Monday, 5/19/97 The Road to Success MUSIC: L7 paves the way to
stardom with nonstop touring and not-so-glamourous hard work.
By Vanessa VanderZanden Daily Bruin Staff At England’s Reading
Festival, L7’s singer/guitarist Donita Sparks threw a used tampon
into the mud-flinging crowd. Then she dropped her pants during a
live performance on a British TV show. Now on tour with the
Offspring, the scandalous musicians have discovered a new well from
which to draw their exhibitionist tendencies. "We’re just excited
to be around Noodles," singer/guitarist Suzi Gardner says of the
Offspring’s energetic member. "We love Noodles, and he loves us. We
haven’t cut up too much yet, but I’m sure the antics will increase
as the tour goes on." Having already stopped in L.A. nearly two
weeks ago, the traveling bands will roll across America straight on
through to June 5. In support of their fifth album in 12 years,
"The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum," L7 meets fans with open
arms. They even manage to expose their heavy punk-driven chords to
more than just their longtime loyal listeners. "It’s always
interesting being a support act," Gardner comments on playing with
the Offspring. "Before you start a tour, you always think, ‘Are
their fans gonna like us?’ But I think we’re pretty universal. I
mean, we can tour with Marilyn Manson or we could tour with the
Offspring or we could tour with Frank Sinatra." This summer, L7’s
list of eclectic show mates expands even further. Playing festivals
in Europe with such varied artists as David Bowie, Rage Against the
Machine and Kiss, the grating musical divas will incorporate their
sounds with the other acts on daytime shows. Yet, as the 1995
Warped tour proved to the she-devils of rock, daytime ain’t always
the best time to get a gig. "That was the first year of the tour,
and it was a little disorganized," Gardner remembers of the event.
"We’re kind of a ‘play inside in the nighttime’ band. We always
say, ‘Nobody sees the monsters in the light of day.’ It just
doesn’t feel quite right to us." Yet, Gardner looks forward to the
excitement of one-shot events. The energy level among audiences and
musicians usually exceeds that of most multiple-date expeditions.
Even so, L7 appreciates their on-the-road lifestyle. "I enjoy
playing live. It’s really my favorite part of the whole thing,"
Gardner admits. "The playing to me is the meat, and as for the
potatoes, recording’s interesting but it’s not quite as fun."
Spending up to 10 months of the year cruising clubs, L7’s
appreciation for travel comes in handy. When in the studio for too
long, a craving to be back on loud, darkly lit stages eats away at
all of the outspoken band members. Yet, spilling their thoughts
into lyrical creations also appeals to Sparks and Gardner, who
provide the bulk of L7’s music. "We were just regurgitating our
experiences and/or channeling," Gardner explains of their work on
"The Beauty Process." "We always say we don’t have a lot of choice
over what comes out of us. We don’t sit over coffee and think of
concepts. We just sit down and flow." Ranging in topic from the
unintelligent masses of society to failed love affairs, L7’s lyrics
rage over a torrent of emotions. In sharp contrast to these chaotic
visions, L7’s everyday life involves monotonous 11-hour bus rides
and a plethora of publicity events before making their way on
stage. To entertain herself through this mundane ordeal, Gardner
listens to her Walkman and plays with her CB radio. "I listen to
truckers’ conversations," Gardner explains. "Some of them are very
inane. I haven’t heard much interesting stuff. They’ll just report
where the cops are, and sometimes I hear some conversations that
make me just go, ‘Oh God! You people are so backwards.’" Looking
back on her own life, Gardner seems to enjoy the choices she has
made. After first picking up the guitar at 12, she knew her dream
to play music would have to take flight. Yet, her now proud mother
hasn’t always shared in Gardner’s enthusiasm. "I think she was a
little worried a number of years ago and thought I should get a
real job, but she never came right out and said it," Gardner
contemplates. "I don’t think parents have a very good concept of
what this is all about. I mean, for a number of years they’d hear
us say, ‘Well, yeah, we played the show and didn’t get paid but it
was really good!’ They’d just think, ‘How does she support
herself?’" By playing gigs, Gardner finds ways of scraping a little
cash together. For instance, last Thursday she and the rest of the
band played at the Artist Formally Known as Prince’s club in
Minneapolis. Gardner admits that if she ever changed her name, it
would be to "Satan’s Penis," but in the meantime, she enjoys
blowing her hard-earned money as Suzi Gardner. "We’re playing the
last two nights of the tour in Las Vegas," Gardner relates. "I’ll
just eat and gamble. I’m not lucky, just obsessed. Last time we
were there with the Marilyn Manson’s tour, I never left the
building. I just gambled until 7 every morning. They have Sex
Pistols slot machines." That seems a good enough reason to unload
some coins. With the Sex Pistols as one of Gardner’s musical
influences, she hopes to inspire other individuals with her music
in the same way – though maybe an L7 casino device would be pushing
it just a little. "Basically, if our music helps make people’s days
better in traffic, then that’s good." Gardner offers. "If it
inspires them to pick up an instrument, then that’s really good. If
it helps them deal with their emotions, in the way rock ‘n’ roll’s
saved my life, then that would be the greatest reward of all." L7
is currently on tour in support of their album "The Beauty Process:
Triple Platinum." Yelena Yemchuck With five albums and a dozen
years under their belt, the women of L7take their controversial,
confrontational act back on the road. Yelena Yemchuck With five
albums and a dozen years under their belt, the women of L7 take
their controversial, confrontational act back on the road (top).
"The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum" is currently available on
Slash Records (right).