Suicide | |
|---|---|
 Martin Rev and Alan Vega in 1980 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1970–2016 |
| Labels | Red Star,ZE, ROIR International,Blast First/Mute |
| Past members |
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Suicide was an American musical duo composed of vocalistAlan Vega and instrumentalistMartin Rev, intermittently active between 1970 and 2016. The group's pioneering music used minimalistelectronic instrumentation, includingsynthesizers and primitivedrum machines, and their early performances were confrontational and often ended in violence.[7] They were among the first acts to use the phrase "punk music" in an advertisement for a concert in 1970—during their very brief stint as a three-piece including Paul Liebegott.[8][9]
Though never widely popular among the general public, Suicide has been recognized as among the most influential acts of its era. The band’s debut albumSuicide (1977) was described byEntertainment Weekly as "a landmark ofelectronic music",[10] whileAllMusic stated that it "provided the blueprints forpost-punk,synth pop, andindustrial rock."[11]
In 1969,Alan Bermowitz became involved with the publicly fundedMUSEUM: A Project of Living Artists—an artist-run 24-hour multimedia gallery at 729 Broadway[12] in Manhattan. Producing visual art under the name Alan Suicide, Bermowitz graduated from painting to light sculptures,[note 1] many of which were constructed from electronic debris. He gained a residency at theOK Harris Gallery inSoHo where he continued to exhibit until 1975.[citation needed]Barbara Gladstone continued to show his work well into the 1980s.
Later that same year, Bermowitz sawthe Stooges perform at theNew York State Pavilion; an epiphany for Bermowitz. He would later say, "It showed me you didn't have to do static artworks, you could create situations, do something environmental. That's what got me moving more intensely in the direction of doing music. Compared with Iggy, whatever I was doing as an artist felt insignificant."[13]
After this, in 1970,Alan Vega andMartin "Rev" Reverby met through theArt Workers' Coalition. With Rev, Bermowitz began experimenting with electronic music, and formed Suicide, along with guitarist Paul Liebgott. According to a 2002 interview of Alan Vega, the name of the band was inspired by the title of aGhost Rider comic book issue titled "Satan Suicide". He further explained, "We were talking about society's suicide, especially American society. New York City was collapsing. TheVietnam War was going on. The name Suicide said it all to us."[14]
Their first show was June 19, 1970 at the Project of Living Artists in lower Manhattan. They soon began billing themselves as "punk music". Liebegott left at the end of 1971, and they continued as a duo. By that point, Vega was no longer playing any instruments, and began performing only vocals. Rev stopped playing drums and blowing whistle by early 1975. Suicide emerged alongside the earlyglam punk scene in New York, playing with the likes of theNew York Dolls andthe Fast. They began to court a reputation for confrontationallive shows inspired byIggy Pop. Many of the band's early shows were at theMercer Arts Center, alongside bands such as the New York Dolls andEric Emerson and the Magic Tramps. During an early show at the Mercer Arts CenterDavid Johansen playedharmonica with Suicide. Vega and Rev both dressed like 'arty street thugs', and Vega was notorious for brandishing a motorcycledrive chain onstage. Vega once stated, "We started gettingbooed as soon as we came onstage. Just from the way we looked, they started giving us hell already."[15] After the collapse of the Mercer Arts Center in 1973, Suicide played atMax's Kansas City andCBGB (before being banned), often sharing the bill with emergingpunk bands. Their first album was reissued with bonus material, including "23 Minutes in Brussels", a recording of a Suicide concert that later deteriorated into ariot.
Their first release was "Rocket U.S.A.", which was included on the1976Max's Kansas City compilation. The following year, they recorded and independently released their debut album,Suicide (1977), onRed Star Records. Although initial press reviews were divided (withRolling Stone in particular giving it a scathing review), media recognition has changed over the years.Nick Hornby writes,"'Che', 'Ghost Rider'—these eerie, sturdy, proto-punk anthems rank among the most visionary, melodic experiments the rock realm has yet produced." Of note is the ten-minute "Frankie Teardrop", which tells the story of apoverty-stricken 20-year-old factory worker facing eviction who suffers a mental breakdown and kills his child and then kills then himself, a narrative which is punctuated by Vega's shrieking screams. Critic Emerson Dameron writes that the song is "one of the most terrifying, riveting, absurd things I’ve ever heard."[16] Hornby, in his book31 Songs, describes the track as something you would listen to "only once".[17]
They played their first overseas shows in 1978, supportingElvis Costello andthe Clash in theUnited Kingdom andWestern Europe. They also played some solo gigs such as at theF Club in Leeds on 1 August 1978. After a tour opening forthe Cars, Alan Vega received a call from Michael Zilkha ofZe Records asking if he could sign Suicide to his label.[18] They subsequently recorded their sophomore albumSuicide: Alan Vega and Martin Rev with Ze at thePower Station studios. While the album was a critical success, it was not a commercial success, Alan Vega felt that "nothing big for us happened" after the second album was released in comparison to the first album.[19]
After the second album's release, Suicide would sporadically release new music, mostly to mixed critical and commercial reception, releasing their last album,American Supreme, in 2002. During this time, they both became involved in their own projects. In 1986, Alan Vega collaborated withAndrew Eldritch ofthe Sisters of Mercy on theGift album, released under the name ofThe Sisterhood. In 1996, Vega collaborated withAlex Chilton andBen Vaughn on the albumCubist Blues.[20] Vega and Rev have both released solo albums.
