'YA GOTTA LOVE THIS DIRTY GIRL' LIZZI LASTIC INTERVIEWED BY LORRAINE

I had the immense pleasure of catching Dirty Love back in March at Canning Towns very own BH2. What a scream indeed!

If you are looking for some red hot, sassy, in your face, fun packed, female led rock n roll, then this South East four piece can sure deliver. Formed in 2004, now finally settled with an impressive line up.

we have....Albert 'I like Guinness' Awful as guitar hero, Chris 'cosy nights by the fire' Corvette on bass, Stevie ' my mother always said I should have taken up harmonica' Sonix on drums and the one and only, Lizzi 'gigging, swigging, shouting' Lastic on vocals AND talking to Mudkiss. Let's get dirty girlzz.....

Lorraine - So Lizzi, how did you all hook up, was it 'Dirty Love' at first sight?

 

Lizzi - Dirty Love was a twinkle in the eye of meself and original bass beauty Clara Zero.  We wanted to get into some rock n roll and be able to dress up and gig in glitter…we hijacked Albert and had a couple of other members before the line-up we have now including Mik ex-Coitus+ Restarts on Drums, Dave ‘Deviant Hearts’ guitar, Rob ‘Case + Johnny Moped’ guitar, Martin ‘drummer to the punk stars’, Marek ‘Short Bus Window Lickers + Afro Porno drummer’).  We had a great time with all the members of the band and tried out different sounds and tunes but it seems that the line up we have now is working really well.  It’s always Dirty lust at first sight…Oh we also have Alien (Coitus, Mush, Screamer) drumming for us now and again.

Lorraine - Being relatively new to all this and as I understand 'having a scream', what was Lizzi Lastic up to before the band? Born in Africa, raised In Lancashire, world travelled, I have a feeling you have a lot to cram in!

 

Lizzi - Before the band I was in the audience.  I have been watching bands since I was 14.  I love live shows and stage antics.  I don’t really come from a settled or conventional background but only bore people with my life story in the early hours of a mad night and with some chemical encouragement!  I seem to have always done things the wrong way round too…I wish I had gotten into this singing thing a very long time ago!!! 

Lorraine - I have to say that I enjoyed having a nosey through all your personal myspace photos and at all your diverse looks dating back to the early punk days. They were very open and honest, giving the impression that you are very much a 'This is me, love me or hate me, I don't really care' type of character. Is that an accurate portrayal?

 

Lizzi - That’s a great way to describe me.  I have met so many people over the years, some really great true people and some real arseholes…I have become quite intolerant to the old punk habit of accepting everyone/anyone into the fold because invariably it will always attract idiots that nobody else cares for.  I am very open and honest.  The inability for me to hold my tongue at times has gotten me into trouble…mostly with the bitches!  I surround myself with good people who understand (tolerate) me.   

Lorraine - Tell us about your friendship with the late Divine. How did you meet? Was she a big influence on you?

 

Lizzi - Divine was a brilliant, amazing and talented star, I think I got into the films before the songs…A great performer and big influence on me.  The picture I have up on my site was taken @ The Underground in Croydon in late 80’s…I was ordered in that sexy gravely voice…”Dance bitch dance!!!”

Lorraine - Dirty Love recently contributed to a compilation of solely female artists entitled 'Where the Bad Girrrlz Rock', produced by 'People Like You' records. There still seems to be a shortage of kickarse women in rock music, even in the punk scene where I expected women to have flourished. Is it that we just aren't interested or is sexism still rife? What has been your personal experience?

 

Lizzi - I don’t mean to burst any bubbles but there is a real lack of ballsy gals in punk and rock.  I remember being told by a co-singer in a girly hardcore band I sang in that I was “the fat one with the good voice” but she was the one the punk lad’s wanted to look at ‘cos she had a Mohican and wore leopard print and fishnets.  I recall having to write all the lyrics and even sing through her bits for her, a number of times.   That’s when I realised that girls have only themselves to blame when they are not taken seriously in the music scene.  The punk scene is so testosterone ridden that yeah it has been hard but times they are a changing (at a retarded pace but we are getting there).  Depends on whether it’s eye candy pop or punk rock, the uglier the better!!!

           
Lorraine - Sorry, but I have to ask, are those legs sitting on the loo with the fluorescent fishnet pop socks and heels, complete with knickers down yours? :-) 

 

Lizzi - I wish they were my legs…I did want to do it but I haven’t been blessed with the greatest of pins and we really wanted the picture to be sleazy AND sexy.  I think if I’d have done It, it may well have looked like an ad for the Russian Olympic ShotPut team!  We managed to persuade sexy Helen to do it…she was very hungover and hadn’t slept all night, vulnerable I’d say! 

Lorraine - A little bird tells me you do a little moonlighting with hardcore punk band Kuntenstein. Is this another permanent project?

 

Lizzi - Aaah Baron Von Kuntenstein und die Helmut Finger!!!…The Kuntenstein lads are great…I did backing vocals and wrote the lyrics for a few years… We gigged and swigged all over the place and had a great laugh together…The band went through a bit of time-out and I lost the momentum with them…they are doing great now and gigging again so I will always have an excuse to drink beer and swear with them!!!  Check them out on myspace!

Lorraine - As mentioned earlier, you are quoted as 'having a scream', but has it been all plain sailing, what have been the lows?

 

Lizzi - It has been a scream…We all like to have a good time and don’t take it too seriously…There are lows including losing people in the band, not getting paid or sometimes not even getting a thanx or a beer off the ‘promoter’ who got you to drive miles, play a 40 minute set, provide the equipment etc.  You kinda wonder where the door money goes?  I must add that there are more highs than lows and some really great promoters out there.

Lorraine - The current band line up is looking great, who runs the show?

 

Lizzi - Well the boys always say that its me but I know that we all do our bit, especially when it comes to ordering drinks at the bar and driving down the motorway at silly o’clock in the morning.   

Lorraine - Dirty Love have a sound reminiscent of the original punk days, which feel much more pop/punk in retrospect. Easy to relate to, sing along to and dance around to, a winning formula in my book. Very rock chick orientated too. Where does the inspiration come from for the songs?

 

Lizzi - It comes from us all having a mixed bag of influences.  It’s a winning formula of the guys coming up with tunes that encourage me to have a bit of a rant and a rave…All of us are rooted in Punk but  the backing band think it's still 1977 and I aint got the heart to piss on their chips…

 

Watch out for our latest joint venture with The Destructors and check out our new tracks on www.myspace.com/dirtyloving

 

http://www.dirtylove.me.uk

 

 

 

Cheers for having us and all the best in your adventures…Keep it Dirty Girls xxx

 

Photo credits to Grillys Punkshots - http://www.myspace.com/grillyx