Teenage Jesus & The Jerks

(New York City spring 1977 - July 1979)

Chronology

Teenage Jesus & The Jerks #1, circa June 1977.
Teenage Jesus & The Jerks #1 (1977): Lydia Lunch, Bradly Field, Reck and James Chance.


Chronology: a chronological overview of known concert dates (some with setlists and/or ads), 
dates of studio recordings, all line-ups and other trivia related to the American band Teenage Jesus & The Jerks.
Date format is DD-MMM-YY. 

-Information in grey italics is uncertain-


1977
The year in which the band is founded. Recording of 3 songs ("The Closet", "Less Of Me" and "My Eyes").
About a dozen of live shows in New York City, half of them at Max's, and 3 dates in London (UK) at year end. Three line-ups of the band.

Background: Lydia 'Lunch' Koch moved from Rochester to New York City in 1976 (at the age of 16/17). She would live in NYC until August 1980.

She works @ the Baby Doll Lounge on White street in Tribeca. Lydia meets Alan Vega and Martin Rev of Suicide (who become her first friends in NYC) and Willy DeVille (who gives her the name 'Lunch' because she's often stealing lunch for The Dead Boys).

Then she moves in, for about a year, with James Chance (born James Siegfried) who came to New York (from Milwaukee) in the last week of 1975. Together they live at a funky two-room fifth-floor walk-up apartment on East 2nd street (between Avenue A and B) and at a tiny storefront on Twelfth street.

The Scabs: After seeing China (pre Mars, with Connie Burg and Mark Cunningham -both came from St.Petersburg, Florida- and Sumner Crane and Nancy Arlen) in January 1977 at CBGB Lydia wants to form a band with James Chance called The Scabs. At CBGB Lydia and James meet a Japanese guitar player called Reck who was in the US on a tourist visa with his girlfriend Ikue Mori (a piano player who would become DNA's drummer). Reck used to be in a great Japanese punk band 3/3, from 1974-1977 with Chiko Hige. Lydia convinces Reck to play bass after trying him as a drummer (Reck's friend Chiko Hige later became briefly The Contortions' drummer). With Jody Harris [then of R&B combo The Loose Screws] (who moved to NYC from Lawrence, Kansas in 1974 and in 1978 became a member of The Contortions) on guitar they were rehearsing, one half songs written by James Chance (like "Dish It Out" and "Roving Eye") and the other half Lydia’s. They never really find a suitable drummer and it doesn't really work out.

Teenage Jesus & The Jerks: In the spring of 1977 Lydia convinces Bradly Field to join her band on drums. Bradly Field had just moved to NYC from Cleveland,Ohio, half a year after his Cleveland friend Miriam Linna [early Cramps drummer], who's renting an apartment above a hardware store on 12th Street and First Avenue that she ends up sharing with Lydia Lunch and Bradly Field. By May 1977 the 3 move next door to Don Christensen's [Contortions] cold water basement storefront at 83 Warren Street in the Wall Street neighborhood of Manhattan, which also serves as a rehearsal space (named 'The Hole' or 'The Home For Teenage Dirt') for The Cramps. Initially The Cramps share this place with Teenage Jesus but in 1978 Lydia and Sumner Crane [from Mars, who died on April 14, 2003 from lymphoma] find another above an abandoned Chinese movie theater on 43-45 Delancey street [photo credit David Godlis]. It is a small two story building and they have the entire second floor. Its back door opens onto an abandoned Synagogue, and much of their furniture comes from there. Bradly moves in with them and got Peter Crowley's [Max's Kansas City booker] old bed. Lydia and Sumner set the loft up as a practice space. Teenage Jesus, The Mumps [with Kristian Hoffman], Mars and DNA (with Gordon Stevenson his wife Mary Kathryn Cervenka [a.k.a. Mirielle, and older sister of Exene of LA band X]) and other artists who would become part of the 'No Wave' scene all rehearse there.

The next year, around June 1978, Bradly moves in with Kristian Hoffman [later in Lydia's Devil Dogs] @ a loft Bradly found on 240 Grand street, about two blocks away from the Chinese movie theater, where both would live there together for 7 years (from 1978-1984). Bradly kept the place for one more year (1985) after Kristian moved out and left New York for California.


Line-up #1 (New York City: spring 1977 - August 1977):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ James Chance (sax/vocals)/ Reck (bass) & Bradly Field (one snare drum/one cymbal)

New York 27-Jun-77

27-Jun-77
US NY,New York City,CBGB
Audition showcase

Flyer: Flyer reproduction from "No New York Self Help Hand Book", insert with "No New York" LP (Cut Out Records, Japan -1997).

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 27-Jun-77, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.

Note: Their first concert. Auditioning at CBGB. Their second time @ CBGB would only be 3 months later, after they had done several shows at Max's.


New York 09/10-Jul-77

09/10-Jul-77
US NY,New York City,The Village Gate
[with The Feelies and The Patti Smith Group]

Ad: Scan from the Village Voice 11-Jul-77.

Note: For some time in 1977 Jay Dee Daugherty (formerly in the Mumps with Kristian Hoffman [in 1980 in Lydia Lunch's Devil Dogs] and then drummer for the Patti Smith Group) was doing Teenage Jesus' sound. Which resulted in them sharing the bill with the Patti Smith Group a few times.


New York City 11-Jul-77

11-Jul-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with The Romantics, Police]

Flyer: Flyer reproduction from "No New York Self Help Hand Book", insert with "No New York" LP (Cut Out Records, Japan -1997).

Ad: Scan of advert from the Village Voice 11-Jul-77.

