Vomit Launch were “a rock band from Chico, California from 1985 to 1992. They
released four proper albums and toured, mostly playing the West Coast
with one East Coast jaunt. Some people liked them.”
Vomit Launch, 1987
“In January 1985, in the college town of Chico, California, Gene Story
decided he wanted to start a band, with the idea that they could sound
like 4AD groups such as the Cocteau Twins or This Mortal Coil. He asked
Lindsey Thrasher and Patricia Rowland to join. Being friends with all
involved, Larry Crane offered to play bass (borrowed from roommate,
Steve Valin) and the use of his house to practice. Lindsey owned a
guitar and it wasn't yet determined what Patricia would be doing.
Basically Gene never made it to practice, but somehow friends Tim Smyth
and Toni Smith dropped by for the first rehearsal with guitars, amps and
percussion equipment. Patricia was conned into buying a drum machine,
persuaded to set aside her viola and became the vocalist.”
Vomit Launch: Larry Crane, Lindsey Thrasher, Patricia Rowland, Steve Bragg
“Rehearsing a couple of times, the group was asked to play a house party
and needed a name. Some time before this group had assembled, Lindsey
and Doug Roberts drank a bunch of wine and created a list of possible
band names for future use. Unfortunately among these names were
Truckload of Fuckers, Fuckload of Truckers and Vomit Launch. Needing a
name with a 'gig' fast approaching, the band decided Vomit Launch would
be a fantastic choice! The party was quite a success, according to those who remembered anything the next day.”
Jr. Chemists “I met Dawn in Art Studio Class at Arizona State University in 1979.
Ron Gasowski taught the class and he had a big influence on us. Dawn was
a very ambitious girl with a lot of energy. I met Mike through Dawn and
we were all hanging out and discovering the Punk Rock scene of Phoenix
together.
I had already started a band, Thuh Advo-cats, with my friend Bruce.
Dawn wanted to get in on some of that band action. So Dawn, Mike and I
started up the Jr. CHemists. Bruce and I had a dirt floor basement in
our house off of 16th Street and a meger amount of equipment and that is
where we rehearsed. Mike was a real musician compared to anyone I ever
played with. He actually tuned the guitars!
Radical. We practiced and got a bunch of songs together and started
playing at Hate House. Dawn was a great schmoozer and were were soon
playing in clubs as they would appear to present this Punk Rock muisic.
We had a lot of fun, which was our objective. Michael went on to form
JFA, skate boarding his way into punk rock musical history. Dawn clicked
her heels and returned to Kansas.”Brendan deVallance
Jr. Chemists: Brendan deVallance, Dawn Kelly and Michael Cornelius
“Mix equal parts Talking Heads, B-52s and Beat Happening and add the
sense of humor only found in the Valley Of The Sun, and you get a pterry
good on-paper approximation of the Chemists’ sound. Their songs – Cool
Reef, Spooky Cooties, I Don’t Want To Have Fun, Voodoo In My
Pants – packed epic party anthem into a light touch. The Meat Puppets
even used to play the Chemists’ 90 Miles in rehearsal. I don’t think
we ever performed it in front of an audience though.” Derrick Bostrom (Meat Puppets)
VA Arizona Disease 7" (Subterranean Records, 1981)
