Jack Off Jill

Jack Off Jill was an American alternative rock[1] band from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, founded in 1992 by vocalist Jessicka, drummer Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha, Agent Moulder, and guitarist Michelle Inhell. Though these four women were the initial founders, twelve members rotated through the group in its life-span, including Scott Putesky, guitarist and co-founder of Marilyn Manson. The band lasted eight years, with only Jessicka remaining through all its line-ups. The band reunited in 2015 for a number of shows.[3]

Jack Off Jill
Photo of Jessicka at Jack Off Jill's reunion show at The Orange Peel Asheville NC. July 18, 2015
Background information
OriginFt. Lauderdale, Florida, United States
GenresAlternative rock[1], riot grrrl[2], gothic rock[2], punk rock
Years active1992—2000, 2015
LabelsRectum, Risk, Sympathy for the Record Industry
Associated actsScarling., TCR, Set to Zero, Mrs. Scabtree, Thee Heavenly Music Association, Marilyn Manson
Websitewww.jessicka.com
Past membersSee list of members

History

Tenni Arslanyan met Jessicka while attending Piper High School in Sunrise, Florida. They had begun writing songs, but had not yet formed a band when Moulder and Inhell joined them to create the band that would become Jack Off Jill.

Jack Off Jill's first show was opening for Marilyn Manson and his shock-rock outfit, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, at a Davie, Florida night club called The Plus Five Lounge. Manson went on to produce their early demos and had them open most of his shows.[4]

During this time the band served as the opening act for many female-fronted national acts such as Joan Jett, L7, Silverfish, Tribe 8, Fetchin' Bones and the Lunachicks. Singer Jessicka's on-stage antics included covering the audience with spit and real blood and candy.[5][6] In early 1993, Jessicka performed with Manson's ephemeral side project, Mrs. Scabtree.[7]

On December 27, 1994, Jack Off Jill joined Marilyn Manson on dates through Florida. While playing Club 5 in Jacksonville, Florida, Manson and Jessicka were arrested for violating the town's adult entertainment codes. Neither singer was charged.[8]

Jack Off Jill released several independent records: Children 5 and Up (produced by Marilyn Manson),[5] The Boygrinder Sessions, Cannibal Song Book, (produced by JOJ and Manson at Studio 13 in Deerfield Beach, Florida)[7] Cockroach Waltz, and several 7" singles. It was not until April 8, 1994, when JOJ played a benefit show for Rock Against Domestic Violence with Babes in Toyland and 7 Year Bitch at the Cameo Theatre on Miami Beach that Jack Off Jill caught the eye of record labels.[9] Los Angeles-based Risk Records later signed them in January 1997. The band replaced both Ah Cha Cha and Inhell with new members because the two were not ready to leave Florida. The band released their first national 7" "Girl Scout"/"American Made" in March 1997. On September 9, 1997, their first full-length Sexless Demons And Scars (produced by Gumball's leader Don Fleming, who co-produced Hole's Pretty on the Inside) was released.

After touring with Lords of Acid, Jack Off Jill headed to Los Angeles in order to complete 1998's Covetous Creature, a remix EP of songs from Sexless Demons and Scars with the help of SMP (Scott Putesky), a founding member of Marilyn Manson and new drummer Claudia Rossi.[10] The new manifestation of Jack Off Jill hit the road on a national tour with Psychotica, joined along the way by Switchblade Symphony.

The band road-tested new songs in March 1999 when JOJ played four dates on the Marilyn Manson Rock Is Dead Tour after Hole departed.[11] With Putesky no longer in the guitar position, JOJ enlisted the help of Jessicka's then-boyfriend guitarist Clint Walsh, original JOJ guitarist Michelle Inhell (née Oliver), and drummer Norm Block (formerly of Plexi) for the tour. On July 17, 2000, JOJ released their second full-length CD, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers on Risk Records, that featured a cover by artist Mark Ryden and was produced by Chris Vrenna of Tweaker and Nine Inch Nails.

Jack Off Jill played its last show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in April 2000. They were joined onstage by guitarist Helen Storer of the UK all-female band Fluffy (and later of Thee Heavenly Music Association) and producer Chris Vrenna on drums.[12]

Breakup and aftermath

Jack Off Jill officially disbanded in the year 2000. Jessicka founded noise-pop band Scarling. Moulder began her studio project TCR. Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha and Michelle Inhell's (née Oliver) founded Set to Zero. In 2010 Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha began playing with Zombie Queen out of Asheville, NC. Claudia Rossi founded a group called One Of The Loudest Tragedies Ever Heard. Hellen Storer's photo defunct project Thee Heavenly Music Association. Putesky worked on his solo project, Three Ton Gate.

