NEW YORK LOST
A conversation with NY Loose's Brijitte West
By Sleazegrinder
Listen: NY Loose - "Pretty Suicide"
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“Life can be so cruel, for such a pretty girl…”

The New York Loose was formed in the NYC bedroom of Brijitte West somewhere during the dawn of the 1990’s. West has already cut her rock n’ roll teeth with the raucous fuzzfest Viva La Wattage, but had a brand new vision to pursue. Brijitte was out to form the perfect New York rock n’ roll band, one that mixed sleazy rock guitars and glammy pop hooks and cranked it all up really, really high. The first NY Loose single, “Bitch” (1994), was punky and lo-fi and distributed by Brijitte herself, but the band starting picking up steam anyway, thanks in no small part to their frontwoman’s stunning looks and penchant for writing tough, chewy rock n’ roll songs. New York City, knowing authentic rock n’ roll when it sees it, embraced the band, and they became ground zero for a sleaze rock scene that exploded all around ‘em, and included legends like Gunfire Dance, Princess Pang, Cycle Sluts from Hell, and D-Generation. Flipside Magazine, the bible of punk rock cool back then, loved them, and released an EP in 1995 called “Loosen Up”, known as much for it’s slithery songs as it’s cover shot, featuring the iconic Brijitte on the stage floor, legs up in the air, deep in the throes of rock n’ roll ecstasy.

After the Flipside EP, everybody who knew rock n’ roll knew the NY Loose. Even people who DIDN’T know rock n’ roll, like Madonna and a handful of fat-fingered major label scouts, knew the NY Loose. Eventually the band signed to Hollywood records, a subsidiary of Disney (!), who released their sole full-length album, “Year of the Rat”, in 1996. The album was an under-rated gem, one of the best albums of the 1990’s, a powerhouse of scorching, cynical rock n’ roll full of shoulda-been hits like “Pretty Suicide” and “Rip Me Up” that were as angry and brooding as they were poppy and  hook-heavy. Proving how on-the-ball the genius club at Disney was, they put the sleazy little New York motorpunk band on tour with industrial freakshow creeps Marilyn Manson and tossed their second worst song, “Spit”, on the soundtrack for the doomed-from-the-get-go “Crow: City of Angels” soundtrack. The band spent 1996 battling Manson’s Satanic army and wondering if they were selling any records.

They were, but not enough for the Big Machine.
Disillusioned over the whole ugly mess, the band split soon after. And the 90’s pretty much sucked after that. Brijitte West was the ultimate rock n’ roll pin-up, a big-eyed charmer in eye-liner and tight jeans who could rock harder than half the boys. She was like the blonde Joan Jett. The girl had balls. And Disney lopped them off.

The NY Loose had all moved to Los Angeles at that point, and formed different bands. Guitarist Marc Diamond and bass player, ex-Throbs man Danny Nordahl, went on to form sleaze metal brawlers Motochrist. Brijitte West briefly put together a band called Diamond Star Halo and played with ex-White Zombie bass player Sean Yseult in all-girl masked surf trio Famous Monsters. Later on, Brijitte moved to London, got married, and formed the short-lived San Dusky, a band closer to alt-country than punk rock. And that’s really where the trail ended.

But we never give up on our heroes around here, so waited patiently for Brijitte to surface again. After I wrote a short piece on NY Loose for Classic Rock magazine, she contacted me, and was gracious enough to let me interview her. She's still living in London, a new mother, and apparently quite happy with her life. But just like you and I, she misses the band, too.

Welcome back, Brijitte. Rock n’ roll needs you more than ever.

NY Loose circa 1995

I know you've cited the Stooges and MC5 as influences, but how about before that? Surely, there must have been some, like, Sean Cassidy or Bay City Rollers records in your collection?p

Early magazine cover

How did you know that? Yeah, you're right. I really liked the Bay City Rollers. Loved the clothes and the haircuts.

What kind of high school kid were you? Prom queen or punk?

