Gay for Johnny Depp
Encyclopedia
Gay for Johnny Depp was a hardcore
band formed in New York
, USA
. Members were: Sid Jagger (Guitar
– Real name: Joseph Grillo), Marty Leopard (Vocals – Real name: Arty Shepherd), Chelsea Piers (Bass
– Real name: Lyndon Roeller), JJ Samanen (drums
). They were known for the lyrical content of their songs, which is often concerned with the band's homoerotic obsession over the actor Johnny Depp
.
bands Garrison
and Instruction in 2004, Gay for Johnny Depp released their first recording effort, Erotically Charged Dance Songs for the Desperate
, on 12 July 2004. The 5-track EP was met with positive reviews which often compared Gay for Johnny Depp to fellow hardcore bands The Blood Brothers and The Locust
.
The band recorded their second EP, Blood: The Natural Lubricant (An Apocalyptic Adventure Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah)
, in the summer of 2005, and released it on 19 September 2005 on the UK label Captains Of Industry. This was supported by a small tour of the UK
. The record gained Gay for Johnny Depp a lot of fans, due to the unusual song titles as much as the music itself.
On 9 June 2006 Gay for Johnny Depp played at the Download Festival
in Donington Park
, UK
. In that same year, their song Sex In Your Mouth was released on the Kerrang!
compilation album
, New Breed.
The band has recorded one full-length album, The Politics of Cruelty
. It was released on 5 November 2007 and was rare example of a hardcore band receiving positive reviews in publications such as NME
, Q
, The Guardian
and Uncut
as well as heavier rock publications such as Rock Sound
. A number of tracks were also aired on BBC Radio 1
.
Instead of featuring the usual biographical material, advance copies of the album sent to the media contained a highly explicit pornographic fan letter to actor Johnny Depp, purported to be written by someone simply known as 'Brad'. This approach was in keeping with the band's previous promotional material, which have included bottles of amyl nitrite
, surgical rubber gloves, condoms, explicit homosexual photographs and further explicit letters from 'Brad'.
The band's debut album featured in the NME Top 10 chart throughout November 2007. That same month singer Marty was invited to take part in the NME's annual Pub Golf feature. Highlights of the evening have subsequently appeared on the internet.
Gay For Johnny Depp toured the UK in January and February 2008 and in April 2008 wearing nothing but socks on covering their private parts.
They toured the UK again between 13th Nov and 4th Dec 2009.
The band's second studio album "What Doesn't Kill You, Eventually Kills You
" will be released on February 14, 2011.
Gay for Johnny Depp played their first ever UK
show on September 14, 2005 in Exeter
, supporting Million Dead
. During the show, frontman Marty Leopard was punched by an angry crowd member and had to go to the hospital to receive 5 stitches in his face.http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=8561
On 31st October they released a Youtube video and an email to their mailing list announcing they were going their separate ways.
, and metal
. They are most well known for their vulgar, homoerotic lyrics focused around Johnny Depp; for example on "Kill The Cool Kids", Leopard sings "Cos I want my Johnny bleeding, fuck him in the ass!" The vocals are most often delivered in a high-pitched scream reminiscent of bands such as Ed Gein
, The Locust
, The Blood Brothers. Musically, the band are recognisable for a frantic, relentless style, with few songs lasting more than three minutes in length.
The band have been remixed by The Blacksmoke Organisation.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band formed in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Members were: Sid Jagger (Guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
– Real name: Joseph Grillo), Marty Leopard (Vocals – Real name: Arty Shepherd), Chelsea Piers (Bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
– Real name: Lyndon Roeller), JJ Samanen (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). They were known for the lyrical content of their songs, which is often concerned with the band's homoerotic obsession over the actor Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
.
History
Formed from ex-members of post-hardcorePost-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
bands Garrison
Garrison (band)
Garrison was a post-hardcore/punk band based in Boston, Massachusetts from 1996-2004. Garrison released two full length albums, both on Revelation Records...
and Instruction in 2004, Gay for Johnny Depp released their first recording effort, Erotically Charged Dance Songs for the Desperate
Erotically Charged Dance Songs for the Desperate
Erotically Charged Dance Songs for the Desperate is the first EP by hardcore/metal band Gay for Johnny Depp. It was released in 2004 and is now out of print.-Track listing:#"Kill The Cool Kids" – 1:59#"Lights Out" – 2:20...
, on 12 July 2004. The 5-track EP was met with positive reviews which often compared Gay for Johnny Depp to fellow hardcore bands The Blood Brothers and The Locust
The Locust
The Locust is a musical group from San Diego, California, United States known for their unique mix of grindcore speed and aggression, mathcore complexity, and new wave weirdness.- Style :...
.
The band recorded their second EP, Blood: The Natural Lubricant (An Apocalyptic Adventure Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah)
Blood: The Natural Lubricant (An Apocalyptic Adventure Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah)
Blood: The Natural Lubricant is an EP by hardcore/metal band Gay for Johnny Depp.The song, "Shh, Put The Shiv To My Throat" was subsequently remixed by Blacksmoke.-Track listing:...
, in the summer of 2005, and released it on 19 September 2005 on the UK label Captains Of Industry. This was supported by a small tour of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The record gained Gay for Johnny Depp a lot of fans, due to the unusual song titles as much as the music itself.
On 9 June 2006 Gay for Johnny Depp played at the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
in Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In that same year, their song Sex In Your Mouth was released on the Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, New Breed.