Post-breakup, critics have touted JOJ as "riot-goth legends"[13] and refer to Jack Off Jill's final album as "excellent, yet under-appreciated".[14]

Former band member Jeff Tucci (Ho Ho Spade) died on November 27, 2014 of a drug overdose.[15]

In September 2013, Putesky was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer.[16] He died on October 22, 2017.[17]

Reunion

On April 7, 2015, Bust.com announced a Jack Off Jill reunion show at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on July 18 as well as a Pledgemusic campaign offering "Golden Tickets" and other Jack Off Jill rarities related to the show. Other reunion shows in the tour included Manchester (19 October), London's Electric Ballroom (21 October) and Heaven Nightclub (23rd October), where they were joined on stage by (Scott Putesky), a founding member of Marilyn Manson. Their last London show was also on Jessicka's birthday, and was an emotional show for all of the fans and the band, especially due to Jessicka's health problems.[18] They announced via their facebook page that these shows would be their last saying, "It's been an honor & a pleasure friends."

The 2015 roster consisted of Jessicka, Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha, Michelle Inhell (née Oliver), and Helen Storer.[19] Original bassist Robin Moulder was not involved in the reunion shows.[20]

Jack Off Jill is referred to by several publications as "Riot Goth Legends" & "Cult Heroes" [19][21][22]

Singer Jessicka Addams stated that their show at Heaven in London on October 23, 2015 (her 40th birthday) would be Jack Off Jill's final show.[22]

Members
  • Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha (Tenni Arslanyan) – drums (1992-1996, 2015)
  • Michelle Inhell (Michelle Oliver) – guitars (1992-1996, 2015)
  • Jessicka (Jessicka Addams) – vocals, lyrics (1992-2000, 2015)
  • Agent Moulder (Robin Moulder) – bass, piano, keyboards on "My Cat" credited as the big white dancing beav (1992-2000)
  • Lauracet Simpson (Laura Simpson) – drums (1996-1997)
  • Ho Ho Spade (Jeff Tucci) – guitars (1996-1997)
  • SMP (Scott Putesky) – guitar (1997-1998)
  • Claudia (Claudia Rossi) – drums (1997-1999)
  • Clint Walsh – guitars (1999-2000)
  • Helen Storer – bass (2000, 2015)
Live members

Timeline

Discography

Albums
Year Title US

CMJ

 Label
1997 Sexless Demons and Scars 116 Ichiban
2000 Clear Hearts Grey Flowers - Risk

Singles
Year Title Album Label
1993 "My Cat / Swollen" Sexless Demons and Scars Rectum
1996 "Girlscout / American Made" Risk

EPs
Year Title Label
1998 Covetous Creature 404


Compilations
Year Album
2006 Humid Teenage Mediocrity 1992–1996

Cassette demos
Year Title
1993 Children 5 And Up
1994 Boy Grinder Session1
1995 Cannibal Song Book
1996 Cockroach Waltz1

1 indicates the demos were never released.

See also

References
  1. "Jack Off Jill | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  2. "Legendary riot-goths Jack Off Jill cheat death again to reform for one night - Features - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  3. "YOUR FAVORITE RIOT GOTH BAND JACK OFF JILL IS REUNITING". Ladygunn.com. 7 April 2015. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  4. Ted B. Kissell (1999-01-21). "Manson: The Early Years - Page 1 - News - Miami". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  5. Todd Anthony (1993-07-07). "Distaff of Life - Page 1 - News - Miami". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  6. Pelletier, George."Paying The Rant" Archived 2012-03-09 at the Wayback Machine Miami New Times feature, November 27, 1997.
  7. Greg Baker (23 October 2006). "Program Notes 48". Miaminewtimes.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  8. Baker, Greg. " Miami New Times, January 05, 1995.
  9. Greg Baker (1994-04-06). "The Hits Just Keep on Coming - Page 3 - Music - Miami". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  10. "MTV news April 20, 1998". Mtv.com. 1998-04-20. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  11. MTV.com: "/ MTV news March 22, 1999 Archived June 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine". URL accessed June 18, 2007.
  12. Johnson, Tina (2000-04-07). "MTV news March 04, 2000". Mtv.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  13. Price, Simon (September 4, 2005), "Scarling. So Long, Scarecrow", The Independent, The, London, UK, Independent, p. 16, archived from the original on September 29, 2007
  14. "Untitled Page". Scarling.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  15. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2014 July To December". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  16. "Founding MARILYN MANSON Guitarist Daisy Berkowitz Has Stage Four Colon Cancer". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on 2017-10-23.
  17. RIP Daisy Berkowitz, founding member of Marilyn Manson (1968-2017) Archived 2017-10-25 at the Wayback Machine: The Moshville Times.
  18. "Jack off Jill Reunion". The Collected Rantings of a Blue Haired Geek. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  19. "EXCLUSIVE: Seminal 90s Riot-Goth band Jack Off Jill Reunite For One Weekend Only!". bust.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015."
  20. Marshalek, J, (2015). A Conversation With Jack Off Jill's Jessicka Addams. Available at: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-08-02. Retrieved 2015-08-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link). [Accessed 20th August 2015]
  21. Pettigrew.Jason "Legendary riot-goths Jack Off Jill cheat death again to reform for one night". Aternativepress.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015."
  22. "Cult heroes: Jack Off Jill's underground following has made them legends". theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015."
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