In 2008,Blast First Petite releasedAlan Vega 70th Birthday Limited Edition EP Series—a monthly, limited-edition series of 10" vinyl EPs and downloads by major artists, honoring Alan Vega's 70th birthday. Among those paying tribute wereBruce Springsteen,Primal Scream,Peaches,Grinderman,Spiritualized,the Horrors,+Pansonic,Julian Cope,Lydia Lunch,Vincent Gallo,LIARS, and the Klaxons. The label also releasedSuicide: 1977–1978, a 6-CD box set, the same year.[21]
In September 2009, the group performed their debut LP live in its entirety as part of theAll Tomorrow's Parties-curatedDon't Look Back series.
In May 2010, the band performed the entire first album live at two London concerts, double billed with Iggy and the Stooges performingRaw Power.[22] The band performed their final concert at London'sBarbican Centre on 9 July 2015.[23] Billed as 'A Punk Mass', the show featured solo sets by both Rev and Vega before a headlining Suicide performance.Henry Rollins,Bobby Gillespie, andJehnny Beth made guest appearances. The concert received positive reviews.[24][25][26]
They played their final shows in 2015, canceling shows scheduled for the following year due to Vega's declining health and eventual death.[27] Alan Vega died in his sleep on July 16, 2016, at the age of 78.[28] His death was announced by musician and radio hostHenry Rollins, who shared an official statement from Vega's family on his website.[29]
Rev's simple keyboardriffs, which were initially played on a batteredFarfisa organ combined witheffects units, before changing to asynthesizer, were accompanied by primitivedrum machines. This provided a pulsing, minimalistic, electronic backdrop for Vega'smurmuring and nervy vocals. It was the first band to use the termpunk to describe itself, which the band had adopted from an article byLester Bangs. Some of the band's earliest posters use the terms "punk music" and "punk music mass".
According to writer Alexandre Breton, the duo was influenced by musicians such asElvis Presley,Gene Vincent,Eddie Cochran,Johnny Burnette,Lou Reed andCaptain Beefheart.[30][better source needed] Vega directly cited artists includingthe Velvet Underground,Iggy Pop,? and the Mysterians, andSilver Apples.[31] Additionally, Martin Rev was a student ofLennie Tristano,[32] and Rev was also influenced byjazz musicians likeJohn Coltrane.[33] The duo were also influenced by films and directors such asAlejandro Jodorowsky’sEl Topo,David Lynch andJohn Waters.[34]
In a 1978 interview forMelody Maker, the band state that their music is a reflection of a troubled world, and Vega said "there are too many people", "no food and energy" and this feeling of self-destructiveness is resonated in their musical style.[33]
The Guardian reported that "Suicide's aggressive synthesiser rock has been cited as an influence by bands such asRadiohead,U2,New Order andDepeche Mode, electronic acts such asDaft Punk andAphex Twin, andBruce Springsteen, who covered their song 'Dream Baby Dream'."[35] Music journalistColin Larkin wrote that Suicide, "with their potent fusion of rockabilly and electronic music on cheap equipment", became an important influence onthe Birthday Party,Sigue Sigue Sputnik andNine Inch Nails.[36] CriticToby Creswell listedDevo,Ultravox andAir among "Suicide's heirs", those acts having "benefited from their pioneering sheets of industrial music".[37]Rob Sheffield ofRolling Stone reported that "countless artists" have been heavily inspired by Suicide's debut album, includingthe Human League,Bauhaus andSpacemen 3.[38]
Synth-pop duoSoft Cell have stated that their sound came from "trying to make a pop version" of Suicide's abrasive, synth-driven music.[39] Other artists who have cited Suicide as an influence includethe Sisters of Mercy,[40]the Jesus and Mary Chain,[41]Nick Cave,[42]Steve Albini,[43]Ariel Pink,[44]AFI,[45] andHot Snakes.[46]
Henry Rollins recorded a version of "Ghost Rider" for his solo debutHot Animal Machine. WithRollins Band he re-recorded the song (but in a much slower tempo) forThe Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. That same yearThe Fatima Mansions released a cover of "Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne", as part of their 1994 single "Nite Flights". In May 1999,? and the Mysterians released a cover of "Cheree" on the albumMore Action.