Note: Teenage Jesus is not listed on the VV ad, but may have been added at the last minute. The Romantics are a power pop/new wave band, formed in 1977 in Detroit. Police is either [Boris] Policeband or a local band, but not The (UK) Police.


New York 13-Jul-77

13/14-Jul-77
US NY,New York City,New York City blackout of 1977

Note: The New York City blackout of 1977 was an electricity blackout that affected most of New York City on July 13–14, 1977. The blackout that hit New York was a crisis that came amidst a sweltering heatwave, a financial downturn, rising poverty and inequality, and an atmosphere of gloom that had already settled on the city. The 25-hour outage began around 9:30 p.m. on July 13th, after a bolt of lightning struck an electrical substation in Westchester. Not long after, another lightning strike took out two more power lines, and when the Ravenswood 3 power plant in Queens went down, the city fell dark. The blackout occurred when the city was facing a severe financial crisis and its residents were terrified by the Son of Sam murders. Looting and vandalism were widespread in New York City, hitting 31 different neighborhoods.

Photo: Scan front cover Daily News 14-Jul-77.

Article: Village Voice 25-Jul-77.


1977
US NY,New York City,studio,recording "The Closet", "Less Of Me" and "My Eyes'. Mixed by Lydia Lunch and James Chance. Because there was a risk that these tracks would not be released Lydia allegedly stole the recordings and reportedly sold them for $5,000 to ZE who released them in 1979 as the "PRE" EP.


New York 08-Aug-78
New York 08-Aug-78

08-Aug-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City

Setlist: My Eyes (are empty)/ Don't Talk About Love (+)/ Popularity Is So Boring/ Burning Rubber/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ No Morality(+)/ Jaded (James Chance on vocals)/ Less Of Me.

Photo 1: Photos credit © Nicky Lazzoni @ Lower Third Enterprise. Used with very kind permission.

Photo 2: Another photo credit © Nicky Lazzoni @ Lower Third Enterprise. Used with very kind permission.

Flyer: Reproduction taken from "No Wave", a book by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (Abrams Image 2008).

Ad: Scan of advert from Village Voice 08-Aug-77, courtesy of Joseph Pope @ rockymountainlow.com .

Note: 22 mins show. In reality the concert took place on the 9th as it started just after midnight (12:15AM-12:40AM). "Jaded" was later (in May/June 1978) recorded by James Chance's Contortions for the V/A: "No New York" compilation LP (Antilles November 1978). Tracks (+) released on the "Live 1977-1979" album (Other People, 2015).


New York 10-Aug-77

10-Aug-77
US NY,New York City,Arrest of David -Son of Sam- Berkowitz

Note: Between July 29, 1976 and July 31, 1977 Berkowitz killed six people and wounded seven others. The killing spree terrorized New Yorkers and spawned the biggest police manhunt in the history of New York City. Berkowitz (age 24) is arrested on August 10, 1977. He is given six 25-years-to-life sentences for the crimes, and for which he would be denied parole ever since.

Photo: Scan front cover The New York Post, 11-Aug-77.


Memphis 16-Aug-77

16-Aug-77
US TN,Memphis,Elvis Presley dies

Note: On the evening of August 16 Elvis scheduled to start another US tour. In the afternoon, he was discovered on the bathroom floor of his Graceland mansion. All attempts to revive him failed, and he was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital at 3:30 p.m.

Photo: Scan front cover Daily News 17-Aug-77.


New York 25-Aug-77

25-Aug-77
US NY,New York City,The Village Gate
New Wave Festival
[with The Fleshtones, Jack Ruby]

Flyer: Photo of flyer, using a photo by Julia Gorton. Sourced from No Wave Facebook group.

Ad: Scan of advert from the Village Voice 29-Aug-77.

Note: One show only, starting at 10PM. Jack Ruby was George Scott's [later 8 Eyed Spy] band that lasted until end 1978.


New York 30-Aug-77

30-Aug-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with The Senders]

Photo: Photo credit © Nicky Lazzoni @ Lower Third Enterprise. Used with very kind permission.

Ad: Scan of advert from the Village Voice 29-Aug-77.

Flyer: Photo of flyer, using a photo by Julia Gorton.


New York 06-Sep-77

06-Sep-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with The Squirells and The Senders]

Photo: Photo credit Julia Gorton.

Ad: Scan of advert from the Village Voice 05-Sep-77.

Review: Scan of review of the show by Robert Christgau, from the Village Voice 19-Sep-77. "Teenage Jesus recalls one of those bands that used to hang around the Mercer during the Dolls' time -very 'visual', very 'minimal', very 'arty'. The drummer looks about 40 and affects the demeanor of a Meadowbrook outpatient, banging funereally on the two snares that make up his entire kit, while the lead singer, a stout young woman whose black hair looks like, an extension of her black leatherette pant suit recites lyrics that are pessimistic in mood: 'Across the window/Under the curtain/Break the glass/Feel the pain'. After 15 minutes I figure I get the idea and leave. Rock and roll!"


September 1977
James Chance leaves the band. He's much more interested in audience participation than Lydia is. He then forms The Contortions with Adele Bertei (a friend of Bradly Field and also from Cleveland, Ohio) on electric piano and initially a fluid line-up including Steve Moses on drums. The Contortions' first show was at Max's Kansas City on 04-Dec-77.


Line-up #2 (New York City: September 1977 - November 1977):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Reck (bass) & Bradly Field (1 drum/1 cymbal)

New York City 13-Sep-77

13-Sep-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 13-Sep-77, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.


