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Violent Femmes

Band, 1980-1987 US, Milwaukee
Rock
A.k.a. Brian Ritchie, Victor De Lorenzo & Gordon Gano

Violent Femmes were founded in 1980 by bassist/multi-instrumentalist Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor De Lorenzo. The name is a contradiction in terms, “Violent” being self-explanatory and “Femmes” being Milwaukee slang for wimp. The rhythm section added high school singer/songwriter Gordon Gano in 1981. Gano and Ritchie had previously performed together at Gano’s National Honor Society induction ceremony, where they caused a near riot. Gano was expelled from the Society and suspended from high school for this outrage. One of the only stable aspects of the band is their aversion to rehearsal. Due to this they would take the music to the streets in an attempt to hone it and earn some spare change. It was on one of these occasions that they were spotted by the Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde and the gang were so amused by the Violent Femmes antics that they invited the band to open the show for them. The hometown Milwaukee audience received the Femmes with unanimous booing. However by the end of the set the Femmes had converted approximately 50% of the audience to their cause. Many years later Brian Ritchie encountered Hynde when the Femmes and Pretenders shared the bill at a radio concert. She said, “Oh, you’re still around.” The Femmes borrowed $10,000 from Victor De Lorenzo’s dad to record their legendary first album in 1982. Slash Records in Los Angeles was the only label to offer them a deal with the amazing advance of $0. The band accepted the deal and started on the predictable round of world tours, recording, more world tours, nervous breakdowns, band members quitting, solo albums, regrouping, more touring, divorces, more crackups, dropped from record deals, new deals, more touring, record company going bankrupt, lawsuits, etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum. Fast forward to the present. Many things have changed. One thing that hasn’t is the sound of the band. Their loose, improvisational, acoustic sound is timeless.

     
Members
PortraitSteven Mackay
sax, ts 1949-2015 US
PortraitGordon Gano
voc, g, vn *1963 US
PortraitBrian Ritchie
eb, voc, b *1960 US
PortraitGuy Hoffman
voc, dr, perc *1954 US
PortraitVictor DeLorenzo
dr, voc, perc *1954 US
Darren Brown
tr, cor
PortraitBrian Viglione
dr, perc *1979 US
PortraitJeff Hamilton
voc
Popular Tracks   
Blister In The Sun on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Add It Up on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Kiss Off on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Gone Daddy Gone on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
American Music on Why Do Birds Sing? by Violent Femmes
Color Me Once on Permanent Record: The Very Best Of The Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Please Do Not Go on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Prove My Love on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Good Feeling on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Ugly - 1983 Rough Trade UK Single on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes

Track list and 30sec audio provided by


Band Membership
Discography



Title Artist Year Type
2 Mics & The Truth: Unplugged & Unhinged In AmericaViolent Femmes2017Album
We Can Do AnythingViolent Femmes2016Album
Memory b/w You Move MeViolent Femmes2016Single
Love Love Love Love LoveViolent Femmes2015Album
Happy New YearViolent Femmes2015Album
Original Album SeriesViolent Femmes2011Album
CrazyViolent Femmes2008Album
Live At The HaçiendaViolent Femmes2007Album
Violent Femmes - Archive Series Nos. 1 & 2Violent Femmes2007Compil.
Live In Chicago: Q101Violent Femmes2006Album
Live In Iceland: According To TraditionViolent Femmes2006Album
No, Let's Start OverViolent Femmes2006Album
BBC LiveViolent Femmes2006Album
Permanent Record: Live & OtherwiseViolent Femmes2005Album
Permanent Record: The Very Best Of Violent FemmesViolent Femmes2005Compil.
Permanent Record: Live & OtherwiseViolent Femmes2005Album
Something's WrongViolent Femmes2001Album
Freak MagnetViolent Femmes2000Album
Sleepwalkin'Violent Femmes2000Single
All I WantViolent Femmes2000Single
Sleepwalkin'Violent Femmes1999Album
Viva Wisconsin (Live)Violent Femmes1999Album
Blister In The SunViolent Femmes1997Single
TonightViolent Femmes1995Single
Rock!!!!!Violent Femmes1995Album
New TimesViolent Femmes1994Album
Breakin' UpViolent Femmes1994Single
Don't Start Me On The LiquorViolent Femmes1994Single
MachineViolent Femmes1994Single
Add It Up (1981-1993)Violent Femmes1993Compil.
Add It Up (1981-1993)Violent Femmes1993Compil.
American Music Live 1991Violent Femmes1993Album
Kiss OffViolent Femmes1992Album
Film NoirViolent Femmes1992Album
In Concert-519Violent Femmes1991Album
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?Violent Femmes1991Single
Why Do Birds Sing?Violent Femmes1991Album
American MusicViolent Femmes1991Single
Special (Live) / Money Is Not Our God (Hideous Remix)Violent Femmes / Killing Joke1991Single
Used To BeViolent Femmes1991Single
Debacle: The First DecadeViolent Femmes1990Compil.
3 On 3Violent Femmes1989Compil.
Nightmares / World We're Living InViolent Femmes1989Single
3Violent Femmes1988Album
World We're Living InViolent Femmes1988Single
Children Of The RevolutionViolent Femmes1986Single
The Blind Leading The NakedViolent Femmes1986Album
I Held Her In My ArmsViolent Femmes1986Single
Les Enfants Du Rock 'N' RollViolent Femmes1985Album
Hallowed Ground / It's Gonna RainViolent Femmes1984Single
It's Gonna RainViolent Femmes1984Single
Hallowed GroundViolent Femmes1984Album
Dance Motherf....Violent Femmes1984Album
Violent FemmesViolent Femmes1983Album
Ugly / Gimme The CarViolent Femmes1983Single
Gone Daddy GoneViolent Femmes1983Single
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Acknowledgements
To all the music fans that are contributing on Discogs, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Thanks to Franz Flückiger for providing Storygram used to visualize band membership.
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