Jasmine Hirst photo
The Queen of No Wave, Lydia Lunch, returns to Australia in June with two unique shows.
Lydia will perform her no holds barred, spoken word, with support from Tex Perkins in solo mode playing guitar and laptop. Lydia will also team with Andrew Coates of Melbourne band Black Cab to perform the songs of Suicide and Alan Vega. The latter has been a passion project for Lunch, having done the songs of Vega and Suicide for years in the USA and Europe with French experimental musician Marc Hurtado.
Lydia spoke to me via Zoom from her New York pad.
I-94 Bar: When did you first meet Alan Vega and Martin Rev?
Lydia: I walked into Max’s Kansas City; I think that was ‘77. And there were 10 people in the room, it was the first time I saw Suicide. I pledged my love and that was it. Martin Rev…I was younger than his son. He would give me vitamins, and it went on from there. I saw some posters that Teenage Jesus played with Suicide, but I mean, come on, how am I supposed to remember tha?. But it would make sense.
I-94 Bar: so, you saw them live before you heard the records?
Lydia: I saw them live. I don’t know if the first record was out then. I don’t know what year the first record was out, time goes on forever, I have no idea. Plus, I was a runaway living in New York, I didn’t have a record payer. I had nothing, expect balls. (Laughs). it makes sense for me to do this tribute to Alan Vega, I had been doing “Frankie Teardrop” with a variety of bands.
One was Retrovirus, and I had done a duet with Alan in the past. Marc Hurtado, who I do this Alan Vega/Suicide show with in Europe, produced an Alan Vega solo LP called “Sniper”. The first time I was summoned to perform with Alan Vega (Alan was still with us, but sick) so I stood in for him. I was living in Barcelona. I stood in for a concert in France,and when he passed, I thought his music needs to be carried on somehow, and it gives me the freedom to do the psychobilly of Suicide, but the ability to add what I want lyrically. So it’s not nostalgic, but present.
I-94 Bar: I remember when Alan Vega passed away, Phil MacDougall (of Melbourne radio station 3PBS) did a Suicide/Alan Vega special that night. And he was playing all this amazing stuff from his solo records which I didn’t really know that much about. So, I went to Discogs and of course there all in the hundreds, so that’s great you’re keeping the tracks alive.
Lydia: What Andrew Coates and I are doing are different to what I do with Marc. We do some of the same songs, but also different songs. I forgot how many solo LPs Alan had so we’re doing for some of those. When I’m doing it with Marc it’s like two Alan Vegas behind me; with Andrew, it’s a different vibe, more sensitive, sexy, sinister even. I say, as I laugh sadistically.
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Jsmine Hitst photo.
I-94 Bar: You are right that these songs need to be preserved so bloody onya for doing it.
Lydia: Absolutely and it’s a very mobile thing. Other than with Marc and Andrew, I won’t do it with anyone else. It’s an important thing, particularly as it gives me the lyrical freedom.
I-94 Bar: I guess bands such as Suicide that had a profound effect on you, they influenced you, but you don’t want to be a carbon copy, you want to add your own touch….
Lydia: Suicide influenced me very much, and also the band Mars, but I never made records that sounded like them. It was more insanity, and in the case of Suicide, more of a cross between do-wop and psychobilly - and the thousand yard stare. All of this influenced me more intellectually and philosophically than musically. For instance, Mars is one of my favourite bands, no one ever covers them as you can’t, it was perfect insanity. With Suicide there was more leeway.
I-94 Bar: I never thought of Suicide as psychobilly, but I can see that.
Lydia: I mean absolutely, most of the songs are about emotional devastation. So, I can identify with the themes and the subjects (laughs)
I-94 Bar: What was the feel and vibe like about Alan,and Martin?. Because in Alan’s case, wasn’t there debate about how old he actually was?
Lydia: I have no freaking clue, but I know they where both very kind. I just wrote an essay on Alan’s art work for a book coming out but I never saw it the time. Because most of it was late ‘60s/early ‘70s. I said he took the discarded, the abandoned, and he adopted them and made art like alien creatures. Which you couldn’t look away until you say the next one.
It was kind of like the music. He took discarded music, and adopted them and made music form it. So, I feel like they adopted me. Now that I think about it, I feel they adopted me, why not?
I-94 Bar: You worked with Alan and knew him personally, so can’t think of many other people who could do a show like this, having known him on a personal and professional level
Lydia: I was asked by a New York promoter if I would do it with Martin Rev, and I’m like,’I can’t do it with (the other member of Suicide) Martin Rev for some reason. Me and Marc make it so much more violent, the technology is so much different. And with Andrew, it’s more sinister and sexy I didn’t feel it would be right with Martin, which might sound weird.
I-94 Bar: No that makes sense, as you’re doing your own thing and your own touch on the material, it wouldn’t be your touch if you did it with someone directly involved.
Lydia: Exactly. I’ve done cover songs my whole career. I did a whole cover LP, including mostly songs I hated when I was teenager. It included “Blaze of Glory” by Bon Jovi. One by Steely Dan (“Do It Again”), But I would use the song, the music, is as it is. The music is exactly as it was, my vocals aren’t much different, but people who hated the original, hear my version and it’s like, ‘Oh interesting’’. All I’m doing is slightly singing differently.
I-94 Bar: And you’re also doing spoken word with Tex Perkins, here in Melbourne at the Kew Court House.
Lydia: The last time I was there we did “Some Verlet Morning”, in the Rowland S Howard tribute show. We’re going to do “Hard for You” in his set, which I had done with Shotgun Wedding many years ago, I love the Beasts of Bourbon.
Looking forward to a good time in Australia, I always do. Especially after a 16-hour flight. You better have a freaking good time. It’s brutal but it’s all good. If you travel for that long you gotta get in the zone.
I-94 Bar: Yeah sod jet lag, just get on with it
Lydia: I look at it this way, does it really matter where your ass is on the way to a gig? A train, a plane, a stoop, sitting on a bench, graveyard? Whatever it takes to get there.
LYDIA LUNCH PERFORMS THE SONGS OF SUICIDE AND ALAN VEGA
featuring Andrew Coates (Black Cab)
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND – JUNE 2026
Sun 14 June – Meow, Wellington, NZ (as part of Lōemis)
Wed 17 June – The Tote, Melbourne (with Black Cab)
Sat 20 June – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
Sun 21 June – Factory Floor, Sydney
Wed 24 June – Ed Castle, Adelaide
Thurs 25 June – The Milk Bar, Perth
SO REAL IT HURTS – LYDIA LUNCH & TEX PERKINS – JUNE 2026
Fri 19 June – Kew Courthouse, Melbourne-
Sat 20 June – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
Sat 27 June – Riverside Live at Phive, Sydney
