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Fallopian Rhapsody: The Story of the Lunachicks
Dive into this no-holds-barred group autobiography of the critically acclaimed feminist punk-rock group, The Lunachicks—featuring never-before-seen materials from the band's private archive.
Fallopian The Story of the Lunachicks is a coming-of-age tale about a band of NYC teenagers who forged a sisterhood, found salvation, and fervently crashed the gates of punk rock during the '90s, accidentally becoming feminist icons along the way. More than that, this is a story about the enduring friendship among the book's three central Theo Kogan, Sydney Silver, and Gina Volpe. They formed the Lunachicks at LaGuardia High School (of "Fame" fame) in the late '80s and had a record deal with Blast First Records as teenagers, whisked into the studio by Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore.
Over the course of thirteen-ish years, the Lunachicks brought their brand of outrageous hard-rockin' rebelliousness around the world countless times, simultaneously scaring conservative onlookers and rescuing the souls of wayward freaks, queers, and outcasts.Their unforgettable costume-critiques of pop culture were as loud as their "Marsha[ll]" amps, their ferocious tenacity as lasting as their pre-internet mythology. They toured with bands like the Go-Go's, Marilyn Manson, No Doubt, Rancid, and The Offspring; played the Reading Festival with Nirvana; and rocked the main stage at the Warped tour twice.
Yet beneath all the makeup, wigs, and hilarious outfits were three women struggling to grow into adulthood under the most unorthodox of conditions. Together onstage they were invincible B-movie superheroes who kicked heaps of ass—but apart, not so much. Depression, addiction, and identity crises loomed overhead, not to mention the barrage of sexist nonsense they faced from the music industry.
Fallopian Rhapsody is a bawdy, gripping, warts-and-all account of how these city kids relied on their cosmic creative connection to overcome internal strife and external killjoys, all the while empowering legions of fans to shoot for the moon.
For readers of Carrie Brownstein's Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, Kim Gordon's Girl in a Band, and Chrissie Hynde's Reckless, Fallopian Rhapsody is the literary equivalent of diving headfirst into a moshpit and slowly but surely venturing up to the front of the stage.
Fallopian The Story of the Lunachicks is a coming-of-age tale about a band of NYC teenagers who forged a sisterhood, found salvation, and fervently crashed the gates of punk rock during the '90s, accidentally becoming feminist icons along the way. More than that, this is a story about the enduring friendship among the book's three central Theo Kogan, Sydney Silver, and Gina Volpe. They formed the Lunachicks at LaGuardia High School (of "Fame" fame) in the late '80s and had a record deal with Blast First Records as teenagers, whisked into the studio by Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore.
Over the course of thirteen-ish years, the Lunachicks brought their brand of outrageous hard-rockin' rebelliousness around the world countless times, simultaneously scaring conservative onlookers and rescuing the souls of wayward freaks, queers, and outcasts.Their unforgettable costume-critiques of pop culture were as loud as their "Marsha[ll]" amps, their ferocious tenacity as lasting as their pre-internet mythology. They toured with bands like the Go-Go's, Marilyn Manson, No Doubt, Rancid, and The Offspring; played the Reading Festival with Nirvana; and rocked the main stage at the Warped tour twice.
Yet beneath all the makeup, wigs, and hilarious outfits were three women struggling to grow into adulthood under the most unorthodox of conditions. Together onstage they were invincible B-movie superheroes who kicked heaps of ass—but apart, not so much. Depression, addiction, and identity crises loomed overhead, not to mention the barrage of sexist nonsense they faced from the music industry.
Fallopian Rhapsody is a bawdy, gripping, warts-and-all account of how these city kids relied on their cosmic creative connection to overcome internal strife and external killjoys, all the while empowering legions of fans to shoot for the moon.
For readers of Carrie Brownstein's Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, Kim Gordon's Girl in a Band, and Chrissie Hynde's Reckless, Fallopian Rhapsody is the literary equivalent of diving headfirst into a moshpit and slowly but surely venturing up to the front of the stage.
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Published June 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 17, 2022
In this offbeat oral history, the Lunachicks recall the ups and downs of trying to make it as a group of rebellious teenagers that no one knew what to make of. From their days of growing up in NYC to tours with Marilyn Manson, Rancid, and the Offspring, the band members tell their outrageous story of what it was like as a group of all women in the male-dominated world of punk rock. A must-read for not only fans of the Lunachicks but any fan of rock’n’roll, especially women in rock.
