HorrorPops
Encyclopedia
HorrorPops are a Danish
punk
band that formed in 1996. The band's sound is rooted in psychobilly
, pop punk
, rockabilly
, and new wave
.
first met when Day's now-defunct band, the punk rock
group Peanut Pump Gun, opened for Nekroman's psychobilly
band, Nekromantix
, at a festival in Cologne, Germany in 1996. Despite both belonging to the subculture scene of Copenhagen, Denmark, the two had never met before, but they became friends over their mutual interest in alternative music. The two would eventually marry.
Day and Nekroman decided to form a band where they could experiment with many genres outside of their normal bands, and decided to start by switching instruments. Nekroman taught Day how to play an upright bass, while she taught him how to play guitar. The two began auditioning for a drummer, with Nekromantix guitarist Peter Sandorff even being a possible choice. They eventually chose Niedermeier to drum, a friend of Day's and a member of the band Strawberry Slaughterhouse, and officially started HorrorPops in 1998. After touring for a while as a trio, the band recruited Niedermeier's old bandmate, Caz the Clash, as a second guitarist.
In 2000, Day recruited two friends, Mille and Kamilla Vanilla , co-workers at the body piercing
shop she worked at to act as go-go dancers for the band's live show. The group also recorded a 7 song demo for use in a press kit
, but it was somehow leaked to the public, and resulted in two of the group's singles becoming club hits in Denmark. The group spent the next few years touring Europe
, until 2003, when they began recording 6 more demo tracks. During this time, Caz the Clash became a father and left the band to focus on parenting. He was replaced by another Strawberry Slaughterhouse member, Karsten. Hellcat Records
, Tim Armstrong
's (of Rancid
) record label, decided to sign HorrorPops based on their demos. The band was able to release a vinyl single in September 2003, and began a U.S.
headlining tour.
The band's first full-length album, Hell Yeah!, was released in February 2004, but problems with getting work visas resulted in the band having to cancel U.S. tour dates. The band was able to make up for this loss via an opening stint for the Offspring
in Europe. Mille left the band a short while later to go back to school, and was replaced with Naomi. The band soon relocated from Denmark to Los Angeles, California
.
The band's second album, Bring It On!
, was released on September 13, 2005. Their third album, released on February 5, 2008, is called Kiss Kiss Kill Kill
.
at the 1998 POPKOM in Cologne, Germany. Even though both bands were based in Copenhagen, Denmark neither of them had heard about each other before. The audience was a mix of psychobillies, punks and indierockers and the genre combination turned out to be a huge success.
A few weeks after the show Patricia and Kim got together back in Copenhagen. Their mutual love for music like:"Blondie", "Depeche Mode" and "Siouxsie and the Banshees", Surf, Ska, Punk and Rock'n'Roll in general, led to the idea of forming a band with no commitment to any particular music style. They also wanted to do something that would take them out of the roles they already were known for and the first step towards that, was to swap instruments. Kim taught Patricia the basics on playing the upright bass and in return Patricia passed on to Kim from her guitar skills. Not long after, the duo were writing songs and a need for a drummer crept in.
" , Niedermeier's old band mate and Strawberry Slaughterhouse guitarist. The music came together and got a lot more aggressive.
Shortly after the European tour ended, Horrorpops returned to the states to play the Jimmy Kimmel show and a few California shows, but realizing the work that lay ahead and how time consuming the band had become, Mille had to leave the band to go back to school. Mille got replaced by another good friend of the band, Naomi, who was quickly renamed NoNo.
HorrorPops started touring the states, first on Punks VS Psychos, then as main support for Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and then back to Europe for another tour. One tour took over the next in 2004 and the band to loved every minute of it. The Horrorpops also played in a movie called The Punk Rock Halocust and therefore made them more popular. Later, Karsten had to leave the band; he met the love of his life and wanted to spend time with her which was kind of hard to do with the band's tour schedule. HorrorPops played around 110 shows in 2004 and went back to Los Angeles to start work on their second album. They played one last show for the year in West Hollywood to announce their new guitar player.
, was released featuring new rhythm guitarist, Geoff Kresge
.
, a pop punk band. They are on Vans Warped Tour all summer. After the release of their 3rd album, Kiss Kiss Kill Kill, they began to have much larger of a fan base.
federal court against the Hard Rock casino, charging infringement of the right of publicity
and false endorsement
. In her lawsuit, the HorrorPops singer claims Hard Rock and Mattel have been selling a Barbie doll in her image without her authorization.
