L7

L7 were an American all female alternative rock band from Los Angeles. They were active from 1985 to 2001. Due to their sound and image, they are often associated with the grunge movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s. L7 influenced many of the riot grrrl bands of the 1990s. L7 were formed by Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner in 1985. The band's name derives from a 1950s slang phrase meaning "square". The expression "L7" can be heard in the Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs song "Wooly Bully" ("Let's not be L7, come and learn to dance..."), in the Rick James song "Bustin' Out" ("L7- just a little too damn straight..."), in the Paul McCartney song "C Moon" ("I could be L7 and I'll never get to heaven if I fill my head with glue") and the Sex Pistols song "I Wanna Be Me" ("Don't wanna be L7 I've had enough of this"). In 1991, the band formed Rock for Choice, a Pro-Choice women's rights group that was supported by other prominent bands of that era including Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, and Rage Against the Machine. Their 1992 third album Bricks Are Heavy, produced by Butch Vig, was featured in Rolling Stone's May 1999 list of Essential recordings of the 1990s, and was their most successful release, which featured their single Pretend We're Dead, that gained substantial airplay on MTV and American rock radio stations. L7's fourth album, Hungry for Stink, was released in July 1994 and coincided with the Lollapalooza tour, on which they shared the stage with other successful acts of the era including The Smashing Pumpkins and the Breeders. The band's most recent album, Slap-Happy, was released in 1999 and did not chart on either side of the Atlantic. To promote the record, on July 17, 1999, a plane flew over the crowd at the Lilith Fair at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, with a banner that read, "Bored? Tired? Try L7." The following day, an airplane towed a banner over the crowd at the Warped Tour at the Stone Pony lot in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The banner read "Warped needs more beaver...love, L7."  By 2001 L7 were no longer touring or producing records.

Links To Peel
Peel was a fan of riot girl acts such as Babes in Toyland and Hole. L7 were part of that scene and did a session for Peel's show in 1990. The band's third album in 1992, produced by Butch Vig, departed from their riot girl roots and became more grungy and hard rock, which Peel was not really keen on. On his show from 04 September 1992 he disliked the band's new music after seeing them at the Reading festival:


 * "...L7 came next, and again they're one of those...I wasn't much impressed by them. They seemed to be demonstrating, as much as anything else, that girls can be as daft as boys"

Sessions
1. Recorded: 1990-11-01. Broadcast: 18 November 1990. Repeated: 07 July 1991, Best Of Peel Vol 14, Best Of Peel Vol 17
 * Their only session can be found available on their Keep On Rocking EP (Mofo, 1991)
 * Scrap / Packin' A Rod / Shove / Let's Lynch The Landlord

Other Shows Played
The list below was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and may be incomplete. Please add further details if known.

1990 1991
 * 08 May 1990: Bloodstains (Agent Orange) (v/a 7" EP - Teriyaki Asthma Volume III) C/Z
 * 15 May 1990: Bloodstains (Agent Orange) (v/a 7" EP - Teriyaki Asthma Volume III) C/Z
 * Best Of Peel Vol 4: 'Bloodstains (Agent Orange) (7 inch-Teriyaki Asthma Volume III)' (C/Z)
 * 07 October 1990: 'Fast And Frightening (LP-Smell The Magic)' (Sub Pop)
 * 29 December 1990: 'Bloodstains (Agent Orange) (7 inch-Teriyaki Asthma Volume III)' (C/Z)
 * Best Of 1991 Vol 2: Shove (Session)