New York 20-Sep-77

20-Sep-77
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with Killer Kane]

Setlist: My Eyes (are empty)/ Burning Rubber/ Popularity Is So Boring(*)/ No Morality(*)/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Less Of Me/ The Closet/ Race Mixing/ Orphans.

Ad: Ad from Village Voice 19-Sep-77, taken from "Max's Kansas City", a book by Steven Kasher.

Note: 20 mins show. Available on the "Live At Max's Kansas City, 1977" CDR (Widowspeak 2006). (*) also available on the "Shut Up And Bleed" CD (Cherry Red/Atavistic 2008). Killer Kane is the band Arthur Kane [New York Dolls] and Blackie 'Lawless' Goozeman [New York Dolls] formed in Los Angeles in 1976.


New York 29-Sep-77

29-Sep-77
US NY,New York City,CBGB
[support for Suicide]

Flyer: Photo of flyer, design Kristian Hoffman. Sourced from No Wave Facebook group.

Ad: Photo of advert from the Village Voice 03-Oct-77.


November 1977
Reck leaves the band. He helps out The Contortions for their first show at Max's Kansas City on 04-Dec-77 (because they did not have a bass player) and then in early 1978 Reck was getting evicted from his apartment and had to leave the US because his tourist visa ran out. He returns to Japan with Chiko Hige (who briefly drummed for The Contortions) to start a new group, in March 1978, which became very famous, Friction.

Lydia asks Gordon Stevenson [ex- DNA] to replace Reck on bass. Gordon could not play bass, but Lydia taught him the 11 songs he had to do. Gordon was briefly in DNA and married to Mary Kathryn Cervenka [a.k.a. Mirielle, older sister of Exene of LA band X, and also briefly in DNA]. Mary Kathryn was for some time the manager of Teenage Jesus. One of her first duties was to get Teenage Jesus over to London. Stevenson also attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida (like Connie Burg and Mark Cunningham of China/Mars).


Line-up #3 (New York City: November 1977 - June 1978):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Gordon Stevenson (bass) & Bradly Field (one snare drum/one cymbal)

London 09-Dec-77

09-Dec-77
UK London,The Roxy
[with The Streets, Defects, Youthenasia]

12-Dec-77
UK London,The Vortex
[with Wayne County & The Electric Chairs, The Skunks and Backlash]

18-Dec-77
UK London-Croyden,The Greyhound
[with Generation X]

Poster: Collection Angela Jaeger. Reproduction taken from "No Wave", a book by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (Abrams Image 2008).

Note 1: On 1 September, 1977 Freddy Laker's "Skytrain" service took to the air for the first time between London Gatwick and New York JFK airport. The fare one-way from New York was just $99. This was an opportunity taken by Lydia to get to UK/Europe to perform with her bands. "Skytrain" came to an end when the airline went spectacularly bankrupt on 5 February 1982.

Note 2: Although the ads taken from the Sounds, 10-Dec-77 do not list Teenage Jesus, the band does perform, with the help of Max's booker/Wayne County manager Peter Crowley. The brief nature of their shows (10 minutes) allows them to get on bills unarranged upfront. Throughout 1977 several New York bands (Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers, Wayne County and the Electric Chairs, and The Dead Boys) were all performing/touring in the UK.

Note 3: Lydia meets Steven Severin [Siouxie and the Banshees] at their gig @ the Roundhouse, London on 11-Dec-77. She will meet Steven again on the joint Siouxsie/13.13 US October/November '81 tour and will enlist him in her UK touring band of November/December 1981.


New York City 29/31-Dec-77

29/31-Dec-77
US NY,New York City,CBGB Theater @ the Anderson Theatre,66 Second Ave.
[with The Patti Smith Group, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, The Erasers, and Mars]

Flyer: Photo of flyer.

Ad: Scan from the Village Voice 12-Dec-77.

Note: Opening weekend of a second, yet short lived, CBGB on 2nd Ave in the East Village. Teenage Jesus supported Richard Hell and PSG on one of these dates, due to the fact that Jay Dee Daugherty (drummer for the Patti Smith Group) was doing their sound.






1978
The year in which the "No New York" album tracks are recorded and released. Recording and release of their debut single "Orphans/Less Of Me". About two dozen of live shows, about half of them at Max's.

New York 09-Jan-78

09-Jan-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with The Contortions]

Flyer 1: Photo (by FromTheArchives) of flyer, on display at the traveling exhibition "Punk Graphics: Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die", based on Andrew Kristine’s extensive collection of punk memorabilia.

Flyer 2: Photo of flyer.

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 09-Jan-78, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.


New York 13-Jan-78

13-Jan-78
US NY,New York City,CBGB
[support for The Cramps]

Photo 1: Credit David Godlis, most likely taken on January 13 (otherwise on February 12 or on April 23, 1978).

Photo 2: Screen capture taken from the "Alien Portrait" Super-8 film.

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 16-Jan-78.

Note: Filmed by Michael McClard for his "Alien Portrait" Super-8 short film. Available on the "Video Hysterie" video compilation.


New York 02-Feb-78

02-Feb-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with DNA and Mars]

Flyer: Photo of flyer, taken from No Wave Facebook group.

Ad: Microfilm image of advert from the Village Voice 06-Feb-78, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.


New York 12-Feb-78

12-Feb-78
US NY,New York City,CBGB
[with Shrapnel]

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 13-Feb-78, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.


February 1978
US NY,New York City,studio,recording the "Orphans/Less of Me" 7".
Produced by Robert Quine [The Voidoids].


Philadelphia 20-Feb-78

20-Feb-78
US PA,Philadelphia,Hot Club
(2 sets- 10PM and 12PM)

Listing: Scan of listing, taken from Philadelphia Inquirer 17-Feb-78.