While it is true that Mattel and Hard Rock have released a series of rock ‘n’ roll-themed Barbies, featuring pioneering female musicians such as Debbie Harry
of Blondie
, Joan Jett
or Cyndi Lauper
, in the lawsuit it is alleged that another doll, called the “Hard Rock Café Barbie Doll" or the “Rockabilly Barbie,” is made in the image of the HorrorPops lead singer but without direct acknowledgement of nor permission by Patricia Day.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band that formed in 1996. The band's sound is rooted in psychobilly
Psychobilly
Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
, pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
, rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
.
History
Band founders Patricia Day and Kim NekromanKim Nekroman
Kim Nekroman is the bassist and lead singer for the psychobilly band Nekromantix and the lead guitarist of HorrorPops. He is married to Patricia Day, lead singer and bassist for HorrorPops.-On tour:...
first met when Day's now-defunct band, the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
group Peanut Pump Gun, opened for Nekroman's psychobilly
Psychobilly
Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
band, Nekromantix
Nekromantix
The Nekromantix are a Danish-American psychobilly band formed in 1989 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their music is generally structured around monster and horror themes. A central icon of the band's image is founder and frontman Kim Nekroman's "coffinbass", a custom-built double bass with a body in the...
, at a festival in Cologne, Germany in 1996. Despite both belonging to the subculture scene of Copenhagen, Denmark, the two had never met before, but they became friends over their mutual interest in alternative music. The two would eventually marry.
Day and Nekroman decided to form a band where they could experiment with many genres outside of their normal bands, and decided to start by switching instruments. Nekroman taught Day how to play an upright bass, while she taught him how to play guitar. The two began auditioning for a drummer, with Nekromantix guitarist Peter Sandorff even being a possible choice. They eventually chose Niedermeier to drum, a friend of Day's and a member of the band Strawberry Slaughterhouse, and officially started HorrorPops in 1998. After touring for a while as a trio, the band recruited Niedermeier's old bandmate, Caz the Clash, as a second guitarist.
In 2000, Day recruited two friends, Mille and Kamilla Vanilla , co-workers at the body piercing
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
shop she worked at to act as go-go dancers for the band's live show. The group also recorded a 7 song demo for use in a press kit
Press kit
A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials of a person, company, or organization distributed to members of the media for promotional use...
, but it was somehow leaked to the public, and resulted in two of the group's singles becoming club hits in Denmark. The group spent the next few years touring Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, until 2003, when they began recording 6 more demo tracks. During this time, Caz the Clash became a father and left the band to focus on parenting. He was replaced by another Strawberry Slaughterhouse member, Karsten. Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an off-shoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz carp Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, the latter of whom is generally responsible for...
, Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong
Timothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
's (of Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
) record label, decided to sign HorrorPops based on their demos. The band was able to release a vinyl single in September 2003, and began a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
headlining tour.
The band's first full-length album, Hell Yeah!, was released in February 2004, but problems with getting work visas resulted in the band having to cancel U.S. tour dates. The band was able to make up for this loss via an opening stint for the Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
in Europe. Mille left the band a short while later to go back to school, and was replaced with Naomi. The band soon relocated from Denmark to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
The band's second album, Bring It On!
Bring It On! (HorrorPops album)
Bring it On! is the second album by the Danish psychobilly band, HorrorPops. It was released on September 13, 2005 on Hellcat Records. It was recorded in Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California during 2005...
, was released on September 13, 2005. Their third album, released on February 5, 2008, is called Kiss Kiss Kill Kill
Kiss Kiss Kill Kill
Kiss Kiss Kill Kill is a 2008 LP by the Danish punk trio HorrorPops. The cover and songs convey a cinematic theme . The album art mimics archetypical B-movie posters, promising "Twelve Tales About Love and Murder... Starring HorrorPops"...
.
1996
Patricia's former band "Peanut Pump Gun" (indiepunk rock) was opening for Kim Nekroman's band NekromantixNekromantix
The Nekromantix are a Danish-American psychobilly band formed in 1989 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their music is generally structured around monster and horror themes. A central icon of the band's image is founder and frontman Kim Nekroman's "coffinbass", a custom-built double bass with a body in the...
at the 1998 POPKOM in Cologne, Germany. Even though both bands were based in Copenhagen, Denmark neither of them had heard about each other before. The audience was a mix of psychobillies, punks and indierockers and the genre combination turned out to be a huge success.
A few weeks after the show Patricia and Kim got together back in Copenhagen. Their mutual love for music like:"Blondie", "Depeche Mode" and "Siouxsie and the Banshees", Surf, Ska, Punk and Rock'n'Roll in general, led to the idea of forming a band with no commitment to any particular music style. They also wanted to do something that would take them out of the roles they already were known for and the first step towards that, was to swap instruments. Kim taught Patricia the basics on playing the upright bass and in return Patricia passed on to Kim from her guitar skills. Not long after, the duo were writing songs and a need for a drummer crept in.
