Plasmatics

The Plasmatics were an American punk band, formed by Yale MFA holder and radical anti-artist Rod Swenson, around the now legendary Wendy O. Williams. The trend-setting band which broke almost all imaginable taboos in its full frontal assault on American mass culture and consumerism had among other things what were arguably the most over the top live stage shows in the history of rock. In addition to chainsawing guitars onstage and blowing up speaker cabinets and sledghammerin 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 after being charged with public indecency. The group was banned in London where they were labeled as anarchists, and riots followed in Zurich and elswhere. Williams and the Plasmatics career spanned 7 albums several which were released as W Wendy O. Williams solo albums and she received a grammy nomination for one of them as best female rock vocalist. The influence of the group which pioneered in punk rock, then combined punk and metal when it was completely unfashionable to do so has been felt far and wide. Williams, the first woman to ever sport a mohawk on American TV and who may be considered the most controversial and radical femail singer in rock committed suicide on April 8, 1998 rather than participating in career choices that she felt would have amounted to a sell-out. "The empy place she leaves in the world with her passing", said her life companion as well as manager at her memorial service, "will never be replaced."