TV PARTY HEAVY METAL SHOW

There were two TV Party Heavy Metal Shows: one taped at the Mudd Club, now lost, and this live studio sequel. At Mudd the TV Party Orchestra featured ten guitars and Charles Rocket on heavy metal accordion. This show, with a “Mock Penis Envy” backdrop by Jean-Michel Basquiat, features a guitar line up of Chris Stein, Lenny Ferrari, Patrick Geoffrois of the Contortions, plus Glenn, Basquiat, Snuky Tate and Walter Steding on guitar and vocals and Bradley Field on electronic drums. As Glenn and Walter send up rock clichés and discuss the nature of electricity, the band churns out a harrowing electronic miasma somewhere between the Velvets and static interference, deconstructing Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Writer Cookie Mueller appears discussing heavy metals that a medical lab found in her blood. Other guests include the editor of Heavy Metal Magazine, and graffiti artists Futura and Ali. Diego Cortez appears as guest cameraman. Five years before Spinal Tap, TV Party hailed this incipient folk movement. Actually the term Heavy Metal was originated in the sixties by William S. Burroughs and the TV Party Orchestra was probably the only heavy metal band to know Burroughs personally. Highlights include an actual fight between Fab Five Freddy and Jean-Michel Basquiat over a guitar and Walter Steding destroying his “extra wide deluxe” guitar.

GLENN O’BRIEN’S TV PARTY produced by GLENN O’BRIEN directed by AMOS POE with GLENN O’BRIEN CHRIS STEIN WALTER STEDING DEBBIE HARRY JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT DAVE STREET LISA ROSEN TERI TOYE FAB FIVE FREDDY LENNY FERRARI RICHARD SOHL KATE SIMON Brodcast live from ETC Studios Re-issue produced by DANNY VINIK

Extras (from the TV Party Archives):

MYSTERY GUEST: DEBBIE HARRY

"THE FOREIGNER" - AMOS POE

GREGORY FLEEMAN

WALTER STEDING

SNUKY TATE

 

TV SHOW REISSUE: Approx. 55 Minutes / Color / Digitally Mastered / Region Free