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*~Maureen Herman~* |
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*About Maureen* Former Bassist
Born in Philadelphia July 25, 1965 Resigned from band in 1996 Replacing Michelle Leon in 1992, Maureen Herman was fiddling with film school and being groomed as a writer for Second City when she was asked to join Babes. A huge Babes fan, she agreed, and bonded with Lori and Kat instantly, and recieved her nickname, Mo. "I was a friend and a fan of Babes before I joined the band, I used to go see them when they would play around Minneapolis. Seeing girls with instruments was nifty. It was cute and funny and many people made fun of them.. including me. They were really bad when they started." Because of a genetic hip disorder, Maureen had to quit the band to rest and await a hip replacement. She also didn't want to go through another year of touring. Although the other members hated to see her leave, it was what had to be done. Herman, who had played bass for the band for about 4 and a half years, left happy. And when she is recovered, she's hoping to persue a career in writing. |
*Babes in Toyland Bio* Like L7, Hole and Bikini Kill, Babes In Toyland have exerted a female twist on the macho world of loud guitars and squealing vocals, launching a visual assault of baby-doll dresses, smeared lipstick and manic eyes. Core members are Kat Bjelland (guitar/vocals) - on/off friend of Courtney Love - and Lori Barbero (drums/vocals); the trio's bassist, Maureen Herman, replaced Michelle Leon in 1992.
The debut album was Spanking Machine (1990), a loud and sometimes painful experience, with songs like "Vomit Heart" and "Fork Down Throat" screaming of betrayal and survival. To Mother (1991) showed an (inevitable) development, with songs like "Catatonic" and "Primus" less in-your-face, if still lacking quality control on stage. The band could be angrily dynamic and ragingly ordinary, sometimes on the same night. After a change of label and bass player came Fontanelle (1992), a slicker production, but there was a shortage of memorable songs and Kat's voice was no longer an instrument but merely something lost in the mush of sound. As Babes In Toyland lost direction they watched the likes of Courtney Love's Hole gain enormous crossover success, but with Nemesisters (1995), their time in the wilderness seemed to be over. Rather than raucous, tuneless grunge songs they concentrated on rhythmically and technically controlled songs that expressed anger through insinuation rather than direct threat. Babes In Toyland are part of an essential shift in music making, as punk meets feminism. Maureen Herman left the band in mid 1996, planning a return to college and to writing. A genetic disorder had required her to start using a cane and seek a hip replacement. Her place was filled by Dana Cochrane (ex-Mickey Finn). |