Check this book out at the Villa Park Public Library!
Check this book out at the Villa Park Public Library!
February 18, 2023
4.5 stars. I’m not even a Lunachicks fan and I loved this book. It’s sort of an oral history format and it works really well.
May 22, 2021
The Lunachicks were the first band that made me realize I wanted to be in a punk band. I’ve been a huge fan since I saw them at Warped Tour in 1998 as a baby punk. Their story is inspiring, raw and filled with all the gritty punk rock nostalgia of the 90s. I really liked reading all about their evolution and their friendship.
November 19, 2021
5/5 stars
I sat down and finished this book within 2 days... and I have 2 kids under 5 years old... do the math; I've never read so fast.
I laughed, cried, and nerd-ed out.
Viva Las Lunachicks.
I sat down and finished this book within 2 days... and I have 2 kids under 5 years old... do the math; I've never read so fast.
I laughed, cried, and nerd-ed out.
Viva Las Lunachicks.
April 10, 2025
I love the Lunachicks and they do hold a special place in my heart as going to see them was my now-husband's and my, first date (even if we never actually got to see them, but that's a story for another day). I did see them later, at a Rock For Choice show in LA, with L7, Pearl Jam, Fugazi and others, and they blew my doors off! I've long been a huge fan of their music and just them, in general - kicka$$ rockers who just happened to be women. So, I was thrilled when I saw this book. It captures their friendship as aimless teenagers in New York in the eighties who decide to form a punk band. A brave choice considering that this was a mostly male game. Still is in a lot of ways, but way more so in the eighties and nineties. "Girl" bands were viewed as novelties and not taken seriously. But the Lunachick refused to compromise and paved their own trail. The book is well written and covers all the ups and downs of being friends and bandmates, from drug addiction to mental health issues to fighting the scourge of mysogeny and sexism in the music industry, all while maintaining their ability to create, have fun, stay friends, and touch way more lives than their record sales would suggest. And the pictures are GOLD.... Even if you have no idea who they are, this is an entertaining ride for anyone who loves punk rock.
July 12, 2021
A great, quick group memoir about a group of indie-punk, comedic, feminist rockers. Whether or not you know the band, if you like oral histories of strong people who go against the grain and make no apologies (because none are needed), but are honest about their insecurities, drug addictions (and recreational enjoyment), and sometimes name drop big name punk stars who they've toured with, check this one out. I wouldn't be surprised if some friends of mine know some of the people in this book....
January 13, 2023
beautifully written and made me want to cry my fave band ever ☹️☹️
March 14, 2021
I received a copy of this book from Hachette Books and Netgalley.
I got in so much trouble in high school for listening to Binge and Purge and this autobiography made me feel the same way joy I felt listening to Lunachicks..
There aren't any huge shocks if you've listened to the band but I absolutely loved it!
I got in so much trouble in high school for listening to Binge and Purge and this autobiography made me feel the same way joy I felt listening to Lunachicks..
There aren't any huge shocks if you've listened to the band but I absolutely loved it!
August 23, 2021
Now THIS was a fun book to read! Highly recommended, even if you aren't a super-fan of the band. The book is structured as a series of hilarious and sometimes very sad stories in the words of each band member from when they started out as kids in NYC, to the present... and it looks like these gals are still going strong! I always wondered what happened to Becky Wreck and why she was replaced by Chip.
Hearing these gals talk about how they would stop a show if knuckleheads in the audience were doing something stupid or violent reminded me of the time I went to one of their shows and I was being bounced around violently in the pit by a bunch of meat-headed Neanderthals. Theo stopped the show mid-song, shouted at the assholes to behave and leave me alone, and then restarted the show. And guess what? The aggressiveness stopped. You can't imagine how much that was appreciated, especially during the peak time of gigs where some guys would grab women's boobs and crotches in pits, which is why I started watching shows from the sidelines.
Anyway, I think that if I was in NYC with this gaggle of gals, I might just have been one of their friends - perhaps even their drummer! Fun stuff - and great pix.