I was a punk. Ripped jeans converse and a black leather jacket. I didn’t get asked to the prom.

What did you do before playing in a band?  Did you go to college?

I went to college for a year to study writing. I couldn’t stay out of the rock clubs though.

What bands were around when you first started playing? Surely the Throbs, but do you remember the Cycle Sluts, Princess Pang, the Freaks, Gunfire Dance?

Yeah, the Cycle Sluts where in full swing when I moved to NYC. They ruled a place called the Lismar Lounge on Avenue A. They would gig there and worked the bar. This was before I was in a band. I thought it was odd that they didn’t play instruments.  I became friends with Howie from the Freaks and when I got to England I met Gunfire Dance, and NY Loose did some very memorable gigs with them.
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UP N' COMING, LOOSELY SPEAKING

You were in a band with Dee Dee Ramone, called Sprokett. Can you talk a little bit about that? I don't think too many people know about it.

Sprokett was pre-NY Loose. When Dee Dee left the Ramones he was in mid-nervous breakdown. He spotted me at a bar and then proceeded to stalk me. I didn’t know if I should be flattered or scared. Anyway, he heard my stuff and wanted to join the band! It was so surreal and bizarre. Of course, I knew it wouldn’t last. We did one gig, and that was it. We replaced him with a bass player called Toad. Sprokett was started by Me and Ricky Bacchus of D-generation. When Toad joined the band, we changed the name to Viva La Wattage. Jesse from D-gen use to come to our gigs. Viva La Wattage was actually the first band I really cut my teeth on. We put out a very rare 7”single. 

Who was in the original NY Loose line-up?

There was never an original line up until Danny Nordahl joined the band, however, our original drummer is called John Melville, and he's in an awesome band in NYC called the Everyothers.

NY Loose promo shot '96

Do you remember what the first rehearsals sounded like?

Yes, I thought it was the greatest sound in the world. It was loud and fun and sexy, and everyone got off.

What was the response like when you first started playing out? Was there a big 'buzz' around the band right away?

NYC is very cut-throat, it took a while for people to actually admit a girl could play, write cool songs, and front a band without looking like a pop pantomime. But when the word got out, and the right people started talking, all hell broke Loose. So to speak.

What kind of bands did you play with back then?

Any band on the Lower East Side who wore creepers and had cool hair.

Was the first NY loose single self-financed?

You mean "Bitch?" Yes it was. I worked my ass of in a shop, and rehearsed and gigged at night.

How did you get the word out about it, and did it sell well?

I sent it to every single fanzine and took out an ad or two. I remember going to my PO Box and being amazed at the amount of orders. I made a point of answering each order for the single with a personal note. Does anyone out there still actually have that single?

I bet our own Pepsi Sheen does. You followed up with the Flipside EP, which is how I – and a lot of other people, I reckon – first heard about you guys. Can you talk a little about your relationship with Flipside? They really hyped you guys a lot. Do you think they were instrumental in getting you signed to a major?

I can’t remember how we met. Probably in a bar very late at night.

You called him your 'guru' at the time, can you talk a little about what he did for the band? Also, are you still friends with him?  

He gave me advice early on when I had no idea what I was doing. It tuned out I never knew what I was doing.

How did it feel when you suddenly became an 'it' band? Did you take a lot of meetings with labels, and did they buy you a lot of steak dinners? Any memorable moments from that process?

We got taken out a bit. Having Madonna, Johnny Depp, and Russell Crow at our gigs was wild. Hollywood records brought us to The Ivy in LA and ordered Danny a glass of cognac that was dated pre Civil War. I think it cost $200 for a single glass. That sealed the deal in his mind, at least.

I guess I flubbed the Madonna story, so maybe you can clarify what her relationship to the band was?

She came to our gigs looking to sign us. I don’t really know the full story, but a deal never hit paper.

So, Hollywood wins the bidding war and you are on your way. Are your lives much different at this point? Did they give you enough money to buy houses and new cars?

