Dissolution Īfter the release of its first studio album, Motor Driven Bimbo, Rockbitch were increasingly pressured to censor their stage performances by their record company. The group described themselves as having a free-love and pansexual communal philosophy. They saw rock music as the perfect medium to do so, as it had been the arena for the expression of masculine sexuality for so long, whereas women's bodies were often a marketing spice to add interest to a product rather than a source of personal empowerment. In an extension of the 1970s feminist statement that ‘the personal is the political’, they stated that no feminist movement was complete without female sexuality being re-examined, redefined and expressed in whatever shape it took by women themselves. Members lent their voices to female and sexual issues, were winners of the yearly prize at the Sex Maniacs Ball (now Night of the Senses) founded by Tuppy Owens, openly voiced their admiration for sexual politics icons such as Annie Sprinkle and Betty Dodson, and generally advocated for open female sexuality as a healthy part of human nature. In 2003, the band received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Sexual Freedom Awards. They generally made up for a great combined atmosphere". Lisa "Babe" Wills took lead guitar duties, while Luci, previously "Stage Slut" (one of the nude dancers and sexual band/crowd liaisons), took over rhythm guitar.īabe stated in 2002, "Rockbitch had no problem with lads out for seeing breasts, as they were a component of the audience, there were always others seeing the deeper meaning and both groups had a good time. Original lead guitarist Tony "The Beast" Skinner retired, taking over management/production. The Rockbitch line-up became entirely female in 2000. The band were often forced to find alternative venues to perform.Īfter an event in Almelo, Netherlands, TVAmsterdam arranged a concert in Zaandam, recording the experience and adding extra footage to create the documentary "Bitchcraft". Rockbitch toured widely from approximately 1998 until 2002, meeting increasing resistance from authorities, particularly English, German and Norwegian town councils who often banned their concerts. In 1997, Rockbitch made tabloid headlines after they played at a school for pre-teen children, although for this particular concert they changed their name to "Rocky Beaches", wore modest clothes, and sang non-sexual songs. The members of the band lived together as a polyamorous commune in a house in France. During their shows, a condom was tossed into the crowd whoever caught it (male or female) was taken backstage for sexual acts with band members. Rockbitch became infamous not only for performing live sex acts but also doing so with audience members via "The Golden Condom". The band toured Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, the UK (but were banned from venues in Scotland), Italy, Spain, Finland, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Estonia, as well as a promotional tour in Canada. This included female genital mutilation, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and menstruation taboos. They were also responsible for the cued playing of prepared art videos of subject matter relating to the songs.
The former two were primarily a combination of sexual performance artists and gonzo-camera team, capturing closeups of stage action projected on the wall behind the band while performing. The lineup varied over the years to include 'Luci the Stage Slut', 'The Haema-Whore', and Kali and Erzulie-the 'Sex Magik Priestesses'. Red Abyss became Rockbitch with the lineup change of Jo Heeley on drums. In time, their music took on harder punk and metal influences. Musically, Red Abyss drew on jazz, funk and rock influences dominated by singer Julie Worland's Janis Joplin–influenced vocals. The band was later renamed Red Abyss, in 1989, and drew band members from the matriarchal, polyamorous, pagan, feminist community of which Smith-Skinner was a member. Rockbitch was originally formed in 1984 as Cat Genetica by bassist Amanda Smith-Skinner ("the Bitch") and guitarist Tony Skinner ("the Beast").
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