Hearing these gals talk about how they would stop a show if knuckleheads in the audience were doing something stupid or violent reminded me of the time I went to one of their shows and I was being bounced around violently in the pit by a bunch of meat-headed Neanderthals. Theo stopped the show mid-song, shouted at the assholes to behave and leave me alone, and then restarted the show. And guess what? The aggressiveness stopped. You can't imagine how much that was appreciated, especially during the peak time of gigs where some guys would grab women's boobs and crotches in pits, which is why I started watching shows from the sidelines.
Anyway, I think that if I was in NYC with this gaggle of gals, I might just have been one of their friends - perhaps even their drummer! Fun stuff - and great pix.
November 14, 2021
I probably would have enjoyed this one more if it weren't so New Yorky and kind of in love with its New Yorkiness. The difference between mid-town vs the east village vs I dunno Park Slope is lost on a lot of people outside of NYC and if these locations are meant to translate something about the people who inhabit them, I don't get it. The honesty and continued beef between the bandmates was super interesting. The New York stuff wasn't.
Also, the older I get the less tolerance I have for the pride punkrockers get out of the gatekeeping they did purely based on looks.
Also, the older I get the less tolerance I have for the pride punkrockers get out of the gatekeeping they did purely based on looks.
December 30, 2021
This is a great example of an oral history done well. Concise, entertaining, and written in the voices of the band members, so you really feel like you get to know them.
September 22, 2023
Loved. Reminded me of teenagehood and everything I wanted to be at 16.
May 28, 2021
My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this musical biography.
One of the first women punk bands, The Lunachicks share their warts and all story of fame, infamy, bad tours and tour mates, misogynistic radio play, bad deals and badassery in their biography Fallopian Rhapsody: The Story of the Lunachicks written by the band with Jeanne Fury. From their days of being young punks at play in the fields of New York City, to CGBG and burgeoning success, Europe and Japan, the band shares all their stories with honesty, and not a person spared, be it the band or others who might be caught in the explosion the band was making, and falling into.
Sometimes sad, alot angry for them and how women are treated in general, but mostly inspiring as they make it, begin to lose it, and just finally let it go. The tropes of band history are here, bad relationships interpersonal and others, drugs, money, and finally a wanting for a life outside of a tour bus and a industry that treats the product shoddily, and women even worse.
There is a happy ending. The Lunachicks rocked, lived, loved, learned and wrote the book to prove it. Perfect read for anyone who likes to read about music, punk scenes in the 80's and 90's, or just inspiring women being women and doing what they loved.
One of the first women punk bands, The Lunachicks share their warts and all story of fame, infamy, bad tours and tour mates, misogynistic radio play, bad deals and badassery in their biography Fallopian Rhapsody: The Story of the Lunachicks written by the band with Jeanne Fury. From their days of being young punks at play in the fields of New York City, to CGBG and burgeoning success, Europe and Japan, the band shares all their stories with honesty, and not a person spared, be it the band or others who might be caught in the explosion the band was making, and falling into.
Sometimes sad, alot angry for them and how women are treated in general, but mostly inspiring as they make it, begin to lose it, and just finally let it go. The tropes of band history are here, bad relationships interpersonal and others, drugs, money, and finally a wanting for a life outside of a tour bus and a industry that treats the product shoddily, and women even worse.
There is a happy ending. The Lunachicks rocked, lived, loved, learned and wrote the book to prove it. Perfect read for anyone who likes to read about music, punk scenes in the 80's and 90's, or just inspiring women being women and doing what they loved.
June 23, 2021
I discovered the Lunachicks during the summer in between junior high and high school. I bought the album Pretty Ugly simply because the album title was super witty in combination with the cover art, the picture of the band on the back was amazing, the song titles sounded interesting, funny, and awesome, and the album as a whole just looked interesting. I listened to it on my walkman on the way home and knew I loved them. I immediately purchased anything and everything Lunachicks I could find. I was obsessed. I followed their career and loved everything they did.
So you can imagine how excited I was when they announced not only a couple of reunion shows (which I will not be able to attend which breaks my heart) but a memoir. I devoured this book and loved it all. And as much I already adored every single one of them, this book made me love them all that much more. This is definitely a book I'm going to revisit. I just can't get enough of them.
LUNACHICKS FAN UNTIL I GIVE UP THE GHOST!