(laughs) We all lived in one apartment, and drove around in an ancient VW Rabbit. We had been on the road and needed to sublet our apartments in NYC so we could pay the rent. We ended staying in LA because that was all we could afford to do. It was not my choice. Hollywood gave us a big budget to make the record, but not much else was left over.

What were the recording sessions for Year of the Rat like? Fun? Intense?

All of the above. Julien Raymond, our producer, and Gary Sunshine did not get along on account of the Soundgarden issue. He knew Gary wasn’t right, and I was blinded by loyalty. Coming to terms with all that in the middle of making a record is difficult. We still had fun though, and yes, it was very exciting to hear the songs in their full glory.

Meanwhile, the New York Loose was huge in England. How many  times did the band go over there? What's your theory as to why you were so popular there?

We were a cool band from NYC. In their eyes, the reincarnation of Blondie. We were exotic and tough. English bands for the most part are wimpy. Well, they were in the Brit pop days.

Did the label ever come up with any stupid marketing plans for the band?

We were lucky if they could put two brain cells together to come up with any marketing plan.

One thing about NY Loose I always found interesting is that, although virtually everything written about the band has mentioned your looks, the band never capitalized on it. Instead, you had short hair and wore used leather, just like Joan Jett. Like a rocker, which, after all, is what you were. Did the label or PR people ever try to mold you into some kind of sex kitten image?

Have you seen the cover of Loosen Up? I have gone on stage in next to nothing, and then some nights I wanted to look like Johnny Thunders. I wanted it both ways, to be cool, sexy and be taken seriously. I cut my hair short to keep my look a bit boyish. I always wanted to be one of the boys in the band. The label, as I said didn’t have a clue what to do with us.

New York Loose was on the Crow: City of Angels soundtrack. Did it strike you at the time that maybe having a song on a cursed movie series was a bad omen? Did you get to meet Iggy Pop, at least?

We thought it was fab that Spit was going to be in that cool scene with Iggy and the motorcycle in the fetish club. We went to the set and met the master, and when he was in town at the same time we were, he would show up at our gigs!

Speaking of bad omens, they put you on tour with the AntiChrist himself, Marilyn Manson. Can you talk a little about how that went? It couldn't have been an easy gig.

Not an easy gig, and mostly on account of the audience. When we first started playing with them, they would chant "Manson!" throughout our set and boo us. I got fed up one night, and gave the entire front row the middle finger, spit water on them, and called them all a bunch of motherfuckers! They went wild after that. Manson’s hardcore fan base back then were called the spooky kids. They took a shine to us and started writing good things about us on their website. By the time we came to some of the towns, there were spooky kids there to check us out. It turned out to be a really successful tour, and Manson kept us on the road for almost a year. It was very twisted though, his dressing room “guests” looked like half of them came from a fetish club and the other half from the set of the movie Freaks. I remember once he made some his groupies drink Sea Monkeys!

Brijitte with some dead guy.

Did you have any idea, while all this was going on, about how well the band was doing?

I knew we must have been doing ok, but only because of the fact we were on the road and converting people. We sold records after we left a town or city. We always had favorable press, but the stuff the label was supposed to do like promote us to radio just wasn’t happening. Our manager was nowhere to be seen.

What do you think happened, ultimately? Why didn't the band do as well as expected?

Shit manager, shit label, music business worst case scenario number 1,999,999.

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LAST OF THE LOOSE

What precipitated the band's break-up?

The lack of label support, in spite of winning over audiences night after night was a real heartbreaker. We worked so hard, and knew we had such a great album and that the best was yet to come, but we were told that our tour support was being pulled, and they would not be going to radio. The priority for some of the members at that point switched from being a really tight live band that rocked, to a being the most drunken. Some of them got taken in by that rock and roll myth that you can drink a bottle of jack and do a kick ass show. Unfortunately, the only kick ass show was in their own head, and from where I was standing it was not too pretty. Anyway, blame was thrown around as to what was happening with the label and a lot of it, of course, fell on my shoulders. I was just trying to keep it together. I thought we could write some more songs, really pull together, and get back on the road, and maybe even try to get another deal. Not everyone felt that’s what they wanted to do. It was a difficult time.

