Queen of noise Lydia Lunch was once described by Anthony Bourdain as “a truly extraordinary artist” who grew up in New York’s CBGBs music scene as a teen runaway. By the ‘80s she had collaborated with The Birthday Party’s Nick Cave and the late Roland S Howard. Last year, a feature length documentary Lydia Lunch: The War is Never Over captured the essence of her wild troubadour nature, and now, she returns to our shores to perform with Tex Perkins and also take to the stage with Marc Hurtado as they unleash the songs of Suicide.
From cookbooks to women’s only workshops, Lunch still has plenty to say. She spoke to The Write Drop about seeing Suicide perform for the first time in the ‘70s, to her podcast that’s all about keeping the counterculture alive.
TELL US ABOUT MEETING THE BEASTS OF BOURBON’S TEX PERKINS AND WHAT LED TO THIS NEW COLLABORAITON
I honestly don’t remember how we met, but I I do remember performing Hard for You with my band Shotgun Wedding many years ago back in the ‘90s, The last time I was in Australia, I hung out with Tex a fair bit. It seemed natural that we needed to do something together. I loved his autobiography Tex, and I love The Beasts of Bourbon. I am excited we’re doing these shows together. We will do Hard For You – and then I am also going to sing a song dedicated to him before my set begins and he has no idea that’s happening!
WHAT’S YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO SONGWRITING, WRITING BOOKS AND CRAFTING SHOW IDEAS
I only write when it’s mandatory. So, for example, I might write a lyric, a story or political tirade and get it done. Lyrics are usually written in five minutes. Once that first line comes it’s automatic. I’ll then record my ideas on Garage Band. I’m kind of like an automatic painter with lyrics. When it comes to monologues and longer pieces, I usually write them in three different sections. When I was younger, I would write a lot of songs in my sleep. If I’m writing a book or compiling an anthology, I usually take a three-month period to dedicate to it. I also do I performance workshops – mainly for women or non-straight males. I only write when it’s necessary – and especially now under the clown show that we’re living in, in America. My podcast The Lydian Spin is another place to escape that.
WHAT DOES COUNTER CULTURE MEAN IN 2026?
I do hear complaints from younger people who tell me – where are the visionaries? I reply by saying maybe don’t look for visionaries in music! You need to look beyond it because they’re there somewhere; try to look in architecture, chemistry, holistic medicine – you get the idea. I think that social media has created an onslaught of bullshit. It can bamboozle or overload whatever counterculture might be and makes it hard for people like me to exist. That’s why I love doing my podcast; I’ve done 450 episodes because it’s a place these conversations can be shared. There is something weird, relentless and unique about everyone I talk to. For example, this week I interviewed a physicist; it’s like science porn which I love. He’s a jazz singer and has this other life, so doing this podcast is kind of my contribution to the counterculture. We’re not sponsored and we’re not going to stop.
YOU WROTE A COOKBOOK IN 2012 AND IT’S BEING RE-PRINTED FOR JANUARY 2027.
There is a chapter in my book called Killer Inside Me – it’s all about meat and you can find a quick eat recipes in 10 minutes or less. Another chapter is This Is Going To Hurt You – it’s the spice section. The book is filled with lots of arcane knowledge about food and musical selections I have made. I spend a lot of time touring, so when I come home I am kind of done with people’s fingers all over my food. I like to make a strawberry apple crumble – it’s low sugar. My desserts are my specialty, because I sneak carrots or beets into brownies and make it a guessing game with guests.
ON RESURRECTING SUICIDE SONGS WITH MARC HURTADO.
The second time I ran away from home, I got off the Greyhound bus in New York and went straight to a club I had heard about. British-American singer Wayne County was there – we had been a pen pals for a while. playing. I ended up picking up the lead singer of the band that was playing that night, who lived a few blocks away and took me in. I moved in to the loft bed that Kitty Bruce – that’s Lenny Bruce’s daughter – was moving out of – and then I got rid of the lead singer. The first Suicide concert I went to around the corner in the 1970s. There were 10 people there – I immediately pledged my devotion.. I didn’t realise until somebody showed me some posters that my band did some shows with them. When I was living in Barcelona in 2004, Suicide came to play some shows. Alan Vega was too sick to attend a festival, and Mark Hurtado who had done work with him before stepped in.
TELL US ABOUT COLLABORATING WITH MARC HURTADO.
Being on stage with MarC Hurtado is like having two Alan Vega’s behind me – it’s very violent. The beauty about doing this material is not only keeping Alan Vega’s Suicide music alive, which is very important, but it gives me a lot of freedom to say what I want to say. We also do this with the blessing of Liz Lamere – Alan’s widow. I’m not losing myself while doing this, it’s a different version of me. We’re pulling out some of Vega’s solo stuff for the show. We’ll do Suicide’s Ghost Rider – such a classic.
FIVE AUSSIES YOU’LL SEE WHEN IN TOWN
I can’t wait to see:
Harry Howard who I’ve played with in Shotgun Wedding.
MY manager Sean Simmons – we always have a great time.
Mick Harvey – hopefully he’ll turn up to the shows to say hi.
Jack Sargent – a great writer [he authored Daytripping]. He also wrote one of the best things that’s ever been written about me for a photography book I released in X.
FAVOURITE COCKTAIL
A tequila pomegranate molasses. You add lime, club soda, lots of ice, it’s delicious. The pomegranate molasses has so many nutrients it cancels out the negative.
THE DOCUMENTARY MADE BY UNDERGROUND FILMMAKER BETH B?
I worked with Beth for many years. I understood that Beth really knew the philosophy behind why and what it is that I do. She wanted to illustrate that. We need VolumE 2 now as the film is only 72 minutes. I think she did a pretty good job at highlighting the philosophy and the psychology behind why I am even bothered to open my fucking mouth in the first place.
LYDIA LUNCH PERFORMS THE SONGS OF SUICIDE AND ALAN VEGA
featuring Andrew Coates (Black Cab)
Sun 14 June – Meow, Wellington, NZ (as part of Lōemis)
Wed 17 June – The Tote, Melbourne (with Black Cab) with guests Belle Phoenix & Jeffrey Wegener
Thu 18 June – The Tote, Melbourne (with Black Cab) with guests Tongue Dissolver –
Sat 20 June – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
Sun 21 June – Factory Floor, Sydney with guests Rebel Yell
Wed 24 June – Ed Castle, Adelaide with guests Messianic Gloss
Thurs 25 June – The Milk Bar, Perth with guests Streets of Separation.
SO REAL IT HURTS – LYDIA LUNCH & TEX PERKINS
Fri June 19th (two shows) – Kew Courthouse, Melbourne – SOLD OUT
Sat June 20th – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane.
Sat June 27th – Riverside Live at Phive, Sydney.
