Plasmatics were an American punk metal band, formed 1977 by Yale University graduate and radical anti-artist Rod Swenson with Wendy O. Williams. The band was a controversial group known for wild live shows that broke countless taboos as part of an assault on American popular culture.
In addition to chainsawing guitars on stage, blowing up speaker cabinets and sledgehammering television sets, Williams and the Plasmatics blew up automobiles live on stage. Williams was arrested multiple times and was seriously beaten in Milwaukee by the Milwaukee police before being charged with public indecency. The group was banned in London where they were labeled as anarchists, and riots followed in Zürich and elsewhere.
William's and the Plasmatics' career (1977-1988) spanned seven albums, several of which were released as Wendy O. Williams solo albums. She received a Grammy nomination for one of them as Best Female Rock Vocalist. The band changed almost half its members with each album, and had over 17 different members playing with it over the 10 years that Wendy performed. The influence of the group's innovative mix of punk rock and heavy metal pioneered the music genre known as crossover punk. The band's influence can best be felt in many female rock vocalists and bands that have came out in the last 20 years, most notably Courtney Love and many of the Riot Grrrl bands such as Bratmobile and Bikini Kill.
The Plasmatics' career spanned five studio albums. The core of the band consisted of vocalist/front person Wendy O. Williams, guitarists Richie Stotts and Wes Beech, and manager Rod Swenson. Bassists and drummers rotated frequently over the years.
Following the success of the Motörhead / Girlschool collaboration, St. Valentine's Day Massacre [EP], Lemmy kept getting asked to do another collaboration. Having seen pictures of Wendy O. Williams and knowing of her reputation, alongside Lemmy's penchant for "making records with birds," the band flew to Toronto for a recording session. The result being the Stand by Your Man (EP), with Plasmatics song "Masterplan" covered by Motorhead and Motorhead's "No Class" covered by Plasmatics. The A side would have Wendy & Lemmy do a duet of "Stand By Your Man", the title track of the EP.
Tracked at a Canadian recording studio, the Stand by Your Man (EP) sessions proved to be tumultuous as guitarist Eddie Clarke (who was producing the tracks, but not playing on them) quit Motorhead in the middle of the project.. Rod Swenson and Dan Hartman, who had finished demoing the Plasmatics "Coup d'Etat" album together, were called upon to finish the rough and raw project in the mix which they did at Electric Lady Studios in New York. Rod then shot the cover with Lemmy and Wendy on it and the raw crude project was put out by Bronze records.
In addition to chainsawing guitars on stage, blowing up speaker cabinets and sledgehammering television sets, Williams and the Plasmatics blew up automobiles live on stage. To kick off one tour, Wendy drove a Cadillac towards a stage loaded with explosives, jumping out moments before the car would hit the stage, and all the equipment on it would blow up. Wendy would normally appear topless during shows. To avoid arrest, she began covering her nipples with electrical tape.
Band members
Final members
Wendy O. Williams - Vocals, sax, chainsaw, sledgehammer (1978-1988)
Wes Beech - Rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboards (1979-1988)
Chris Romanelli - Bass, keyboards (1981-1984; 1987-1988)
Ray Callahan - Drums (1986-1987)
Former members
Richie Stotts - Lead guitar (1978-1983)
Michael Ray - Lead guitar, rhythm guitar (1984-1987)
Michael David - Bass (1978)
Chosei Funahara - Bass (1978-1980)
Jean Beauvoir - Bass, keyboards (1980-1981)
Greg Smith - Bass (1984-1986)
Stuart Deutsch - Drums (1978-1980)
Neal Smith - Drums (1981)
Tony Petri - Drums (1981)
Joey Reese - Drums (1981)
T.C. Tolliver - Drums (1982-1986)
Michael Lugassy - Drums
Discography
Studio Albums
New Hope for the Wretched
(1980)
Beyond the Valley of 1984
(1981)
Coup d'Etat
(1982)
Maggots: The Record
(1986)
Coup De Grace
(2000)
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