Archived interview with Jade Zebest. Interview originally conducted in January 2005.
The third person in our series of interviews with influential women in the L.A. punk
scene is Ms. Sue Langland, aka "Jade Zebest."
I remember Jade and her sister, Zandra used to go to all the early punk shows. Jade had
her own fanzine, "Generation X" and was one of the first people in L.A. to document the
emerging scene from an insider's perspective, rather than a more traditional journalist's
viewpoint. I recall Jade as fun-loving, outspoken and very direct. You always knew
where she stood on any given issue. Her fanzine was a perfect way for her to express
her ideas (see the L.A. versus S.F. editorial on the right for an example.)
I think the picture of Jade with me and Belinda was taken at the Mabuhay Gardens in S.F.
It was not uncommon for a group of punks to pile into a car for a road trip to see one of
our favorite bands and this shot is from one of those trips.
Thank you to Jenny Lens for putting me back in touch with Sue/Jade.
scene is Ms. Sue Langland, aka "Jade Zebest."
I remember Jade and her sister, Zandra used to go to all the early punk shows. Jade had
her own fanzine, "Generation X" and was one of the first people in L.A. to document the
emerging scene from an insider's perspective, rather than a more traditional journalist's
viewpoint. I recall Jade as fun-loving, outspoken and very direct. You always knew
where she stood on any given issue. Her fanzine was a perfect way for her to express
her ideas (see the L.A. versus S.F. editorial on the right for an example.)
I think the picture of Jade with me and Belinda was taken at the Mabuhay Gardens in S.F.
It was not uncommon for a group of punks to pile into a car for a road trip to see one of
our favorite bands and this shot is from one of those trips.
Thank you to Jenny Lens for putting me back in touch with Sue/Jade.
My only contribution would have been adding to the (tiny) body count of the original scene makers and starting one of a number of fanzines in support of it: Generation X 2. Which artist, band concert and/or show had the most impact on your life? Without a doubt David Bowie, circa Long Beach 1973 when he was still Ziggy Stardust. Through Bowie I discovered the Stooges and saw them play for 7 nights at the Whiskey in 1974. Through the Stooges I got interested in all sorts of "non corporate" rock such as the New York Dolls, and eventually, the Sex Pistols and the Ramones.... 3. What was the role of women in the early punk scene? Women had a 50% impact on the scene...they were publishers of fanzines like mine, and like Sue and Alex of "The Blank Generation" (the first fanzine I ever wrote for); women were founding members of bands, they were photographers, wives, girlfriends, supporters...they played a role in the whole panorama of the thing....I think that the equality of the first female punks was due, in part, to the role that gay men played in early punk...they were not seeing women as sexual objects but as equals...which was unusual in the 1970's Rock World. As someone who started out hanging around at Rodney's English Disco in the early 70's, the notion of a woman being anything but decorative was a radical idea...around that time a woman's value was in direct proportion to the smallness of her waist size. 4. What is the legacy of punk in your life? Well, punk haunted my dreams for many years...I have always lived a rather "alternative" lifestyle...and I still don't have a "regular" job! 5. What are you listening to now? I don't really listen to music anymore...the last great band for me was Nirvana (of course since I am an honorary Seattlelite.) 6. Do you have any funny or interesting stories to share? I was usually too drunk to remember many really good stories...but I have memories of some good times...like toasting in the New Year with champagne in a dumpster behind the Masque with my friend Meredith, Phast Phreddy and Claude Bessey....or being at a party with Malcolm McClaren...or being an extra in the movie "Up in Smoke" and watching the Germs give an incredibly intense performance that was cut out of the film of course...it would have upstaged anything that Cheech and Chong did...(as an aside, on that filming I briefly met a young woman who became one of the Hillside Strangler's victims)....or seeing The Damned live...the first British Punkers to play L.A. and being amazed at how ALIVE I felt at a concert for the first time in years....(and having no headache after some long bombastic drum solo as was the wont of the huge dinosaur bands in those days...)...laying down with other punks at a Patti Smith concert... she was boring us!....Or there was the time I had to kick Xene's ass (the culmination of a long hostile relationship with her and her gang)...wow was I really THAT young once? 7. Are there any punk women from the early scene that you feel have not been been adequately recognized? Sue and Alex of / "The Blank Generation" They were NOT part of the Hollywood scene (they were from Tustin) but published their magazine for the pure love of the music (mostly the Brit bands.) 8. What is something we should know about you that we probably don't know? After punk, I went back to school and got a B.A. in English.
"Looking at some of your archived photos reminds me of what a mixed "stew" we early punks were: male, female, gay, straight, latino and white, in our teens, 20's and even early 30's; high school drop outs and Art School grads...I think that this mix made our scene truly unique, and from what my friend Meredith tells me (since I stopped going out when the great surburban migration began from the OC and South Bay), the scene lost a little of this unique character when Hardcore came to the forefront..." |
"You, me and (just visible) Belinda...you actually
had your hand on her breast, but I censored it for
my fanzine (and have lost the negative) too
bad...during the Go Go's heyday I could have sold
it to the tabloids!"
had your hand on her breast, but I censored it for
my fanzine (and have lost the negative) too
bad...during the Go Go's heyday I could have sold
it to the tabloids!"
Los Angeles versus San Francisco...who
will wear the "Punk" crown? Click on
the thumbnail to see the full page.
will wear the "Punk" crown? Click on
the thumbnail to see the full page.
"My sister Zandra (who you may know
died in 1983) and John Denny."
died in 1983) and John Denny."
Click on the thumbnail to see
archived pages from Jade's
original punk fanzine.
archived pages from Jade's
original punk fanzine.
| "Me, my friend Meredith (in the back) and the late Pearl Harbor (she died suddenly last year at 46 of a heart attack....I guess that Our generation of punks will not be known for longevity...)" EDITOR'S NOTE: There were evidently at least two different Pearl Harbor/Harbours and the Pearl Harbor referred to here is not the Pearl Harbour (aka Pearl E. Gates) from S.F. who was in Pearl Harbour & the Explosions. We've posted this to avoid any further confusion. |