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Huggy Bear

 
Artist: Huggy Bear
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Group Members:

Chris, Niki Elliot, Jo Johnson, Karen, Jon Slade

Similar Artists:

Joan Jett, Brassy, Frumpies, Team Dresch, Sleater-Kinney, Excuse 17, Bratmobile, Bikini Kill, Heavens to Betsy, 7 Year Bitch, Hole, L7

Influenced By:

Kim Gordon, Kim Deal, The Pretenders

Followers:

Bis, Los Campesinos!, Blood Red Shoes, Love Is All, Peppermints, Ikara Colt
See Huggy Bear Lyrics
  • Formed: 1991, Brighton, England
  • Disbanded: 1994
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "Taking the Rough with the Smooch," "Weaponry Listens to Love"

Biography

While groups like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile were leading the riot grrrl charge in America, across the Atlantic Huggy Bear were spearheading their own revolution, girl-style. A multi-gender unit comprised of vocalist Chris, vocalist/bassist Niki, guitarists Jo and Jon and drummer Karen -- in addition to their refusal to reveal their full names, they also rejected all requests for interviews and photographs -- the group debuted in late 1991 opening for Heavenly, and soon began recording their first demos. After the British indie Wiiija issued a collection of their demos, Huggy Bear became the subject of a major label bidding war, but the quintet steadfastly rejected all offers to remain with Wiiija -- they did, however, agree to an offer from the Nude label on the condition that the company drop its flagship act, Suede. (Nude declined the offer.)

In 1992 Huggy Bear released their debut EP Rubbing the Impossible to Burst, a blistering collection of musical rants and tape pastiches issued in a sleeve adorned with political manifestos. Two similar seven-inch releases, Kiss Curl for the Kid's Lib Guerrillas and Her Jazz, followed before Huggy Bear teamed with Bikini Kill for a British tour and a joint 12-inch, Our Troubled Youth/Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, released as the riot-grrrl movement was reaching its media fever pitch both in the U.S. and the U.K. In late 1993, Huggy Bear compiled their early material on the collection Taking the Rough with the Smooch before disappearing for a year, resurfacing in late 1994 with a pair of EPs, Long Distance Lovers and Main Squeeze. After finally releasing a proper LP, Weaponry Listens to Love, Huggy Bear disbanded; Niki and Jo later joined Wiiija labelmates the Blood Sausages, Karen signed on with the Phantom Pregnancies, Chris performed with Skinned Teen and Jon enlisted with I'm Being Good. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Huggy Bear (band)
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Huggy Bear
Origin London/Brighton, England
Genres Riot grrrl, art punk, punk rock
Years active 1991 – 1994
Labels Kill Rock Stars
Wiiija
Gravity Records
Associated acts Comet Gain
Blood Sausage
Thee Element of Crime
Phantom Pregnancies
Website Huggy Bear's U.S. label page
Members
Niki Elliott
Jo Johnson
Jon Slade
Karen Hill
Chris Rowley

Huggy Bear were an English riot grrrl band, formed in 1991 in London, England.

Contents

History

Rising up in tandem with the Olympia, Washington-based riot girl movement led by feminist bands like Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear called themselves "boy/girl revolutionaries," both in reference to their political philosophy and the gender makeup of their band.

During the course of their existence, they refused to be photographed or interviewed by mainstream press, nor gave their full names once they began releasing records formally. In spite of a major label bidding war, Huggy Bear stuck with Wiiija, an indie label.

“ Our situation was different to the one the American Riot Grrrls were responding to. The underground in London had deteriorated totally, there wasn't really much of an alternative . . . 'indie' just became an abstract term for a style of music, not ideas or values, 'cause they were all signing to major labels. The notion of selling out wasn't important. Punk rock wasn't important. Fanzines were seen as a sad joke, so we had to explain stuff that might have been obvious to American kids but was alien to young British kids. The reasons for being independent were snorted at.[1] ”

Their avant-garde debut EP, Rubbing the Impossible to Burst, was released in 1992, and in the same year they began working closely with Bikini Kill as riot grrl's popularity peaked on both sides of the Atlantic, culminating in a split album on Catcall records (Huggy Bear) and Kill Rock Stars (Bikini Kill) called Our Troubled Youth/Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, the names of the Huggy Bear and Bikini Kill sides, respectively. "Our Troubled Youth" featured higher production values than a lot of their recordings, humorous fillers between tracks and some stylish harmonising. Huggy Bear then released a long series of EPs, often with free cryptic pseudo-political motivational inserts, which would be collected on Taking the Rough with the Smooch. No longer featuring Jon on guitar, Huggy Bear would release Weaponry Listens to Love in late 1994, their first full-length album as well as their final release.

