All photos by Megan Westerby
Some bands scream because they can't sing, bash their instruments into amps because they can't play and flail through an over-the-top show because it's the only way to keep a crowd's attention. Semi Precious Weapons, a dangerously ambitious group from New York whose debut We Love You (Razor & Tie) just dropped, plays explosive, surprisingly musical balls-to-the-wall rock and roll because they can -- and they can look real damn pretty doing it, too.
Led by six-foot-tall platinum blonde Justin Tranter ("make that six foot, six inches with stilettos," their official bio boasts), SPW can out-sing, out-perform and out-shock any other new band on the scene. Take a look at their video for "Semi Precious Weapons," in which Justin sluts it up in heels while making out with video vixens who could have time-traveled from a hair band clip, circa 1987. It's a lot like watching Guns N' Roses, if they'd ever copped to just how queer they were.
I got to talk with Justin before the band played a recent Los Angeles show. Here are my favorite of his very smart takes on the state of rock and roll, sexuality and gender:
> On helping a girl become a rock star on MTV's Made: "You shouldn't try to be somebody else. I'm not going to make you dress like me. I'm not going to make you do anything. Rock and roll is about being the most dangerous version of yourself."
> On finding a label for his sexuality: "It kind of just changes. But I'm really into people who look like me. Saying that I'm bi is so '90s, I feel like I'm in a Winona Ryder movie. I always try to find a funny way to answer the question."
> On talking to his parents about a Chelsea Lately appearance: "I just kept asking my mom, 'How did I look? Did I look good? Did I look gorgeous? How's my skin?' She said, 'I was paying attention to what you were saying, not your skin. I've seen your skin.' I was like, fuck you, Mom! Then my dad got on the phone and he said, 'You looked beautiful. I'm so proud of you.'"
Read the full Q&A at Out.com, and check their MySpace for future shows. That's Justin, below, thrusting his mic in bassist Cole Whittle's face during the LA gig. (Cole plays bass like he's fighting with the Invisible Man. I've never seen anything like it.)
And after the jump, see photos of the jewelry Justin designs...
Sales of Justin's jewelry lines -- high end versions are at Barney's, mid-range can be found at Fred Segal, and the rest of us can shop at the merch booth -- fund most of the band's efforts. His current fixation is Braille-studded bracelets, like those seen below, which spell out "magnetic," "love not war," "freedom" and "precious." (They come in actual diamond or rhinestone, depending how much you want to spend.)
Necklaces sold at gigs include hatchets, guns and teeth, like those Justin wears below:
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