So you can imagine how excited I was when they announced not only a couple of reunion shows (which I will not be able to attend which breaks my heart) but a memoir. I devoured this book and loved it all. And as much I already adored every single one of them, this book made me love them all that much more. This is definitely a book I'm going to revisit. I just can't get enough of them.
LUNACHICKS FAN UNTIL I GIVE UP THE GHOST!
April 2, 2025
"Great big gobs of greasy, grimy gopher feet, mutilated monkey meat, chopped-up birdy's feet, french-fried eyeballs rolling down the dirty street I FORGOT MY SPOON!" This is precisely what came to mind when I read a mediocre-rated review below saying that the humor in this book was disgusting. Hell yeah it's disgusting. IT'S THE LUNACHICKS. If it wasn't disgusting I'd hate this book. But I didn't. I loved it. As a Queens kid who often trekked into the city (Sunday matinees at CBs and Coney Island High all the way), I often saw the Lunachicks with my punk girlfriends who worshipped this band. Bad asses who can sing AND f*cking shred, my teenage ass was in awe. I read this book expecting it to be exactly what it was: a written version of one of the most talented and underrated all-girl punk bands to come out of the '90s. (I feel bad for authors who have to give out free books of their hard work in the hopes of a measly review only to find that it was a total reader-author mismatch and in this case, read by non-fans.)
October 20, 2021
I didn't know much about the Lunachicks when I started reading this book. By the third or fourth page, though, I became a huge fan. There is something about the way the members each speak in their own voice in this account of their history that gave me the feeling that they were a true band of sisters. Their accounts of growing up on the mean streets of NYC are fascinating. Just a bunch of friends pushing the limits, getting into trouble and having fun. It was a natural progression for their friendship to turn into a punk band. They go on to push against the male-dominated punk "establishment", experience heartbreak and drug addictions, the ever-imminent "musical differences", the break-up of the band, and 15 years later, a reunion. Through it all, they have each other's backs, and never lose the bonds of sisterhood that brought them together. This is really one of the best rock and roll autobiographies I have read in years!
July 4, 2021
Sometime in the early 90s, I picked up Lunachicks Drop Dead Live CD at the he record exchange, a whim purchase because of the band name. I was hooked after that and had all their albums on rotation. My first car, a little sporty red thing, was heralded by Lunachicks tunes at full blast. If I'd been old enough for a credit card, I would've bought all the merch I found on Go Kart records website. (I'm still mad I couldn't.) Reading this book was revisiting a resonant place. Learning more about the band just enhanced my love of the music, still in rotation in my playlists. Finding out a classmate from middle and high school did a stint as their drummer just made me even more fan-girly.
I've read a ton of music bios this year: Debbie Harry, Bad Religion, Beastie Boys, Bikini Kill ..but this one is pushing top of my favourites list.
I've read a ton of music bios this year: Debbie Harry, Bad Religion, Beastie Boys, Bikini Kill ..but this one is pushing top of my favourites list.
March 18, 2025
One of my favorite bands as a teen with hands-down THE best lyrics, reading this oral history was pure joy with everything I’d imagined from my favorite all-girl metal, punk band.
A wild, unfiltered dive into the lives of a punk rock sisterhood that refused to play by anyone’s rules. The storytelling is raw and hilarious, pulling you into the gritty chaos of New York City’s underground scene with vivid detail and zero apologies. It’s more than just a band memoir; it’s a testament to friendship, resilience, and the sheer power of being unapologetically yourself, the definition of punk.
The voices leap off the page, equal parts heart-wrenching and laugh-out-loud funny, making it impossible to put down. A must-read for anyone who loves music, rebellion, a damn good story or the Lunachicks.
A wild, unfiltered dive into the lives of a punk rock sisterhood that refused to play by anyone’s rules. The storytelling is raw and hilarious, pulling you into the gritty chaos of New York City’s underground scene with vivid detail and zero apologies. It’s more than just a band memoir; it’s a testament to friendship, resilience, and the sheer power of being unapologetically yourself, the definition of punk.
The voices leap off the page, equal parts heart-wrenching and laugh-out-loud funny, making it impossible to put down. A must-read for anyone who loves music, rebellion, a damn good story or the Lunachicks.