New York 23-Apr-78

23-Apr-78
US NY,New York City,CBGB
[with The Student Teachers]

Flyer: Photo of flyer. Alternative flyer.

Ad: Microfilm image of advert from the Village Voice 24-Apr-78.


New York 02/06-May-78

06-May-78
US NY,New York City-SoHo,Fine Arts Building-Artist's Space
New Wave Rock - 5 day benefit festival (2 sets by each band)
[with The Contortions, DNA, Mars and many many more..]

Setlist 1st show: Crown Of Thorns/ Red Alert/ Less Of Me/ The Closet/ Red Alert/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Orphans/ Red Alert.

Setlist 2nd show: Roll Your Thunder/ Race Mixing/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Eliminate By Night/ The Closet/ Less Of Me/ Orphans/ Red Alert.

Flyer: Reproduction taken from "No Wave", a book by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (Abrams Image 2008).

Press release: Scan of press release

Ad: Robert Christgau's choices from The Village Voice 08-May-78. "[Mars and Teenage Jesus] have struck me as arty and empty.."

Note 1: Brian Eno [Roxy Music] arrives in New York on 23-Apr-78. Initially he plans to stay for only 3 weeks to master Talking Heads' second album ("More Songs About Buildings and Food"), but he ends up staying for about 7 months. Eno was friends with Nina Canal [The Gynecologists] and attends this festival (03/06-May-78), likes some of the bands and convinces Island Records to release an anthology album ("No New York"). He focusses on those that bands played a lot more often than any of the others who appeared at this festival: The Contortions, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Mars and DNA. The final album features these four bands performing four songs each and is released on Antilles (a sub-label of Island) in November 1978.

Note 2: After the Teenage Jesus & The Jerks concert Jim Sclavunos [The Gynecologists] interviews Lydia for his music magazine ("NO Magazine"). This is where Lydia and Jim meet for the first time. Lydia offers him the job as bass player in the Teenage Jesus band in June 1978, replacing Gordon Stevenson.

In the years to come Jim will join many of Lydia's bands: Beirut Slump (1978), Eight Eyed Spy (1979), Devil Dogs (1980), In Limbo (1982) and Shotgun Wedding (1991). In 1994 Jim joins Nick Cave's Bad Seeds. Jim has also been member of Sonic Youth (1982), Panther Burns (1983), Trigger & the Thrill Kings (1983-86), The Cramps (1991-92), Congo Norvell (1990-98), The Gunga Din (1999-2000), The Vanity Set (2000-to date) and Grinderman (2006-2013).

Note 3: "Roll Your Thunder" and "Eliminate By Night" are available on the "Shut Up And Bleed" album (2008).

Note 4: The festival (organised by Michael Zwack, with Robert Longo) was videotaped, on request of the Kitchen Center, by Robert Longo and Nancy Dwyer for a fee of $150 (each). Apparently the tapes were dumped in the trash sometime during the late 80's or early 90's.


Orphans single 16-May-78

16-May-78
US Release of the "Orphans/Less Of Me" 7" on Migraine Records (via Lust/Unlust Music, Charles Ball's label).

Promo sheet #1: Photo of promo sheet.

Promo sheet #2: Photo of promo sheet , design by Julia Gorton.


New York 17-May-78

17-May-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with Red Transistor]

Setlist 1st show: My Eyes (are empty)(+)/ Popularity Is So Boring(+)/ Less Of Me(+)/ The Closet/ Race Mixing/ Orphans(+)/ Red Alert.

Setlist 2nd show: Roll Your Thunder/ Race Mixing/ I Woke Up Dreaming(*)/ Burning Rubber(*)/ Orphans(*)/ Red Alert.

Ad: Scan from the Village Voice 15-May-78.

Note: 12 mins + 11 mins show. Also screening of "The Blank Generation", a film by Amos Poe and Ivan Kral. (*) with someone (James Chance?) guesting on saxophone. Tracks (+) released on the "Live 1977-1979" album (Other People, 2015).


New York City 28-May-78

28-May-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with the B-52's]

Note: Photographer George DuBose mistakenly recollects that Teenage Jesus supported the B52's on their first New York show on December 12th 1977, but then the B52's were supporting (Judy) Nylon and TJ&TJ were in London. George DuBose took the photo used on the cover of Lydia's "Queen Of Siam" album.

Ad: Scan from the Village Voice 29-May-78. Another ad from the Village Voice 29-May-78.


Big Apple Recording

xx-May/02-Jun-78
US NY,New York City-Soho,Big Apple Recording studios (@ 112 Greene street),recording 4 tracks ("Burning Rubber", "The Closet", "Red Alert" and "I Woke Up Dreaming", 9 minutes in total) for the "No New York" V/A: compilation album. Produced by Brian Eno. Production advisor Diego Cortez (aka James Allan Curtis).

Photo: Google street view, July 2011.

Note: Mastering finished on 02-Jun-78. Big Apple Recording studio (in the basement @ 112 Greene street) started in 1976 and was renamed "Greene Street Recording" in 1980. Sonic Youth recorded their "Daydream Nation" at this studio in 1988.


June 1978
A week after the "No New York" session, Lydia offers Jim Sclavunos, whom she had met at the Artist's Space festival, the job as bass player, replacing Gordon Stevenson. Gordon looked at Teenage Jesus as an art project and was therefor fired by Lydia. He sold his bass guitar and directed the "Ecstatic Stigmatic" movie in New York City starring his wife Mary Kathryn Cervenka (a.k.a. Mirielle, and Exene's sister). Both then moved to Los Angeles where the movie was released in October 1979. Mary Kathryn would die in a car accident in Hollywood (on the 12th of April 1980), on her way to see X (with her sister Exene) play at the Whisky a Go-Go. X's album "Under the Big Black Sun" was heavily influenced by the death of Mary. Gordon Stevenson died of AIDS not too long after Mary.