Where did it happen, and do you remember what that day was like? Was there any crying or screaming?

I remember getting the call that the tour support was being pulled when we were in Denver, opening for the Reverend Horton Heat. I was in shock and had to tell the guys we couldn’t afford to continue the tour. It was horrible. The final meeting was in a hotel room in LA. Half the band went back to NY, and half stayed in LA. I always thought they would come around and we would start up again, but it never happened. The worst part was managing the disappointment of all the fans, as well as my own. I couldn’t even listen to Year of the Rat for many years after that. It was devastating.

How long after the dissolution of the New York Loose did you start Diamond Star Halo? What year was it at his point?

I think it was about 1999, about a year and a half after NY Loose.

What happened with that band?

It was a complete disaster.

Understood. I believe it was also around this time that you joined Sean Yseult's all-girl surf band Famous Monsters. Can you talk a little bit about what that was like?

I started Famous Monsters with Sean years ago. We did a seven inch for Estrus called Monster Girls are Go. It was so much fun. After NY Loose broke up, I moved to New Orleans where Sean had been living just to get my head together. We ended up recording the first Famous Monsters full length. I played a couple of gigs in New Orleans with them but in the end really wanted to write my own stuff and put another band together, so I left.

Is it true that you were invited to be the singer for Garbage?

I could have had an audition, but I never did it.

Did you think Garbage would have been too square?

Well I actually didn't think they were that bad. When I asked what it was all about, they said Butch Vig was
writing all the songs, and that it was going to be an industrial band. I never really liked NIN or that sort
of stuff, so I felt it wasn't for me. I also thought it would be weird to be in a band with guys so much older
than me. Some people think I must have regrets because of how successful they are, but I can assure you that I don't. I only regret the way NY Loose fell apart.

What precipitated your decision to move to England? Forgive my ignorance, but did you marry your drummer, Pete Lloyd? You did get married about this time, right?

I moved to London just for a change. I didn’t really intend on staying this long! I moved here in 1999. I am married right now,  but no, not to the drummer.

When you got to England, did you try to get a London Loose going?

There could never be another NY Loose.

You had a band called San Dusky for awhile. I heard some MP3's when the website was up, and the sound was much different than NY Loose. Can you talk a bit about that band?

Yes, I was listening to a lot of alt country stuff, like Wilco and Sparklehorse. My writing was going in a different direction. I wanted to write melodic songs and sing instead of scream.  I guess as an artist sometimes it's interesting to work in a different medium for a bit. I did it, got it out of my system, and am proud of the work San Dusky produced.

You recently had a baby. Does this mean the quiet life, or will you be a rock n' roll mom?

Children don’t change who you are, just your priorities. I am still a rock chick with tattoos, only now I'm a mom with tattoos.

Do you still keep up on bands, and if so, what are some of your latest favorites?

I think Jet is the coolest band to come out in ages.

Finally, do you think you'll ever get back together with the fellas, at least for a night?

I would love to, but half of us are in England, and half of us are in the states. It would be great to start a NY Loose reunion fund. Maybe then we can make it happen!
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BONUS: HOW TO BE COOL, THE BRIJITTE WEST WAY
It is doubtless that any of us are gonna be as cool as Mrs. West, but with a little help, we can try. If you would, let us in on some stuff…

Some albums we should all have in our collection?

The Saints “I’m Stranded,” Jet “Get Born” and Sparklehorse “Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot”.

Some movies we should all see?

U Turn, Buffalo 66, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Some books we should all read?

Pretty much any of the Russell Banks novels.

Some places we should all go?

The top of the Empire State Building at night, and the London Eye.

Fashion advice for the aesthetically challenged?

If you're skinny wear it tight. Oh, and dyed hair always looks cooler.

Brijitte West, England, 2005