July 23, 2021
If you're a fan of the Lunachicks you'll enjoy this book. It gives you a behind the scenes view of who they are, how they came to be, and a lot of the crazy that occurred along the way. They don't shy away from the bad or ugly parts of being a touring musician and more specifically a female in a male dominated industry. It's not just a story of music however, it's about friendship and being true to who you are. The only negative I have about the book is the flow of the story telling. At first the switching between narrative, and interviews is a bit jarring, but after a few chapters you'll get used to it.
**I received a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
**I received a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
June 23, 2021
I was way too young to appreciate this band while they were active but I found them at just the right time about a decade later when I was in high school. One of my best friends had affectionately and ironically nicknamed me “jerk” and as fate would have it thats how I stumbled upon Jerk of All Trades. Just googling girl bands and music.
I was instantly obsessed with the Lunachicks for so many reasons but the main one being was that they were from New York City! Like me! I could relate to a lot of their stories about being young and running around Manhattan and I I’m so glad this book finally exists. For all the punk gals out in NYC.
I was instantly obsessed with the Lunachicks for so many reasons but the main one being was that they were from New York City! Like me! I could relate to a lot of their stories about being young and running around Manhattan and I I’m so glad this book finally exists. For all the punk gals out in NYC.
June 5, 2022
I received this book on return for an honest review. It took me several times of picking it up to get into it. It was hard to follow who was who at the beginning. I tried to memorize personalities and history of each character. Amazing that this is about real women who actually survived the lifestyle and tours they did with their band. Some of it was hard to read because there was a lot of cursing, drugs, abuse, disgusting humor, and resentment, but it was definitely interesting to hear about what life was like on tour with a punk rock girls’ band. Overall I was enlightened but I felt like it was repeating itself a lot.
August 22, 2024
I loved listening to this. I've never been a Lunachicks fan, I love biographies and band bios but I hadn't read one like this before--it's an oral history, and on the audiobook each member (past and current) of the band read their own sections. It was like a really entertaining long podcast. It was also interesting because people recalled events differently, or disagreed with one another in their sections, which I liked because it seemed real. It also ends in 2019 on a high note, with the band gathering to see huge images of themselves all over NYC in advertisements. Basically skips all the boring life things and focusses on feminist punk and tour shenanigans.
March 6, 2024
Racconti di tour e concerti punk per davvero, riflessioni oneste e disarmanti sul femminismo, storie di risate, dipendenze, disperazione e creatività. Ma soprattutto ho iniziato a leggerlo con una nostalgia per una vita e giovinezza che non ho mai avuto, e l'ho finito con la nostalgia per un'amicizia che ho solo sempre sognato. Alla fine è questo: è una grande storia d'amore, nella sua devastante purezza.
November 26, 2021
Ever feel sad that a great audiobook is over? That’s how I felt last night when this amazing rock memoir ended. The Lunachicks were/are a phenomenal punk band full of intelligent, feisty, feminist ladies who took no 💩 but appreciated great dick and fart jokes.
This is easily one of the best rock memoirs I’ve ever read. Even if you’ve never heard of the band, you should definitely check it out.
This is easily one of the best rock memoirs I’ve ever read. Even if you’ve never heard of the band, you should definitely check it out.
April 15, 2024
I've been a fan of this band for as long as I can remember. The Lunachicks have a talent for mixing catchy punk riffs with cleverly witty lyrics, and it's a winning blend that reeled me in at a young age. This book did not disappoint. If you have even a passing interest in the band, then this is worth your time. The Lunachicks are here to remind you that the patriarchy should be laid to rest.
March 21, 2023
Entertaining read for the most part. Reads like a round table discussion. A true take on how it was for this (all female) "punk" band from NYC that defied most genres. Definitely paved the way for many lesser bands, & so highly underrated. Lunachicks Rule!
March 25, 2023
Memories! Ahhh, memories! Come for this reminder of simpler times, tutu and combat boots times!
My Full Review →
My Full Review →
May 8, 2021
A journey through the life and times of the legendary Lunachicks. Be ready for a visit into a unique band and their memories.
June 12, 2021
It was a good read.
June 20, 2021
This was just a super fun read that I tore through. I loved reconnecting with these ladies and their stories. I wrote to Theo Kogan for awhile in my teens. She always wrote me back!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews