Gay for Johnny Depp

Infobox musical artist
Name = Gay for Johnny Depp


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Background = group_or_band
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Origin = New York City
Genre = Queercore Post-Hardcore
Indie rock
Screamo.
Years_active = 2004–present
Label = Captains of Industry
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Current_members = Sid Jagger
Marty Leopard
Chelsea Piers
JJ Samanen
Past_members = Nick Feledziak
Notable_instruments =

Gay for Johnny Depp is a hardcore/metal band formed in New York, USA. Members are: Sid Jagger (Guitar - Real name: Joe Grillo), Marty Leopard (Vocals - Real name Arty Shepherd), Chelsea Piers (Bass), JJ Samanen (drums) and formerly Nick Feledziak (Kazoo). They are known for the lyrical content of their songs, which is often concerned with the band's obsession over the actor Johnny Depp.

History

Formed from ex-members of post-hardcore bands Garrison and Instruction in 2004, Gay for Johnny Depp released their first recording effort, "Erotically Charged Dance Songs for the Desperate", on 12 July, 2004. The 5-track EP was met with positive reviews which often compared Gay for Johnny Depp to fellow hardcore bands The Blood Brothers and The Locust.

The band recorded their second EP, "", in the summer of 2005, and released it on 19 September, 2005 on the UK label Captains Of Industry. This was supported by a small tour of the UK. The record gained Gay for Johnny Depp a lot of fans, due to the unusual song titles as much as the music itself.

On 9 June, 2006 Gay for Johnny Depp played at the Download Festival in Donington Park, UK.

The band have recorded one full-length album, "The Politics of Cruelty". It was released on 5 November 2007 and was rare example of a hardcore band receiving positive reviews in publications such as "NME", "Q", "The Guardian" and "Uncut!" as well as heavier rock publications such as "Rock Sound". A number of tracks were also aired on BBC Radio 1.

Instead of featuring the usual biographical material, advance copies of the album sent to the media caused contained a highly explicit pornographic fan letter to actor Johnny Depp, purported to be written by someone simply known as 'Brad'. This approach was in keeping with the band's previous promotional material, which have included bottles of amyl nitrite, surgical rubber gloves, condoms, explicit homosexual photographs and further explicit letters from 'Brad'.

The band's debut album featured in the NME Top 10 chart throughout November 2007.

Gay For Johnny Depp toured the UK in January and February 2008 and in April 2008.

tyle

Gay for Johnny Depp have been described as spazzcore, hardcore, and metal. They are most well known for their vulgar, homoerotic lyrics focused around Johnny Depp; for example on "Kill The Cool Kids", Leopard sings "Cos I want my Johnny bleeding, fuck him in the ass!" The vocals are most often delivered in a high-pitched scream reminiscent of bands such as Ed Gein, The Locust, Gallows, The Blood Brothers. Musically, the band are recognisable for a frantic, relentless style, with few songs lasting more than three minutes in length.

The band have been remixed by The Blacksmoke Organisation.

Discography

EPs

*"Erotically Charged Dance Songs for the Desperate" (2004)
*"" (2005)

Albums

*"The Politics of Cruelty" (2007)

Trivia

*Gay for Johnny Depp played their first ever UK show on September 14, 2005 in Exeter, supporting Million Dead. During the show, frontman Marty Leopard was punched by an angry crowd member and had to go to the hospital to receive 5 stitches in his face. [http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=8561]
*The band's song "Shh, Put the Shiv To My Throat" has been remixed by art collective Blacksmoke.
*A music video for "Shh, Put the Shiv To My Throat" exists, featuring the band playing blindfolded in a dark room, covered in blood.

ee also

External links

* [http://gayforjohnnydepp.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/gayforjohnnydepp Gay for Johnny Depp] on MySpace
* [http://www.als3designs.com/picture.archive/gay.for.johnny.depp/index.html Gay For Johnny Depp picture archive]
* [http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/gay-for-johnny-depp/ Explicit 2007 press release]
* [http://www.the-mag.me.uk/Band-Profiles/Gay-For-Johnny-Depp/ Gay For Johnny Depp on The Mag]