7 Year Bitch is a little band from the Northwest that likes to make little melodies about how human years correspond to the lives of female dogs. Well, not really. Actually they're a Seattle band that's so up front and in your face it's time for a facial. Better make that appointment to visit the Body Shop, `cause they're coming to town Friday to the Mercury Theatre.
This foursome of femme fatales got together "because we thought it would be cool to be in a band," said vocalist Selene Vigil in a recent interview, "We never thought we'd play outside of Seattle. We never intended to rehearse a lot, tour everywhere, buckle down. We have short attention spans." It's a common story,friends that went to shows together who never picked up an instrument start a band. 7 Year Bitch, however, took off.
In February of 1992, a member of Pearl Jam came up to the band and asked them to take over their place in opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. "We all said, `Ah, ha, ha...yeah right! Tell us another one.' But he was serious," said bassist Elizabeth Davis. Vigil added, "We asked for the lights to go up, and we took a picture of the crowd with our little cameras."
Since then, things have run their course like a roller coaster. Original guitarist Stefanie Sargent died after recording their debut album Sick' Em and the band had to decide whether to continue or not. With an incentive to make the band stronger in memory of Sargent, they have since gotten bigger and better and have signed on a new guitarist, Roisin Dunne. 7 Year Bitch had jammed with many other guitarists but none had the chemistry that the L.A. based Dunne had.
In 1993, the group completed a European tour and received rave reviews from hard to please Melody Maker and NME. They have packed venues across the country opening for the likes of Silverfish, L7, Love Battery, Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine.
The music is hard-core feminine grunge without the hygiene. Vigil's voice roller coasters on a fine line between allurance and disruption, a siren with attitude. This might come from the fact that they're all so `good lookin' - bassist Davis talked about their gender in conjunction with the throbbing sound, "I think it's sexy, " she said.
Also appearing with 7 Year Bitch is Loudspeaker, an angry band that spews forth from Manhattan, loud and abrasive like good grunge should be. Also appearing with Loudspeaker will be Serene Scream.
That's for Friday.
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