Fire Party
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Fire Party was a musical group originating from Washington, D.C., active between late 1986 and early 1990. The lineup consisted of Amy Pickering on vocals, Natalie Avery handling guitar duties, Kate Samworth playing bass, and Nicky Thomas on drums.
History
Amy Pickering, who was part of the D.C. hardcore scene during her high school years, later joined Dischord Records. There, she made a notable statement against gender discrimination by removing a "No Skirts Allowed" sign. Oman Emmet of Beefeater credited her as "the mother of the revolution" for sparking the 1985 Revolution Summer, a pivotal movement that revitalized the D.C. punk community and encouraged political engagement, including demonstrations opposing Apartheid and President Ronald Reagan.
Prior to joining Fire Party, drummer Nicky Thomas had experience playing with groups such as Lebensluste and In Pieces.
Formed by Pickering alongside Avery, Samworth, and Thomas, Fire Party emerged from a tightly connected D.C. music scene. Their first performance took place in February 1987 at d.c. space as a tribute to Toni Young, one of the few women of color active in the local scene.
Fire Party's discography includes a six-track self-titled mini-LP and an eight-track release titled New Orleans Opera. They embarked on a Midwest tour supporting Scream, followed by a European tour in early 1988 where they performed alongside Scream and That Petrol Emotion. During this European leg, they recorded a session for John Peel's program on BBC Radio 1. The punk publication File 13 recognized New Orleans Opera as one of the most impressive records released in 1989.
In 1996, Dischord Records compiled their work into a self-titled CD that included selections from both original releases, the Peel session recordings, and the track "Pilate" from the State of the Union compilation.
Although their output was relatively brief, Fire Party, along with other bands associated with "Revolution Summer" such as Embrace and Rites of Spring, played a crucial role in shaping the artistic evolution of American punk music. As an all-female ensemble—a rarity at that time—and featuring Nicky Thomas as one of the few African American women in punk rock, Fire Party distinguished themselves within the genre. Musician Jenny Toomey referred to them as "the world's first female-fronted emo band."
Discography
- Fire Party mini-LP (May 1988), Dischord
- New Orleans Opera mini-LP/cassette (October 1989), Dischord
- Compilations
- Fire Party CD (October 1996), Dischord – collects both albums along with five extra tracks
References
- Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark. Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Akashic Books, New York, NY, 2001.
- Greenwald, Andy. Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo. St. Martin's Griffin, 2003.
- Strong, Martin C. The Great Indie Discography. Canongate, 2003.
External links
- Fire Party page on Southern Records
- Fire Party page on Dischord Records