The riff from "Ghost Rider" was sampled extensively inM.I.A.'s single, "Born Free", released in April 2010.[47] Martin Rev joined M.I.A. to perform the song on theLate Show with David Letterman.
In mid-2009, the bandthe Horrors released a cover of the song "Shadazz", as part of a tribute to Alan Vega and his work. They have performed it many times live, along with another Suicide song, "Ghost Rider". Later that year,Primal Scream andMiss Kittin covered the song "Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne" for a limited-edition 10-inchvinyl pressing. A total of 3,000 copies were pressed and released on March 30, 2009.[48]
"Ghost Rider" was covered by the garage punk bandthe Gories, and released on the albumCheapo Crypt Sampler No. 2.[49] In April 2011, the influentialdance-punk bandLCD Soundsystem used a snippet from "Ghost Rider" during the song "Losing My Edge", and covered the Alan Vega solo effort "Bye Bye Bayou" during their final concert, held in a sold-outMadison Square Garden. The song was also covered by British duoThe Last Shadow Puppets at New York City'sTerminal 5, as a tribute to Alan Vega, shortly after his death in 2016.[50][51]
In April 2012,Neneh Cherry released a cover of the song "Dream Baby Dream", which appeared on her albumThe Cherry Thing.[52] In May 2014, The bandSavages, also released a live cover of the song as a b-side of their single "Fuckers"/"Dream Baby Dream" 12". Other artists who covered the song include Bruce Springsteen in 2016, and Many Angled Ones &Guy McKnight, in August 2018.
Both Alan Vega and Martin Rev have recorded solo albums; seeAlan Vega discography andMartin Rev discography.
With Alan, events which oddly foreshadowed Suicide itself were taking place elsewhere in downtown Manhattan. He had just discovered the world's first two-man electronic band. They were called Silver Apples, and featured Simeon Coxe III singing over the otherwordly noise he coaxed out a pulsing heap of arcane electronic junk he called The Thing, all punctuated by highly creative drummer Danny Taylor. Alan recalls discovering the duo in the late sixties, and being first to spread the word in CBGB and Max's about their monumental place in the city's musical history. "They were so way out, man," he still enthuses. "I loved the minimalism of their stuff. I used to rave about the Silver Apples, but nobody had heard of them. That music was part of me so, from my angle, Suicide stole from the Velvets, Iggy, Question Mark & the Mysterians and the Silver Apples.
I think we were like that anyway. We were into bands that were confrontational and challenging like Suicide. We were trying to make a pop version of that, which we did in a way. There is a book that has come out recently called 'Suicide: A Love Story', and there is a quote in there from Alan Vega - I used to know Alan quite well. I met him many times. Sadly he is no longer with us - and he was asked, 'What do you think of Soft Cell?' and he said, 'Yeah, man, they had some good songs, but they were kind of like Suicide the easy way' (Laughs). I think that sums us up really. We were not quite as confrontational as them, but we had the same heart and spirit. We were, however, not going to get on 'Top of the Pops' if we did 'Frankie Teardrop'.
I think you understand that we're not informed by other contemporary music. We're informed byHawkwind andthe Stooges and Suicide and strange Japanese films. And we also write some killer riffs, and we deliver them with intelligence, wit, and energy. That's about it.
'Go and see Suicide, everybody go and see Suicide NOW!' So screamed Nick Cave on stage at the end of Grinderman's set at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, 2011.
One memorable festival moment of the last few years for me was Grinderman finishing on one stage at Primavera and Nick Cave ordering the crowd to rush over and see Suicide across the way, as 'none of us bands would be here without them'.
[Davey Havok:] I can pull out the Suicide record. What a rough past year we had, because we lost Alan, amidst other great, hugely influential artists. Safe to say that we're all fans here of their work and this record, which is just so wildly ahead of its time and cutting edge in what they were doing with electronics and soundscapes and mood and creating darkness within this minimal crunchy noise art sound.
Suicide was such a big influence onHot Snakes, it was probably the main influence – that and the Wipers – so I really wanted to have them represented in some way.
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