On February 14 1993, Huggy Bear performed "Her Jazz" on the popular MTV-like British TV show, The Word. After they played their fun, chaotic set, the band stayed in the studio to watch a report on 2 American models who called themselves "The Barbi Twins". Huggy Bear and their fans became upset at this and started shouting at the show's noticeably uncomfortable presenter Terry Christian. They were violently ejected from the studio and a spokesperson for The Word later said that one of the band's friends had "bit the face of a member of our production team."[1] The performance was given a Melody Maker cover story, the event being compared to the Sex Pistols' Bill Grundy incident.[2]

After Huggy Bear and side projects

Jon joined I'm Being Good and Comet Gain after leaving Huggy Bear. Chris later did some artwork for Skinned Teen. Karen started Phantom Pregnancies while Niki and Jo joined Blood Sausage. Chris and Jo also formed Thee Element of Crime in 1993 with Dale from Blood Sausage, Layla from Skinned Teen, Andrew from Linus and Daryl from Sister George and released a single, "The things you do for love...".

Lineup

  • Chris Rowley (a.k.a. Morbius): vocals, trumpet and piano
  • Jo Johnson (a.k.a. Lionheart): guitar and vocals
  • Jon Slade: guitar
  • Niki Elliott (a.k.a. St. Felony): bass and vocals
  • Karen Hill (a.k.a. Kray): drums and piano

Discography

  • "Rubbing the Impossible to Burst" 7", SEPT´92, WIIIJA 16(only 2000 pressed):
    • Katholic Kunt; High Street Jupiter Supercone // Snail Messenger Loss; Single Bullets
  • Shimmies in the Super 8, double 7", 4 songs of Huggy Bear, 2 of Darlin´, 1 of COLM, 1 of Stereolab, 1993, DUOPHONIC (only 800 were pressed):
    • Trafalgar Square; Godziller; More Music From Bells; Snow White, Rose Red
  • "Kiss Curl for the Kid's Lib Guerrillas", 7", DEC´92, WIIIJA 18:
    • Derwin; Sizzlemeet // Concrete Life; Carnt Kiss
  • "Herjazz", 7", 93, CATCALL/WIIIJA - Trouble001:
    • Her Jazz // Prayer; Pro No From Now
  • Our Troubled Youth (Huggy Bear) / YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH (Bikini Kill), 8th MARCH.93, CATCALL / Kill Rock Stars 206:
    • Jupiter Re-entry; T-shirt; Blow Dry; Nu Song; Into the Mission; Hopscotch; Aqua Girl Star; February 14
  • "Don't Die", 7", AUG´93 WIIIJA 23:
    • Dissthentic Penetration; Teen Tighterns; No Sleep // Shaved Pussy Poetry; Pansy Twist
  • Taking the Rough with the Smooch, LP/CD, 93, KILL ROCK STARS
  • "Long Distance Lovers", 7", 93, GRAVITY #9
    • Steppin On Bugs; Limit 2 Surf // Tuff Lovin; Code Fucker
  • Main Squeeze, miniCD, 94, FELLAHEEN RECORDS Jack 011-2:
    • Children Absent From Heaven Says; Red Flipper #2; My Best Kiss
  • Weaponry Listens to Love, LP/CD, 21st Nov ´94, WIIIJA
  • Getting Close to Nothing, video fanzine, 19??
  • "February 14th" / "Into the Mission" - one-sided 7" given out at a Brighton gig

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b Grrrls: Viva Rock Divas by Amy Raphael
  2. ^ the Melody Maker issue

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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