Rebel Rebel (R2) emerged in 1988 when Jet and I relocated to Los Angeles. Initially inspired by acts like Suicide and the Plasmatics, I took charge of the guitars, sound effects, and drum programming while Jet provided the vocals and orchestrated the destruction of televisions, computer monitors, and various animal parts, such as goat heads and chicken feet. Our performances featured explicit visuals and concluded with the burning of the American flag, often provoking confrontations with offended audience members. Our primary aim was to shock and stimulate thought and reaction.
In 1990, we welcomed Gizmo as our drummer and released our 7-inch single “Fuck The World,” which garnered attention and received favorable reviews for its Sigue Sigue Sputnik-style composition. Our performances quickly earned us a notorious reputation in L.A. clubs, leading to bans that persist to this day, prompting us to frequently perform under assumed band names, even as recently as 2008. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, we continued to play in any venue willing to host us.
Our stage shows have consistently incorporated elements of danger and chaos, featuring destruction and pyrotechnics, and by some stroke of fortune, no one has been harmed during our performances. We have been known to throw items such as razor blades, bullets, matches, and syringes into the audience. Jet's latest acts include a bed of nails routine, a flaming codpiece, and a grand finale featuring a flaming dildo as he exits the stage through the audience and out the venue's front door.
In 1992, we brought Marcello, a former actor, into the band as our bassist, solidifying the current lineup that has persisted over the years. Gizmo took a break in late 2006, prompting a return to our CyberPunk roots with the drum machine and the addition of FX/Dialogue artist Erik Lancaster. In 2008, we recruited drummer Jesse Atom from the San Diego punk band The Spent Idols, and by 2011, we had solidified our lineup with the addition of drummer Tim Shelton, an old friend from the Los Angeles rock scene.
Over the years, we have released several CDs, including LIFESTYLES OF THE SICK AND FAMOUS, THE BIBLE OF THE 21ST CENTURY, EXPLODE INTO SPACE, and our live disc, FRANCE COMES ALIVE, recorded in Paris. We have appeared on shows such as the Wally George Show and the Morton Downey Jr. Show, and we have performed in major cities including Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, and Paris, which have shown us considerable support. Despite being banned from Los Angeles, we have survived and thrived, contributing to various compilation CDs and having our music featured in films, adult films, and on the radio. We have been covered in numerous music magazines worldwide and featured in notable publications like Hollywood Rocks and Gigs From Hell. A notable feature by FOX News helped elevate our status to legendary status for a time. We have also collaborated with prominent producers, including Brian Kehew and Jon Mathias (RIP).
Jet might highlight his experiences with the law as a peak moment, recalling his arrests during our shows in 2000 and 2007. After many close calls, he was apprehended during a performance at the Garage in L.A., where he took the stage antics to the street, graffitiing a bus stop bench after setting a baby playpen on fire. This led to police involvement, as witnesses had alerted authorities. His arrest in 2007 at the Relax Bar in Hollywood followed a similar pattern of causing a stir outside the club.
Our most challenging moments have included confrontations with skinheads in Pomona, who took issue with our diverse road crew, and encounters with violent individuals in Ocean Beach, California, who vandalized our van, erroneously believing we engaged in animal sacrifices during our performances, as reported by the San Diego Reader. Engaging in rock and roll can indeed be perilous when facing ignorance.
After over 20 years of music, we are often asked why we persist. I tell interviewers that either we are not particularly wise, or we genuinely enjoy what we do. Trends may come and go, but authentic artistry endures. Like Rocky, we aim to last all 15 rounds. The story of our band could fill an entire book, which I have already written.
We made a conscious decision to retain control over our recording masters, music, image, concerts, DVDs, and websites. While we have received offers, we have never found a deal that served our long-term interests. We continue to embrace our theatrical persona, which keeps us youthful and energized. It is gratifying when fans approach me at our shows, sharing how witnessing R2 has demonstrated the essence of passion in music. That sentiment, I believe, is our greatest achievement.
Here’s to the next 20 years of staying true to ourselves and resisting outside pressures. We take pride in Rebel Rebel, and we hope our friends do too. To our friends, we give our hearts; to our enemies, a rock in the face.
By TEDDY HEAVENS 2011