The band has recorded one full-length album, The Politics of Cruelty
The Politics of Cruelty
The Politics Of Cruelty is the first full-length album by hardcore/metal band Gay for Johnny Depp. It was released on November 5, 2007.-Track listing:#"Cumpassion" - 2:22#"You Have A Theory, I Have A Gun" - 1:12#"Belief In God Is So Adorable" - 1:43...
. It was released on 5 November 2007 and was rare example of a hardcore band receiving positive reviews in publications such as NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
as well as heavier rock publications such as Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
. A number of tracks were also aired on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.
Instead of featuring the usual biographical material, advance copies of the album sent to the media contained a highly explicit pornographic fan letter to actor Johnny Depp, purported to be written by someone simply known as 'Brad'. This approach was in keeping with the band's previous promotional material, which have included bottles of amyl nitrite
Amyl nitrite
Amyl nitrite is the chemical compound with the formula C5H11ONO. A variety of isomers are known, but they all feature an amyl group attached to the nitrito functional group. The alkyl group is unreactive and the chemical and biological properties are mainly due to the nitrite group...
, surgical rubber gloves, condoms, explicit homosexual photographs and further explicit letters from 'Brad'.
The band's debut album featured in the NME Top 10 chart throughout November 2007. That same month singer Marty was invited to take part in the NME's annual Pub Golf feature. Highlights of the evening have subsequently appeared on the internet.
Gay For Johnny Depp toured the UK in January and February 2008 and in April 2008 wearing nothing but socks on covering their private parts.
They toured the UK again between 13th Nov and 4th Dec 2009.
The band's second studio album "What Doesn't Kill You, Eventually Kills You
What Doesn't Kill You, Eventually Kills You
What Doesn't Kill You, Eventually Kills You is the second full-length album by hardcore/metal band Gay for Johnny Depp. It was released on February 14, 2011.-Track listing:#"Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny And Artistic Integrity" - 1:48#"Suckcess" - 1:53...
" will be released on February 14, 2011.
Gay for Johnny Depp played their first ever UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
show on September 14, 2005 in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, supporting Million Dead
Million Dead
Million Dead were a hardcore punk band from London, UK, active between 2001 and 2005.-History:The band was founded in 2000 by Cameron Dean and Julia Ruzicka, after both came to London from Australia. They were joined by Ben Dawson, who had worked with Dean in a record shop in the city...
. During the show, frontman Marty Leopard was punched by an angry crowd member and had to go to the hospital to receive 5 stitches in his face.http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=8561
On 31st October they released a Youtube video and an email to their mailing list announcing they were going their separate ways.
Style
Gay for Johnny Depp have been described as spazzcore, hardcoreHardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, and metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. They are most well known for their vulgar, homoerotic lyrics focused around Johnny Depp; for example on "Kill The Cool Kids", Leopard sings "Cos I want my Johnny bleeding, fuck him in the ass!" The vocals are most often delivered in a high-pitched scream reminiscent of bands such as Ed Gein
Ed Gein (band)
Ed Gein is a political grindcore band from Syracuse, NY, named after American killer, Ed Gein.Each of the members perform vocals equally; there is no lead vocalist...
, The Locust
The Locust
The Locust is a musical group from San Diego, California, United States known for their unique mix of grindcore speed and aggression, mathcore complexity, and new wave weirdness.- Style :...
, The Blood Brothers. Musically, the band are recognisable for a frantic, relentless style, with few songs lasting more than three minutes in length.
The band have been remixed by The Blacksmoke Organisation.
EPs
- Erotically Charged Dance Songs for the DesperateErotically Charged Dance Songs for the DesperateErotically Charged Dance Songs for the Desperate is the first EP by hardcore/metal band Gay for Johnny Depp. It was released in 2004 and is now out of print.-Track listing:#"Kill The Cool Kids" – 1:59#"Lights Out" – 2:20...
(2004) - Blood: The Natural Lubricant (An Apocalyptic Adventure Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah)Blood: The Natural Lubricant (An Apocalyptic Adventure Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah)Blood: The Natural Lubricant is an EP by hardcore/metal band Gay for Johnny Depp.The song, "Shh, Put The Shiv To My Throat" was subsequently remixed by Blacksmoke.-Track listing:...
(2005) - The Ski Mask Orgy (2009)
Albums
- The Politics of CrueltyThe Politics of CrueltyThe Politics Of Cruelty is the first full-length album by hardcore/metal band Gay for Johnny Depp. It was released on November 5, 2007.-Track listing:#"Cumpassion" - 2:22#"You Have A Theory, I Have A Gun" - 1:12#"Belief In God Is So Adorable" - 1:43...
(2007) - Manthology: A Tireless Exercise in Narcissism Featuring Gay for Johnny Depp's Excellent Cadavers (2010)
- What Doesn't Kill You, Eventually Kills YouWhat Doesn't Kill You, Eventually Kills YouWhat Doesn't Kill You, Eventually Kills You is the second full-length album by hardcore/metal band Gay for Johnny Depp. It was released on February 14, 2011.-Track listing:#"Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny And Artistic Integrity" - 1:48#"Suckcess" - 1:53...
(2011)
External links
- Official website
- Gay for Johnny Depp on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Gay For Johnny Depp picture archive
- Explicit 2007 press release
- Gay For Johnny Depp on The Mag