Emma Smith, Lydia Lunch and Weasel Walter Photo: Matthew Crawley/RNZ
Introduced to the underground New York Music scene in the mid seventies by Alan Vega and Martin Rev of Suicide, young Lydia Koch was nicknamed Lydia Lunch for her skilful snatching of snacks for The Dead Boys.
She promptly started a band, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks with James Chance, (later of the Contortions), and became part of an art movement which came to be known as No Wave, captured for posterity on the Brian Eno produced album, No New York.
Provocative and utterly uncompromising, Lydia has continued to write and perform since the end of her short lived band, following a solo career, other bands including 8 Eyed Spy and Big Sexy Noise, and collaborations with Nick Cave and Rowland S Howard of the Birthday Party, Sonic Youth, Henry Rollins and Michael Gera of Swans.
In the midst of touring New Zealand with Retrovirus- a new band bringing her back catalogue back to life- Lydia Lunch and guitarist Weazel Walter visit Emma Smith in the Music 101 studio.
Music Details
Artist: Retrovirus
Song: Mechanical Flattery
Composer: L. Lunch
Album: Retrovirus
Label: Interbang Records
Artist: Lydia Lunch
Song: Red Alert
Composer: L. Lunch
Album: Retrovirus
Label: Interbang Records
Artist: Teenage Jesus and The Jerks
Song: Orphans
Composer: L. Lunch
Album: Orphans 7"
Label: Migrane
Artist: Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
Song: Burning Rubber
Composer: L. Lunch
Album: No New York
Label: Antilles
Artist: Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
Song: I Woke Up Dreaming
Composer: L. Lunch
Album: No New York
Label: Antilles
Artist: Retrovirus
Song: Kill Your Sons
Composer: L. Reed
Album: Retrovirus
Label: Interbang Records
Artist: Lydia Lunch
Song: Some Velvet Morning
Composer: L. Hazlewood
Album: Honeymoon In Red
Label: Widowspeak