1997/1998
After trying out different drummers suitable for the job (even Nekromantix guitarist Pete Sandorff auditioned), Patricia's long time friend Niedermeier (Strawberry Slaughterhouse) joined and "HorrorPops" was officially a band. After a bunch of shows as a trio the "HorrorPops" quickly achieved a cult status attracting a broad audience variety. Never afraid of trying out new things "HorrorPops" recruited a second guitarist "Caz the Clash from the north end of town" , Niedermeier's old band mate and Strawberry Slaughterhouse guitarist. The music came together and got a lot more aggressive.
1999/2000
The HorrorPops decided to bring in a couple of go-go dancers for their stage show, these being Day's co-workers, Mile and Kamila, when she had a job at a piercing shop. This was also the year HorrorPops recorded the album's first 7 songs (at Christiania's Ventura Recordings). These recordings, mainly intended for a band press kit when booking shows, were somehow copied and got multiplied all over the world. This led to the songs "Ghouls" and "Psychobitches outta Hell" becoming Copenhagen Club hits.2001/2002
Mainly concentrating on live shows the HorrorPops built up a huge following and closed the year playing at the Legendary "Wild at Heart" club in Berlin, Germany.2003
The demand for some kind of release motivated the HorrorPops to once again enter the Ventura Recording studio and lay down 6 more tracks. At this time Caz the Clash became a dad and he made the kid his priority........He got replaced by yet another Strawberry Slaughterhouse member Karsten. Hellcat Records were so impressed with the 13 songs and signed HorrorPops. A vinyl single containing "Ghouls" and "Psychobitches outta Hell" was released early September on Rancid Records and the full length album Hell Yeah got scheduled to hit the streets January 2004. With the single in hand HorrorPops ventured out on their first US tour as headliner for the "Aloha from hell tour" with 9 shows across California and Arizona. This also brought the first US interview to HorrorPops which happened to be with Vogue. With the band always finding humor in things and wanting to please 'the moms', HorrorPops ended up with a trendy and very funny article in Vogue. Later same year the band got a great preview of their upcoming show with Rancid in LA weekly and a fantastic show with Rancid and Tiger Army at the Wiltern, LA. This show brought HorrorPops out to a lot of new people.2004
Hell Yeah! was released with a bang February 10; the interest in the band grew amazingly and when they did their release show at Amoeba Records, it was packed, to the surprise of everyone in HorrorPops. HorrorPops was then supposed to follow up with a grand U.S. tour, but got stuck in immigration paperwork and had to cancel the whole tour. The Offspring was just about to head out on their month-long European tour and with a 3-day warning HorrorPops got offered the chance to join them as main support. Horrorpops played every night for audiences numbering between 5000 to 16000 people, they then continued with their own 1½ month headline tour in Europe.Shortly after the European tour ended, Horrorpops returned to the states to play the Jimmy Kimmel show and a few California shows, but realizing the work that lay ahead and how time consuming the band had become, Mille had to leave the band to go back to school. Mille got replaced by another good friend of the band, Naomi, who was quickly renamed NoNo.
HorrorPops started touring the states, first on Punks VS Psychos, then as main support for Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and then back to Europe for another tour. One tour took over the next in 2004 and the band to loved every minute of it. The Horrorpops also played in a movie called The Punk Rock Halocust and therefore made them more popular. Later, Karsten had to leave the band; he met the love of his life and wanted to spend time with her which was kind of hard to do with the band's tour schedule. HorrorPops played around 110 shows in 2004 and went back to Los Angeles to start work on their second album. They played one last show for the year in West Hollywood to announce their new guitar player.
2005
The HorrorPops second album, Bring It On!Bring It On! (HorrorPops album)
Bring it On! is the second album by the Danish psychobilly band, HorrorPops. It was released on September 13, 2005 on Hellcat Records. It was recorded in Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California during 2005...
, was released featuring new rhythm guitarist, Geoff Kresge
Geoff Kresge
Geoff Kresge is a songwriter, guitarist, bassist, who played with AFI for most of their early career, from 1992 through 1997, and co-wrote the majority of their early material alongside frontman Davey Havok. During an AFI hiatus in 1993, he briefly moved to New York to join Blanks 77...
.
