Fluffy were an all female punk band from London.
Origins
The band formed in 1994 after classmates, Amanda Rootes and Angie Adams were inspired by a jazz-blues Singer in one of Old Compton Street’s gay cafes. They were attending college in London at the time, studying Art and Design. Guitarist Bridgette Jones did her A levels before joining and the band began rehearsing in Amanda’s living room with poor quaility amps and no microphone. Fluffy’s original bassist Pandora Ormsby-Gore, a member of one of London’s most celebrated demimonde families completed the initial picture. Ormsby-Gore’s connections ensured the band to be labeled “posh” by the royals-obsessed, class-conscious British tabloids. Pandora left the band to become an actress, changing her name to Pandora Colin. Shortly after, Mancunian Helen Storer left Kingston University to join, the band began recording. <ref> Diehl, Matt Rolling Stone Issue 746 October 31, 1996</ref>
Fluffy’s first singles Hypersonic and Husband (both produced by Mal Campbell and Tony Wilson fromFreaks of Desire) were released in 1995. The band frequently played shows in their early days at underground fetish balls and parties such as Torture Garden and Submission and gained attention for dressing in slip dresses.
They were signed by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics to the publishing side of his label Anxious Records. Dave Stewart threw a lavish party for the band’s first single release, “Hypersonic”. Although Fluffy were initially signed to Parkway Records, (owned by press agents Phill Savidge and John Best of Savidge and Best), it wasn’t until A&R man Tom Zutaut, (known for signing The Stone Roses and Guns N’ Roses when he worked for Geffen Records and having the Nymphs’ singer Inger Lorre urinate on his desk) signed them to a two-album, $500,000 deal with The Enclave/Hut/Virgin, that Fluffy gained world wide notoriety. The band appeared on the NME’s yearly bratbus tour in 1996 along with The Bluetones, The Cardigans, and Heavy Stereo. The band’s debut album Black Eye was released in 1996 and the band got some prestigious support slots supporting the Foo Fighters and The Sex Pistols They were the opening act for the entire Sex Pistols reunion tour of Japan as well as the Sex Pistol’s first ever reunion show at Finsbury Park, London, along with Iggy Pop and the Buzzcocks.
They were also the opening band during the European part of Marilyn Manson’s “Anti-Christ Superstar” Tour. They toured the U.S. with the Neurotic Outsiders.
Their high-budget video “Black Eye” was shot in New Orleans by Floria Sigismondi and the making of the video was documented by MTV.
Their album “Black Eye” was produced by Bill Price, who also recorded Never Mind the Bollocks.
The band were brief press darlings in 1995 and 1996, being part of the Britpop movement of Camden and were regularly featured in magazines Kerrang, (Storer and Adams were featured in their sexiest female musicians issue) Q, Select (who offered the band a front cover if they were to get naked) and NME, most memorably in the NME christmas pub crawl / drinking competition issue in which vocalist Amanda E Rootes was sick. They also appeared on many UK television shows, including Top of the Pops, The Big Breakfast and Hotel Babylon.
The band ceased to exist once founding member Amanda E Rootes and bassist Helen Storer moved to Los Angeles in 1998.
Descendants
- Amanda went on to form Harlow, who participated in the VH1 reality TV show Bands on the Run.
- Helen joined Jack Off Jill for a while, but is now in Thee Heavenly Music Association, where she is writing, singing and playing guitar.
- Angie and Bridget have formed an all girl-band called Darling. They are based in London and Angie is on vocals.
Links
Fluffy Page
References
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