots flames as he leaves the stage,
through the audience and out the front door of the venue!
In 1992, we recruited our current bass player from his
acting career, Marcello, and the R2 line up has been the
same all these years. (Gizmo has been taking a break since
late 2006, after which we returned to our CyberPunk roots by
using the drum machine and we added an FX/Dialogue guy, Erik
Lancaster, in 2006, and in 2008 we added drummer, Jesse
Atom, from the infamous San Diego Punk band The Spent
Idols). In 2011 we have the ultimate line up with the
addition of Tim Shelton on drums, an old friend from the Los
Angeles rock and roll scene!!!
Highlights over the years have included the release of our
own CDs LIFESTYLES OF THE SICK AND FAMOUS, THE BIBLE OF THE
21ST CENTURY, EXPLODE INTO SPACE and our live in Paris,
France disc FRANCE COMES ALIVE and our many appearances on
the Wally George Show and the Morton Downey Jr. Show.
Playing in great cities like Las Vegas, San Francisco and
San Diego, and Paris, France-who have shown us much love.
Surviving all these years in a town that has banned us from
the get go-Los Angeles!!! Appearing on many comp CDs and
having music in movies, pornos and on the radio. We’ve been
written up in just about all music mags worldwide and have
been in some rad books-Hollywood Rocks (and the accompanying
CD box set) and Gigs From Hell. FOX News also did a killer
story on us in L.A. that blew us up into legends for a
while. We also worked with some great producers including
Brian Kehew and Jon Mathias (RIP).
Jet would probably say his highlight would be finally
getting arrested during one of our shows in 2000 and again
in 2007. He dodged the bullet many times; our CD release
party for Lifestyles in San Diego at Blue Meannie Records-5
cop cars and our outdoor show at Guitar Center in San
Bernardino-6 cop cars. He finally got popped when we were
playing the Garage in L.A. He took the stage show out to the
street, as he usually does, and the cops were waiting for
him. The L.A. Rampart Division got him as he was graffitiing
a bus stop bench. People had called the police when earlier
in the set Jet had set a baby play pen on fire in the middle
of the street, in front of the club. Then he jumped on a TV
news van with his glitter canon. Gee maybe they called the
Police. On video, it looked like the L.A. riots going on.
(The Relax Bar in Hollywood was the scene of the latest
arrest in 2007, for causing a stir in front of the Club
while we played and basically looking like a freak! And
stopping traffic.)
The worst times included the band going head to head with
skinheads in Pomona, who took offense to our black road crew
and with psycho Nazi’s in Ocean Beach, Ca., who slashed our
van tires and broke our windshield cuz they thought we
sacrificed animals on stage, at least that’s what the San
Diego Reader reported. Rock and roll can be a dangerous
business when you’re dealing with numbskulls.
We have been doing our thing for 20 plus years. Some
interviewers ask us why we keep going? I tell them, either
we are not that smart, or we really get off on what we do.
Shit comes and goes, but the real thing stays gold!! We’re
like Rocky, we’ll last all 15 rounds. Our history could take
up a whole book (which I’ve already written).
We decided long ago to control our recording masters, music,
image, concerts, DVD’s, websites, etc. Sure we’ve been
offered deals, but it was never a situation we felt
benefited us in the long run. Most bands break up after a
major deal, just to get out of it. We still enjoy putting on
the war paint and Road Warrior garb, it keeps us young and
it keeps our powder dry. It’s great when people come up to
me at one of our shows and they grew up seeing R2 destroy
places and it really showed them what true heart can be, if
you love what you do. At least that’s what they tell me, and
that’s R2’s greatest accomplishment to date.
Here’s to another 20 years of never doing what you don’t
want to or are told to do. We’re proud of Rebel Rebel and
you should be too!!! To our friends we give our hearts….to
our enemies, a rock in the face.
By TEDDY HEAVENS 2011