2006
The HorrorPops spent most of 2006 touring Canada, Asia, Europe, and the States, including a Warped Tour stint.2007
According to HorrorPops MySpace page, as of mid-February, the HorrorPops were in the studio recording their third album. The album is titled "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill" and was released on February 5, 2008. Later rhythm guitarist Geoff Kresge left, and the band went back to its original three-piece arrangement.2008 and independent circuit
The aforementioned album, "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill," was released on Feb. 5 2008 and they began a currently ongoing North American tour. They began the tour with an electric show in San Luis Obispo, CA, USA where they have a fairly loyal following, and are currently touring with two bands from Los Angeles, CA. Their opening bands include Rocket, which is an all girl band, and The Pink SpidersThe Pink Spiders
The Pink Spiders are an American rock band, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2003. The band currently consists of Matt Friction , Bob Ferrari , and Brandon Jazz ....
, a pop punk band. They are on Vans Warped Tour all summer. After the release of their 3rd album, Kiss Kiss Kill Kill, they began to have much larger of a fan base.
'Barbie doll' controversy
In 23 December 2010, Patricia Day filed a lawsuit in an IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
federal court against the Hard Rock casino, charging infringement of the right of publicity
Personality rights
"Personality rights" is a common or casual reference to the proper term of art "Right of Publicity". The Right of Publicity can be defined simply as the right of an individual to control the commercial use of his or her name, image, likeness or other unequivocal aspects of one's identity...
and false endorsement
Endorsement
Endorsement may refer to:*Testimonial in advertising, written or spoken statement endorsing a product*Political endorsement*a form added to an insurance policy, modifying the terms...
. In her lawsuit, the HorrorPops singer claims Hard Rock and Mattel have been selling a Barbie doll in her image without her authorization.
While it is true that Mattel and Hard Rock have released a series of rock ‘n’ roll-themed Barbies, featuring pioneering female musicians such as Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
of Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
or Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, in the lawsuit it is alleged that another doll, called the “Hard Rock Café Barbie Doll" or the “Rockabilly Barbie,” is made in the image of the HorrorPops lead singer but without direct acknowledgement of nor permission by Patricia Day.
Current lineup
- Patricia DayPatricia DayPatricia Day is the bassist and lead singer for the Danish rockabilly band HorrorPops.-Biography:Patricia Day, originally from Copenhagen originally performed with punk rock band Peanut Pump Gun. She met Nekromantix singer and bassist, Kim Nekroman, at the 1996 POPKOMM festival in Cologne, Germany....
- VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Kim NekromanKim NekromanKim Nekroman is the bassist and lead singer for the psychobilly band Nekromantix and the lead guitarist of HorrorPops. He is married to Patricia Day, lead singer and bassist for HorrorPops.-On tour:...
- GuitarGuitarThe 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... - Niedermeier - DrumsDrum kitA 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 ....
Former members
- Caz the Clash - Rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
(1998–2003) - Karsten - Rhythm guitar (2003–2004)
- Geoff KresgeGeoff KresgeGeoff Kresge is a songwriter, guitarist, bassist, who played with AFI for most of their early career, from 1992 through 1997, and co-wrote the majority of their early material alongside frontman Davey Havok. During an AFI hiatus in 1993, he briefly moved to New York to join Blanks 77...
- Rhythm guitar (2005–2006)
Studio albums
| Title | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Hell Yeah! | February 10, 2004 | Hellcat/Epitaph |
| Bring It On! Bring It On! (HorrorPops album) Bring it On! is the second album by the Danish psychobilly band, HorrorPops. It was released on September 13, 2005 on Hellcat Records. It was recorded in Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California during 2005... |
September 9, 2005 | Hellcat/Epitaph |
| Kiss Kiss Kill Kill Kiss Kiss Kill Kill Kiss Kiss Kill Kill is a 2008 LP by the Danish punk trio HorrorPops. The cover and songs convey a cinematic theme . The album art mimics archetypical B-movie posters, promising "Twelve Tales About Love and Murder... Starring HorrorPops"... |
February 5, 2008 | Hellcat/Epitaph |
EPs and singles
| Title | Release date | Label | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghouls/Psychobitches Outta Hell | September 2003 | Rancid Records | |
| MissTake (CD Single) | Hellcat/Epitaph Europe | ||
| MissTake (Picture Disc) | Hellcat/Epitaph Europe | Picturedisc Limited to 500 copies and 500 signed copies under pressing. Only sold on Tour |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Ghouls | Unknown Director | Hell Yeah! |
| Miss Take | Justin Purser | ||
| 2005 | Where You Can't Follow | Matt Heckerling | Bring It On! |
| 2008 | Heading for the Disco? | Octavio Winkytiki | Kiss Kiss Kill Kill |
| Boot To Boot | Unknown Director | ||
| Horrorbeach Pt. 2 | Octavio Winkytiki |