DENISE MERCEDES

LOUD FAST RULES

I always thought Denise Mercedes has a fantastic name, it just sounds so punk and exotic when I first heard it on the John Peel show after he played the Stimulators debut 45 'Loud Fast Rules' and gave us a band line up back in 1980. It was up there with Lux Interior and she looked like the long lost sister of Stiv Bators. Denise grew up in Manhattan and Queens, New York City. Teaching herself to play guitar, she would end up playing with a who's who of big names including Link Ray. She became infatuated with punk rock after having seen the Damned play their first New York City show in April 1977 at CBGB's. She recalls "literally the second they started to play, my life changed."
She even went to the UK checked out the scene there before returning to New York determined to form her own band. She booked gigs even before she got her band together. She picked up lead singer Patrick Mack at Max's, a guy who never sung but liked Iggy. Adding bassist Anne Gustavsson (later replaced by Nick Marden) but couldn't find a suitable drummer. So turned to her 11 year old nephew Harley Flanagan who had been raised in a Bohemian, rock 'n' roll environment. He had a family friend Allen Ginsberg. His mother was acquainted with members of the Velvet Underground/New York Dolls-era New York Rock scene and Harley had frequently accompanied his aunt Denise to CBGB's and Max's Kansas City. He proved to be an energetic and capable drummer. They called themselves the Stimulators named after a piece of equipment used in acupuncture.The Stimulators, whose eclectic original lineup, now complete, featured two women, a homosexual man, and a child, began to attract a following from young NY city music fans that were still drawn to the initial spirit of punk rock. Although they have a limited discography, they are notable for being consistently cited as an important transitional band between the late-1970s New York City punk rock scene and New York hardcore. The band broke up in 1983 when lead singer Patrick (25) died of AIDS.

These days Denise plays in a tribute band Girls Girls Girls - the world’s 1st (and best) all-female tribute to Motley Crue. Harley has become a fugurehead in his own right in the NYHC scene.

Background image - Nick Mardens inspirational LOUD FAST RULES leather jacket photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe.

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