Seeing this for the first time. I didn’t think I could be a bigger fan of Kat than I already was. I was wrong. She is my favorite performer ever. I love this ❤❤
Hello Kat fans and other creatures. This is your old friendly Uncle Dave. Yes, the same Uncle Dave, Kathy's uncle, who gave her guitar lessons, helped her pick out her gear and was lead guitar for The Neurotics (early version of the Venarays). I'm here to dispel any myths or misconceptions for you, if you wish. Or maybe you'd rather just press on with myths and misconceptions. But, you may know everything about this band. I'm sure I don't.
Hi Dave! Are there any myths or other incorrect information you know of that you’d like to clear up? And did you ever suspect Kat’s music would get as popular as it did? Thanks for commenting on this video and thanks for nurturing that musical creativity in a person. Her writing and guitar playing has changed many lives and she is beloved by many :)
@@glittersister314 I can answer questions as they arise. You have asked did I suspect that her music would achieve the popularity it did. Well, not really, but I never spent much time thinking about it. Of course I was happy for her at every stage in her career. She told me early on, in so many words or less, that she would not let anything or anyone hold her back. I guess that's what happened, but only she would know just how and who.
@@davidhigginbotham5451 Thanks Dave. I thought of a few more questions. Do you know if there was a specific reason she picked the Rickenbacker and did she have interest in any other guitars? What things did you teach her when you gave her guitar lessons? Who else was in The Neurotics and when/why did it become The Venarays? And do you have any sound or video recordings from this time period?
@@glittersister314 1. I think she selected the Rick because of it's small size (Kat is not a large person) and probably because of it's angular shaping - smoothed and rounded shapes and forms were not embraced by the Punk movement. Case in point, when we started the Neurotics, she didn't have an electric guitar so I let her use my Gibson ES-335 and altho it's a fabulous guitar, she didn't care for it much. What did I teach her on guitar? Ok, To begin with mostly simple stuff, like the basics of melody... campfire songs etc. It wasn't long before I was showing her the simplest surf rock songs. From there she basically just spent time figuring out how to play songs by her favorite bands - The B52's, The Cramps, The Divinyls etc. The Neurotics consisted of myself on Lead guitar, Kat on rhythm guitar, Laura Robertson on bass (I taught Laura to play and helped her pick out her gear also) Brian McMillan on drums and Marty Wyman as singer. I have all the sound recordings of The Neurotics, as well as audio recordings of a band that you never heard of - The Ex-Rays!
@@davidhigginbotham5451 That’s awesome! Was ‘The Ex-Rays’ another name the band went by at one point or a different group? Have you ever considered sharing those recordings online?
I'm guessing late 1981 or '82. The drummer mentions them going to Seattle to see The Rolling Stones and according to Wikipedia the stones played there in October of 1981. Kat also mentions they were cheerleaders/friends in high school so she is at least 18 here since she was born December '63 Edit: All of her bios say she bought her Rickenbacker when she was 19, I don't know how I forgot that when answering this before. So actually it would have to be '83 I guess
@@glittersister314 Kat’s uncle told me that the first band she was in was his band “The Neurotics.” When he left The Neurotics, it became the Venarays. (Interestingly, Kat’s uncle’s name is Dave, but he’s not the same Dave as the guy in this video. Kat’s uncle: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kat_Bjelland#Voice_and_instrumentation )
@@andrewparodi1920Yep, she mentions her uncle in several interviews and the book "Women, sex, and rock'n'roll : in their own words" archive.org/details/womensexrocknrol0000unse/page/57/mode/1up (you can rent the book for free by making a free account) She puts it more like she played in her uncles band with his older friends and then later left to start her own thing with her girlfriends.
Seeing this for the first time. I didn’t think I could be a bigger fan of Kat than I already was. I was wrong. She is my favorite performer ever. I love this ❤❤
Historically and culturally essential.
Kat is such a babe!
Catatonic!
Good band...strong vocals...tight drum and bass...and Kat
Hello Kat fans and other creatures. This is your old friendly Uncle Dave. Yes, the same Uncle Dave, Kathy's uncle, who gave her guitar lessons, helped her pick out her gear and was lead guitar for The Neurotics (early version of the Venarays). I'm here to dispel any myths or misconceptions for you, if you wish. Or maybe you'd rather just press on with myths and misconceptions. But, you may know everything about this band. I'm sure I don't.
Hi Dave! Are there any myths or other incorrect information you know of that you’d like to clear up? And did you ever suspect Kat’s music would get as popular as it did? Thanks for commenting on this video and thanks for nurturing that musical creativity in a person. Her writing and guitar playing has changed many lives and she is beloved by many :)
@@glittersister314 I can answer questions as they arise. You have asked did I suspect that her music would achieve the popularity it did. Well, not really, but I never spent much time thinking about it. Of course I was happy for her at every stage in her career. She told me early on, in so many words or less, that she would not let anything or anyone hold her back. I guess that's what happened, but only she would know just how and who.
@@davidhigginbotham5451 Thanks Dave. I thought of a few more questions. Do you know if there was a specific reason she picked the Rickenbacker and did she have interest in any other guitars? What things did you teach her when you gave her guitar lessons? Who else was in The Neurotics and when/why did it become The Venarays? And do you have any sound or video recordings from this time period?
@@glittersister314 1. I think she selected the Rick because of it's small size (Kat is not a large person) and probably because of it's angular shaping - smoothed and rounded shapes and forms were not embraced by the Punk movement. Case in point, when we started the Neurotics, she didn't have an electric guitar so I let her use my Gibson ES-335 and altho it's a fabulous guitar, she didn't care for it much. What did I teach her on guitar? Ok, To begin with mostly simple stuff, like the basics of melody... campfire songs etc. It wasn't long before I was showing her the simplest surf rock songs. From there she basically just spent time figuring out how to play songs by her favorite bands - The B52's, The Cramps, The Divinyls etc. The Neurotics consisted of myself on Lead guitar, Kat on rhythm guitar, Laura Robertson on bass (I taught Laura to play and helped her pick out her gear also) Brian McMillan on drums and Marty Wyman as singer. I have all the sound recordings of The Neurotics, as well as audio recordings of a band that you never heard of - The Ex-Rays!
@@davidhigginbotham5451 That’s awesome! Was ‘The Ex-Rays’ another name the band went by at one point or a different group? Have you ever considered sharing those recordings online?
I was waiting for... "I know the sugar plum fairie, her name is Mary..."
Early version of Catatonic 👌
what year was this??
I'm guessing late 1981 or '82. The drummer mentions them going to Seattle to see The Rolling Stones and according to Wikipedia the stones played there in October of 1981. Kat also mentions they were cheerleaders/friends in high school so she is at least 18 here since she was born December '63
Edit: All of her bios say she bought her Rickenbacker when she was 19, I don't know how I forgot that when answering this before. So actually it would have to be '83 I guess
@@glittersister314 Kat’s uncle told me that the first band she was in was his band “The Neurotics.” When he left The Neurotics, it became the Venarays. (Interestingly, Kat’s uncle’s name is Dave, but he’s not the same Dave as the guy in this video. Kat’s uncle: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kat_Bjelland#Voice_and_instrumentation )
@@andrewparodi1920Yep, she mentions her uncle in several interviews and the book "Women, sex, and rock'n'roll : in their own words" archive.org/details/womensexrocknrol0000unse/page/57/mode/1up (you can rent the book for free by making a free account)
She puts it more like she played in her uncles band with his older friends and then later left to start her own thing with her girlfriends.
@@glittersister314 interesting. Thanks.