The Mutants are an important band in the history of San Francisco punk rock and new wave music. They are known for their theatrical performances which often include elaborate props, projections, and comical antics. They are credited with being one of the first “Art-punk” bands in San Francisco, and were one of the most popular bands of the San Francisco punk scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s. (More from Wikipedia)
The name Romeo Void might not ring a bell, but you more than likely remember the lyric “I might like you better if we slept together” from their 1981 hit “Never Say Never”. However, there is a lot more to this band – and to “Never Say Never” for that matter – than that salacious lyric. Lead singer Debora Iyall (Cowlitz) moved to the Bay Area in order to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. She and two fellow students, Peter Woods and Jay Derrah formed a tongue-in-cheek 1960’s revival band called the Mummers and the Poppers (a takeoff on the name of the Mamas and the Papas). Iyall then began incorporating music into her poetry and performance-art pieces and started working with Frank Zincavage, a bass guitarist who is also a sculptor.
Debora Iyall was also influenced by the punk and post-punk scene that included other Art Institute students like Penelope Houston, front woman for first-wave San Francisco punk band the Avengers (who is now an accomplished folk rock singer) plus members of the Mutants and Pearl Harbor and the Explosions.
(August 2013)
