chaps make you spazz

so izzy, your the lead singer in spazz riot band chaps, hows that workin out for you?

yeah really good!! I guess i've wanted to be in a band since I got into riot grrrl when I was 15, and have been involved in a lot of stuff at the cavern club since I was 17 - putting on ladyfest 2 years running with pippa, promoting shows as fake fight/djing/etc. so its crazy to actually be singing/screaming in a band now! I love it. It took a lot of guts for me to do it. I have a lot of pent up rage, so this is kind of like therapy!!!!


your releasing a 7 inch soon arn't you? when is that coming out?

in the new year sometime...it will be on local kid records, a really cool bristol based label with releases by spider and the webs (tobi from bikini kills bands!!!), partyline, modern reveries, etc. Its run by my friends michal and rosie. They are 2 of the most productive d.i.y. people I know, and have been involved in so many amazing projects over the years- ladyfest bristol, spazoom, cafe kino...michal is a real inspiration to me. He is a wonderful person to know, and I speak for all of us when I say we were over the moon to be asked! Its going to be about 6ish songs and we can't wait!


and i heard on the vine of the grape that a tape will be with that to...wow?

The tape is released on Club Milks label, who are based in London. Andrew from CM saw us play at a Queerunion benefit and asked us to do it. Again we're totally excited!!! its going to be an e.p and its coming out in feb. Its going to have a fake death theme.


so you've only been togther for a short while and youve been off touring around the country...whats the reaction from people outside of exeter?

Well, an interesting mix! for some reason people think we're gonna be some art noise band but we're really just a punk band, so we often confuse people. We go down a lot better at punk shows...we played in brighton a few months ago with our friends to a kind of 90% male, ATP artrock crowd- it was weird and uncomfortable, me and flo often feel out of place in those environments, and it isn't the male aspect, its the pretentiousness of that scene- when we were on tour with corey o's we played some d.i.y.shows our friends had booked that had a strong punk/queer/grrrl ethos and it felt AMAZING, we felt totally comfortable and unthreatened playing to those crowds...I guess it just depends though, its good to feel scared sometimes. and its not a male thing neccessarily, its just a bit fashion vs. punk and punk comes out tops every time, because its about life and politics and everything important, there are no preconceptions.

you make zines and run a zine selling site with your sister flo, howz that going?

I've been writing zines since I was 14, I love them, nothing could ever replace a paper zine. I personally Just finished making a tour zine and first issue of fake soul conspiracy, and am working on a chaps zine with flo andted at the moment too.

The distro is going good. Its called 'Dear Soeurs' and we have quite a few zines in it now - mostly punk stuff, a lot of queer/grrrl/feminist zines and some photozines. we carry our distro round in a little red suitcase to shows and stuff! were looking for new zines to add all the time so email me if you want us to distro you! we'd also like to distro other stuff, flos making some patches and stuff, so that will be cool.

if you could be part of any other scene where would it be?

I guess riot grrrl scene, olympia, washington 1993!! first time round!! or washington d.c. late 80s? Im pretty happy as I am now, exeter has a great punk scene, but its very male dominated!

i like your scissors tattoo!

thanks! its embroidery scissors. I saw a photo of my friend marthas scissors and liked them so much I got them tattooed on my arm! when she heard about it she sent me the scissors in the post!

if you could play with any band who would it be?

if they were still around now - bikini kill, bratmobile, frumpies, black flag, wipers, emilys sassy lime. Bands that are around now - I like playing with my friends the most - corey orbison who are amazing, our friends the computers, sad shields, vile vile creatures, any dan reeves projects, any of my friends bands really!! I also can't wait to play with drunk granny and husbands!

where will the chaps be in five years?

probs dead! ha ha I really don;t know but I think i'd like to be doing something else musically then! I don't think chaps will last forever!


thanks izzy

you can see chaps this sunday at the cavern club exeter!!!! fake fight night.

iamlucky collective