ADELE BERTEI

BIO

The Wiki page says enough (too much, really), but in brief, I'm best known as the organ-shredder(!) in the No Wave band The Contortions, the hell-fire-spitting provocateur of Lizzie Borden's Born in Flames, and lead singer of the first out & queer all-female punk-funk band, The Bloods. My alleged infamy springs from both truths and spurious tales. And contrary to what most internet music sites claim,
I was not born in Germany.

How do I spend my time today?  Telling stories. Helping others tell theirs, too. Forever learning how to weave a stronger, finer fabric.

Way back when (ancient herstory — the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s) I was half-Piaf, half-Hemingway, wishing I could sing and write as well as both whilst dancing and brawling my way through Cleveland, New York, Berlin, Amsterdam, London and points beyond. Wrestling in public with quite a few demons I should have dragged into a therapist's office taught me a thing or two. I've calmed down considerably, have shred the binary and am armed anew with a benevolent four-letter weapon. Call me he, call me she; I will not shame you for mis-gendering me. This Pan needs to go ninja Houdini often, but do check in now and then and I'll try to stay up to date on current events, thoughts, & meanderings.

Freedom. At all costs freedom. I do come out of hiding now and again, given the right lure. 

Do you dance? I do, as much as possible. You never know when a girl might be called upon to break out her Viennese Waltz. 

 Here are a few videos of me performing in the 'olden days'. 
         For more herstory:
BIO
          For my company:
NINJA

PAN as always. 1978 dancing with Janet Stein at Nan Goldin's loft, being filmed by Vivienne Dick.  That's Nan in the BG snapping away.



In 1992 my friends and I put together a band called ALICE and did one show, for one night only, at the Pyramid on Ave. A. Kathy Rey and pat Place are on guitars, Barbara Merjan on drums, and Julia Murphy on bass. This band was ROCK AF. Unfortunately you can't see Pat, and only glimpses of Julia and Barbara, but Kathy is shredding on guitar, and I'm singing in my skivvies. Enjoy!

  • HOME
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  • OCTOBER 2018
  • BLOG
    • RICKIE LEE JONES/ 2016
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    • FILM SCORES
    • CHANSON FRANÇAIS
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    • GIRL GROUPS 1960s
    • JAZZ MIX
    • SONGS OF HOLY
    • LYDIA LUNCH
    • JOHN TOTTENHAM
    • VALENTINE'S DAY
    • SEXY LOVE JAMZ
    • VALENTINE MIX 2014
  • MONTHLY THOUGHTS
    • FEBRUARY 2016
    • OCTOBER 2015
    • FEBRUARY 2015
    • MAY 2015
    • NOVEMBER 2014
    • OCTOBER 2014
    • JULY 2014
    • APRIL 2014
    • A VALENTINE TO ITALY
    • DEC 2013
    • APRIL 2012
    • MAY 2017
  • LIVE!
  • VENUS FLYTRAP!
  • HOME
  • HERSTORY
  • OCTOBER 2018
  • BLOG
    • RICKIE LEE JONES/ 2016
    • BOWIE
    • GEORGIA FEE
    • SUSAN BURTON
    • LEOS CARAX
    • TO A BRIDGE
    • REVISIONIST HERSTORY
    • POEM: THE 8
    • OCTAVIA BUTLER
    • VET MED NIGHTMARES
    • PATTI SMITH
    • TRINIDAD
    • THERESE & TERESA
    • SAPPHIRE
    • SOUND MATTERS
    • JANET HAMILL
    • PUSSY RIOT!
    • TINY BITS
    • MEMOIR WHORE
    • KICKSTARTER
  • RADIO RAGAZZA
    • FILM SCORES
    • CHANSON FRANÇAIS
    • MUSIC OF GERMANY
    • GIRL GROUPS 1960s
    • JAZZ MIX
    • SONGS OF HOLY
    • LYDIA LUNCH
    • JOHN TOTTENHAM
    • VALENTINE'S DAY
    • SEXY LOVE JAMZ
    • VALENTINE MIX 2014
  • MONTHLY THOUGHTS
    • FEBRUARY 2016
    • OCTOBER 2015
    • FEBRUARY 2015
    • MAY 2015
    • NOVEMBER 2014
    • OCTOBER 2014
    • JULY 2014
    • APRIL 2014
    • A VALENTINE TO ITALY
    • DEC 2013
    • APRIL 2012
    • MAY 2017
  • LIVE!
  • VENUS FLYTRAP!