Here’s a quick and curious one.
Judging by Wendy O. Williams’ haircut (i.e. before the mohawk), this was probably filmed around 1979, around the release of (Meet the) Plasmatics on Vice Squad records. Courtesy of Italian television channel Rai Storia, here are Wendy & the boys stirring up some shit, swinging ball peen hammers around on top of cars and giving innocent television sets cause for alarm on the eastern end of East 42nd Street (you can see the Tudor City’s footbridge behind Wendy in certain shots). In other words, they were simply courting spectacle and outrage as only the Plasmatics could.
I can only imagine they were appearing in this particular hood as there used to be a Sam Goody’s (ancient record store chain) on that strip of 42nd, and this was ... well ... simply a publicity stunt.
After that segment, the video segues into a sort of skimpy, New Wave fashion piece (with a fleeting cameo by Klaus Nomi … blink and you’ll miss him), featuring some not entirely safe-for-work footage of girls wearing revealing bits of plastic. Ahhh, the late 70’s!
For more about my beloved Plasmatics, please avail yourselves to the below.
To Hell & and Handbag with Wendy O. Williams
Where was Wendy's Wall?
Twelve Years Gone
There's No Escape When It Infects You
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