Line-up #4 (New York City: June 1978 - June 1979):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Jim Sclavunos (bass) & Bradly Field (one snare drum/one cymbal)

New York 18-Jun-78

18-Jun-78
US NY,New York City,Paradise Garage disco - Hell In Paradise
[with The Stimulators, The Senders, The Contortions, Richard Hell & Voidoids]

Setlist: Popularity Is So Boring/ My Eyes (are empty)/ Burning Rubber/ Race Mixing/ Freud In A Flop/ Less Of Me/ Red Alert.

Poster: Photo (by FromTheArchives) of poster, on display at the traveling exhibition "Punk Graphics: Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die", based on Andrew Kristine’s extensive collection of punk memorabilia.

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 19-Jun-78, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.

Note: 10 mins show! Opening night of this club. Filmed by Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong (then both working @ Manhattan Cable TV) as part of their weekly Nightclubbing program). Screenshot from Nightclubbing video .


New York 16-Jul-78

16-Jul-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with the Mumps]

Ad: Scan from the Village Voice 17-Jul-78.


1978
US NY,New York City,studio,recording their 2nd single "Baby Doll/Freud In A Flop/Race Mixing".
Produced by Robert Quine (The Voidoids).


New York 30-Jul-78

30-Jul-78
US NY,New York City,CBGB
[with The Ghosts]

Ad: Scan from the Village Voice 31-Jul-78.


Toronto 03-Aug-78

03-Aug-78
CA ON,Toronto,Horseshoe Tavern
[with The Contortions and The Government]

04-Aug-78
CA ON,Toronto,Horseshoe Tavern
[with The Contortions and The Government]

Setlist: (one of the 2 dates) a.o. Orphans/ Eliminate By Night/ The Closet,...

Flyer: Photo of flyer.

Note: Above tracks released on the "Live 1977-1979" album (Other People, 2015).


xx-Aug-78
CA QC,Montréal,-


New York 13-Aug-78

13-Aug-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with Walter Steding and The Terrorists]

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice August 1978, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.


New York 20-Sep-78

20-Sep-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with Blinding Headache]

Setlist: The Closet/ Burning Rubber/ Race Mixing.

Flyer: Original flyer.

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 25-Sep-78 .

Note: 6 mins show! Preceded by a screening of Tina L'Hotsky's short movie "Barbie".
According to the Village Voice ad: "Last appearance before UK tour". Did this 2nd tour happen?


Pittsburg 03-Oct-78

03-Oct-78
US PA,Pittsburgh-Swissvale,Phase III

Ad: Scan of ad, taken from Pittsburgh Press 01-Oct-78.


Philadelphia 06-Oct-78

06-Oct-78
US PA,Philadelphia,WXPN FM radio
'Yesterday's now music today' program

Info: Lydia Lunch and James Chance interviewed.

Listing: Scan of listing from The Philadelphia Inquirer 06-Oct-78.


Philadelphia 06-Oct-78

06-Oct-78
US PA,Philadelphia,Artemis
[with Rat at Rat R and XZV-9]

Flyer: Collection Julia Gorton. Reproduction taken from "No Wave", a book by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (Abrams Image 2008).

Note: With a screening of some Beth and Scott B.'s films.


New York 04-Nov-78

04-Nov-78
US NY,New York City,CBGB
[support for DNA, with Suicide and Walter Steding]

Setlist: instrumental(+)/ Freud In A Flop(+)/ Burning Rubber(+)/ The Closet(+)/ Race Mixing/ Orphans (instrumental version)/ Red Alert(+).

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 06-Nov-78.

Flyer: Photo of flyer .

Note: 9 mins show! Tracks (+) released on the "Live 1977-1979" album (Other People 2015).


No New York album

November 1978
US Release of the "No New York" compilation album (Antilles)

Ad: Scan from the Village Voice 11-Dec-78.


New York 27-Nov-78

27-Nov-78
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with Kongress]

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice 27-Nov-78.


late 1978/ early 1979
US, NY,New York City. Brian Tristan [later known as 'Kid Congo Powers' and as member of the Gun Club, Bad Seeds etc..] moves to New York City from Los Angeles with Pleasant Gehman and lives with Bradly Field and Kristian Hoffman @ 240 Grand Street for 6 months. That's when he meets Lydia for the first time. Kid would in years to come do several musical projects with Lydia (a.o. their collaboration with German band Die Haut).






1979
The year in which they record and release of their 2nd single "Baby Doll/Freud In A Flop/Race Mixing".
They tour Europe in the spring and break-up in Berlin at the end of the tour.

New York 17-Jan-79

17-Jan-79
US NY,New York City,CBGB
[with DNA]

Setlist: (1st set) Freud In A Flop/ Burning Rubber(*)(-)/ I Woke Up Dreaming(*)/ Crown Of Thorns(+)(*)/ Baby Doll/ Race Mixing/ Red Alert(*)(-).

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice January 1979, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.

Note: 9 mins show! All but "Red Alert", released on the "Live 1977-1979" album (Other People, 2015). Tracks (+)/(*) released on the "Hysterie!" and "Shut Up And Bleed" compilation albums. Tracks (-) released on the "PINK" EP (1979).


05-Feb-79
US Release of the "Baby Doll/Freud In A Flop/Race Mixing" 7" on Migraine Records (via Lust/Unlust Music, Charles Ball's label).


New York 05-Feb-79

05-Feb-79
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with Information]
(plus screening of "The Black Box")

Flyer: Photo of flyer, design Kristian Hoffman, photo Julia Gorton. Sourced from No Wave Facebook group.

Ad: Scan of advert from Village Voice.


New York 28-Feb-79

28-Feb-79
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City

Flyer: Photo of flyer, design Kristian Hoffman, photo Julia Gorton. Sourced from No Wave Facebook group.

Ad: Original advert, taken from Soho Weekly News 1-7 March 1979.


New York 20-Mar-79

20-Mar-79
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
[with Su-Sin Shocks]

Ad: Microfilm image from the Village Voice March 1979, courtesy of Jonathan Luftig.


New York 06-Apr-79

06-Apr-79
US NY,New York City,CBGB
[with DNA]

Ad: Scan of ad from the Village Voice March 1979.


New York 17-Apr-79

17-Apr-79
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City
Max's Easter Festival - New York Rock festival
[with Martin Rev, Blue Humans and Von Lmo]

Setlist: instrumental/ Baby Doll/ Freud In A Flop/ Race Mixing/ Crown Of Thorns/ Red Alert.

Photo: Credit © Tom Warren . Used with kind permission. Two more of Tom's photos .

Ad: Scan of advert from the Village Voice April 1979. Scan of another advert.

Flyer: Scan of flyer.

Note: 6 mins show! Plus screening of "The Offenders" (part 1 and 2) a film -then in process- by Scott B. and Beth B. The festival ran from April 11 till April 21, 1979. All tracks released on the "Live 1977-1979" album (Other People,2015).


New York 15-May-79

15-May-79
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City

Ad: Scan of ad from the Village Voice.

Note: Plus screening of "The Offenders" (part 5 and 6) a film -then in process- by Scott B. and Beth B.


New York Maxs 1979

Feb/May-1979
US NY,New York City,Max's Kansas City

Setlist: I Woke Up Dreaming/ instrumental (a.k.a. Dioxide Laughing)/ Race Mixing/ Baby Doll/ instrumental.

Photo: Screen capture taken from the "Video Hysterie" DVD, on which the above tracks are available.

Note: Filmed either on 28-Feb-79, 20-Mar-79 or 15-May-79. Videographer likely was Babeth Van Loo for Target Video.


New York 31-May-79

31-May-79
US NY,New York City,Hurrah
[with Youth In Asia]

Setlist: 822/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Freud In A Flop/ Crown Of Thorns/ Orphans/ Baby Doll/ Red Alert.

Setlist: Scan of setlist courtesy of Kim W.

Ad: Scan of advert from the Village Voice May 1979.

Note: Also screening of Scott B. and Beth B.'s "Black Box" film. Their last concert in the USA.


Paris 01-Jun-79

01-Jun-79
FR Paris,Hippodrome de Paris,Porte de Pantin
No New York Festival (from 18:00h-24:00h)
[with DNA,James Chance & the Contortions,Robin Crutchfeld and Beirut Slump]

Poster: Original poster.

Ad: Scan of advert.

Note: One-off date. The Contortions show is stopped by the police, because a riot between audience members had started. James Chance fires his band after the show and stays with Anya Phillips in Paris until August. Teenage Jesus and Beirut Slump are listed but it's most unlikely they actually performed. Most of the bands' names are misspelled: Beirut Slamp, Robin Crutchsield, The Contorsions.


June 1979
US, NY,New York City. Bradly Field is fired just before the European tour and replaced by Lydia's (non-musician) boyfriend Johnny O'Kane (Johnny, a construction worker of Irish ancestry, who came from Attica,IN). Photo credit Julia Gorton.


Line-up #5 (Europe: June 1979):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Jim Sclavunos (bass) and Johnny O'Kane (percussion/drum)

Nijmegen 19-Jun-79

19-Jun-79
NL Nijmegen,Politiek-Kultureel Centrum O'42
Now New York festival
[with Adele Bertei]

Photo: Credit Roy Tee.

Note 1: Start of the European tour. Scott & Beth B screen their films ("Black Box", "G-Man" and "Letters To Dad"). As usual only a 10 mins concert. Someone was taking photos of Lydia, who asked him two-three times to stop. Lydia then throws a beer mug and hits the guy's camera. It turned out to be the German promotor who was going to book the band at Frankfurt. He cancels the gig. Adele Bertei [The Contortions] performs solo over taped background music.

Jim Sclavunos' great piece titled "Diary Of A Jerk" appeared in the November issue of New York Rocker and chronicles the band's European tour: part 1 and part 2.

Note 2: Lydia Lunch had to be hospitalised due to a rather serious problem with her innards. This whole European tour she's in a wheelchair. Lydia:"I was really sick and I was in my wheelchair at that point. That was the wheelchair tour. I was feeling old before my time, it's a good thing I'm so young now." FE: "Did you play guitar from the wheelchair?" Lydia:"No, I'd rise for the occasion. I thought I could stand for ten minutes. I was in dire pain in though. I was on the verge of death". Lydia Lunch interviewed by Byron Coley for Forced Exposure #10, July 1986.


2x-Jun-79
NL Rotterdam,Rock Café Heavy (@ 's Gravendijkwal 131)
[with Adele Bertei]

Note: Scott & Beth B screen their films ("Black Box", "G-Man" and "Letters To Dad"). Another 10 mins concert.


2x-Jun-79
Germany/Europe, most likely some more live concerts

Note: Scott & Beth B screen their films ("Black Box", "G-Man" and "Letters To Dad").


2x-Jun-79
DE Frankfurt,-

Note: Cancelled by the German promotor when he got hit by a beer mug thrown by Lydia at the Nijmegen concert on 19-Jun-79.


Berlin 30-Jun-79

30-Jun-79
DE Berlin,S.O.36,New York narative film festival
[with Adele Bertei and her Assassins]

Poster: Photo of poster, sourced from ARCHIV B.

Photo: Graffiti on the Berlin Wall announcing the TJ&TJ concert. Credit Cathy Dumas, as published in New York Rocker #45, December 1981.

Note: Their final concert at the "Last night in S.O.36". Scott & Beth B screen their films ("Black Box", "G-Man" and "Letters To Dad"). The film fest @ the SO36 ran from 12-23 June, 1979.


June/July 1979
UK, London. While Jim and Adele stay for another week in Berlin, Lydia (with Johnny ) goes to London where a.o. she is interviewed by Mary Harron, who's article is published in the 28-Jul-79 issue of Melody Maker.


July 1979 Aftermath.
US NY,New York City. When returning from Europe Lydia Lunch finds out she had been evicted from her place. Lydia then moves to a place on East 12th street living with Jim Sclavunos, Annene Kaye [New York Rocker music journalist], James Chance and Chris Nelson [Mofungo/NO magazine] alledgedly doing a lot of acid. Around this time Lydia (having turned 20 on June 2nd) decides that Teenage Jesus was done.

Bradly Field joins James Chance's Contortions (with Patrick Geoffries, Kristian Hoffman, Lester Bowie and Steven Kramer) during August 1979 and leaves late 1979. In 1981 he stars in Edo Bertoglio's "New York Beat/Downtown 81" J.P. Basquiat movie as a studio manager. During the 80's he had fallen on bad luck and descended deeper into his alcoholism and heroin addiction. By 1986 he even ended up living as a bum in the streets of New York City (Tompkins Square park) and almost had to have his arm amputated due to bad drugs. He also worked for some time at the Strand book store at the corner of East 12th Street and Broadway. By 1987/88 he is working and living at the New Theater (@ 62 East 4th Street) in the Lower East Side, and helping out Lydia Lunch, who's there rehearsing and performing her theater play written with Emilio Cubeiro "Nightmare, South Of Your Border". By 1990/1991 he's living in a squat with no windows, heat, or electricity on Avenue D. Apparently he went into hospital one night in 1992 with what he thought was pneumonia. He died in hospital soon after. A small memorial was held at CBGBs. According to people who knew him he was a crazy funny guy with a wild sarcastic sense of humor.

As per December 1980 Johnny O'Kane left for Los Angeles, CA for a job as iron worker. Over time he would become a well-regarded leader in the iron worker's union, local 433, in the San Pedro-Los Angeles area. On November 2, 2012 (then aged 55), inexplicably, he chased down and shot his girlfriend dead near his home in Almeria Street and then shot himself. Lydia Lunch had scheduled to meet Johnny on the same day, after Bob Bert [Sonic Youth/Lydia's Retrovirus] had recently befriended O'Kane on Facebook. In 2016 Lydia released "My Lover The Killer", an album with Mark Hurtado about her time with Johnny O'Kane and her escape to Los Angeles.


1979
US Release of the "Pink" EP on Lust/Unlust.


1979
US Release of the "Pre" EP on ZE Records.


June 1980
FR Release of the "Pre" EP on Celluloid/ZE Records.






2008
The year in which Lydia revives Teenage Jesus for 2 dates and in which the definite Teenage Jesus compilation CD is released.

Reunion Line-up #1 (13 June 2008 and 06-Dec-08):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Thurston Moore (bass) and Jim Sclavunos (drum)

New York City 13-Jun-08

13-Jun-08
US NY,New York City,Knitting Factory,Main Space (2 shows: 8PM and 11PM)
[with Information and Byron Coley DJ-set]

Setlist: (1st show) Red Alert/ Less Of Me/ The Closet/ Crown of Thorns/ Burning Rubber/ Eliminate by Night/ Freud in Flop/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Baby Doll/ Orphans.

Setlist: (2nd show) Red Alert/ Less Of Me/ The Closet/ Crown of Thorns/ Burning Rubber/ Eliminate by Night/ Freud in Flop/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Baby Doll/ Orphans.

Note: Coincides with the publishing on June 1 of "No Wave: Post Punk, Underground, New York, 1976–1980", a book edited by Byron Coley and Thurston Moore. Information is Rick Brown [Mofungo], Phil Dray [Mofungo], Chris Nelson [Mofungo, NO magazine,etc..].

Flyer: e-Flyer courtesy of EaViL.

Photo: Photo of setlist .


21-Jul-08
UK Release of the "Shut Up And Bleed" compilation CD (Cherry Red).


02-Sep-08
US Release of the "Shut Up And Bleed" compilation CD (Atavistic).


ATP 2008

06-Dec-08
UK Minehead,Butlins,All Tomorrow's Parties festival (2 shows: 9PM and 11PM)
Nightmare Before Christmas (curated by the Melvins and Mike Patton)
[with Jim G.Thirlwell, The Damned, etc..]

Setlist: (2nd show) Red Alert/ My Eyes/ The Closet/ Crown of Thorns/ Crown of Thorns/ Burning Rubber/ Eliminate by Night/ Freud in Flop/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Baby Doll/ Orphans.

Flyer: e-Flyer.

Note: Some footage available on "FROM ATP - Numéro 5" a documentary film (2008) by Vincent Moon.






2009
The year in which Teenage Jesus is revived in the UK (with Gallon Drunk)
and once more in the US (with Algis Kizys replacing Thurston Moore on bass).

Reunion Line-up #2a (EU April/May 2009):
Lydia Lunch (vocals)/ James Johnston (guitars)/ Terry Edwards (alto sax/organ/bass) and Ian White (drums).

London 05-Apr-09

05-Apr-09
UK London,Corsica studios
[with An Experiment On a Bird in the Air Pump + DJ set: J.G Thirlwell and David Knight]

Photo: Credit by Michael Johnson of Nemesis To Go webzine.

Flyer: e-Flyer.

Note: First Big Sexy Noise gig.
Labeled as "That was then - This is now- Deal with it!". Double feature: first set Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, second set (with the same line-up) Big Sexy Noise.


19-May-09
IT Roma,Init

Note: Labeled as "That was then - This is now- Deal with it!".
Double feature: first set Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, second set (with the same line-up) Big Sexy Noise.


Napoli 20-May-09

20-May-09
IT Napoli,Galleria Toledo

Photo: Copyright © Pietro Previti .

Note: Labeled as "That was then - This is now- Deal with it!".
Double feature: first set Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, second set (with the same line-up) Big Sexy Noise.


Bologna 21-May-09

21-May-09
IT Bologna,Locomotiv,Express festival
[with Boss Hog]

Photo: Copyright © Francesco L. . Used with kind permission.

Note: Labeled as "That was then - This is now- Deal with it!".
Double feature: first set Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, second set (with the same line-up) Big Sexy Noise.


Padova 22-May-09

22-May-09
IT Padova,Unwound
[with Elettro Fandango]

Flyer: e-Flyer.

Note: Labeled as "That was then - This is now- Deal with it!".
Double feature: first set Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, second set (with the same line-up) Big Sexy Noise.


Lyon 23-May-09

23-May-09
FR Lyon,Marché Gare
Les Nuits Sonores festival

Photo: Credit Biphop .

Note: Labeled as "That was then - This is now- Deal with it!".
Double feature: first set Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, second set (with the same line-up) Big Sexy Noise.


Reunion Line-up #2b (US October 2009):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Algis Kizys (bass) and Jim Sclavunos (drum)

Montréal 02-Oct-09

02-Oct-09
CA QC,Montréal,Le National,Pop Montréal
[with Duchess Says, Aids Wolf]

Flyer: e-Flyer.


New York City 03-Oct-09

03-Oct-09
US NY,New York City,Brooklyn,Music Hall of Williamsburg,WFMU Fest
[with Sightings, Drunkdriver, Talk Normal]

Setlist: Red Alert/ My Eyes/ The Closet/ Crown of Thorns/ Burning Rubber/ Eliminate by Night/ Freud in Flop/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Baby Doll/ Orphans.

Flyer: e-Flyer.

Note: Above tracks broadcast by WFMU radio.


Chicago 05-Oct-09

05-Oct-09
US IL,Chicago,Empty Bottle
[with Daily Void]

Flyer: e-Flyer courtesy of EaViL.


07-Oct-09
US CA,Los Angeles,El Rey Theater
[with Mika Miko, The Urinals, The Lamps]


San Francisco 08-Oct-09

08-Oct-09
US CA,San Francisco,Slim’s
[with Burmese and T.I.T.S]

Note: Weasel at the time was drumming with Burmese. As of 2012 he's working on several of Lydia's projects (Retrovirus, Teenage Jesus, Sick with desire,..)

Flyer: e-Flyer courtesy of Weasel Walter.


10-Oct-09
US WA,Seattle,Showbox At The Market
[with The A-Frames, Idle Times]
(cancelled)






2013-2015
A slight return of Teenage Jesus as a duo with just Lydia Lunch and Weasel Walter.

Reunion Line-up #3 (2013/2014):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals) and Weasel Walter (bass,kick cymbal, kick drum)

Paris 02-Apr-13

02-Apr-13
FR Paris-Val de Seine,Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture
[with David Grubbs, Rhys Chatham, UT]

Setlist: Red Alert/ Less Of Me/ The Closet/ Crown of Thorns/ Burning Rubber/ Freud in Flop/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Orphans.

Note: "Deux villes, deux scènes : New York - No Wave, 1976 / Chicago - Post Rock, 1990". Preceded by a screening of "Blank City" a film by Céline Danhier and "Parallax Sounds" a film by Augusto Contento.
This version of Teenage Jesus sounds fresh and bloody good! 20 mins show.

Flyer: e-Flyer.


Amsterdam 31-Jan-14

31-Jan-14
NL Amsterdam,Melkweg
Grauzone Festival
[with Peter Hook, Chris and Cosey, Jah Wobble,..]

Flyer: e-Flyer.


Reunion Line-up #4 (2015):
Lydia Lunch (guitar/vocals)/ Weasel Walter (bass) and Tim Dahl (kick cymbal,drum)

Queens 11-Dec-15

11-Dec-15
US NY,Queens,Ridgewood,Trans-Pecos
[with A Pleasure]

Setlist: Red Alert/ Less Of Me/ The Closet/ Crown of Thorns/ Burning Rubber/ Freud in Flop/ I Woke Up Dreaming/ Race Mixing/ Orphans.

Photo: Screen capture from a video by Federico Escalante.

Flyer: e-Flyer.

Note: Closing date of Nicolas Jaar's label's, Other People, residency @ Trans-Pecos.



Chronology
Beirut Slump (June 1978 - May 1979)
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Last modified 15th of April, 2023.