No Shame In Flamboyance: An Interview With Gere Fennelly

Gere in Redd Kross

Popshifter: How did you end up playing with Redd Kross?

Gere Fennelly: Well, I always knew who they were. I lived in San Francisco and they used to play there all the time.

I must’ve been in my early 20s and I remember seeing them with the Circle Jerks and Black Flag, and I remember thinking (cute voice), “Oh, look at those little kids!”

Popshifter: (laughs)

Gere Fennelly: They were still teenagers.

Popshifter: That must’ve been around Born Innocent [Redd Kross’s 1982 album—Ed.].

Gere Fennelly: And they had two girls in the band then. I remember because you didn’t see girls and guys in bands that much. There were a couple of all-girl bands in San Francisco, but you didn’t see that many bands with girls and guys.

I remembered them, which is weird because by that point I’d seen a thousand gazillion bands. My friends were in that band Frightwig and I was there to see them, Black Flag, and Circle Jerks. And then over the years, I always knew who Redd Kross were.

Now in San Francisco, I was sort of a well-known, performance-cabaret, freak-show artist in the 80s. I had all these funny tribute bands, like I had an Elton John tribute band, a David Bowie one, so I was a well-known figure in San Francisco. So [Redd Kross] kinda knew who I was.

Now this was later, we’re talking about 1990. I went to their record release party for Third Eye. They had a session keyboardist on that record and I remember my roommate saying, “Oh wow, Redd Kross! You should see if you could be in that band.” So I went to the record release party and I went up to Jeff and I went, “Hey! I’m a great keyboard player, I should be in your band!”

I was always like, I have no shame! (laughs) He kinda knew who I was and that’s how I got in. I told him, “I’m sick of San Francisco; I’ll move to L.A.” (laughs)

I was! I mean, if you grow up in San Francisco, no matter how cool people think it is, it’s like, yeah, but I’ve been here my whole life. I was just ready to get out. So that’s how I got in the band.

I loved being in that band. I had the best time.

Popshifter: You were a great addition to the band. Your whole aesthetic fit in so well: you’re so flamboyant and they are so flamboyant, too.

Gere Fennelly: The reason I quit being in bands was that I was already 36 by then and I just wanted to do other stuff. I play for dance schools, theater, I do composing, I teach, I play at a church. . . I just sort of like being a free agent.

“I don’t belong in the world.”
Carnival of Souls

Popshifter: What’s it like being an accompanist? When I think about church organists I think about the movie Carnival of Souls. I hope you’ve never had any experiences like that! Weird people haunting you.

Gere Fennelly: Way before I ever saw that movie people would ask me if I’d ever seen it because the girl is like, “I’m not even religious. I just want to play the organ.” I grew up in the Catholic church, but I don’t really care. I mean, I wouldn’t go to church unless I was the organist!

I play in a Presbyterian church, I play in a synagogue, I’m not particular! As long as they pay me. (laughs) I like the music, I especially like the old music.

I’ve always liked the organ. I started being the organist in my church when I was ten. The only time I wasn’t an organist was when I was on the road with bands.

After Redd Kross, I started playing the organ again. I’ve been at the church where I play now for 11 years.

Popshifter: Speaking of organ, I love the “Requiem” piece on your CD. The whole CD is so good, with such a great diversity of styles. I think that if someone thought instrumental piano music was kind of boring, they’d hear your CD and totally change their minds.

Gere Fennelly: Yeah! I wanted to do film music, but. . . it’s not that I’m not motivated enough, but—

Popshifter: It’s a big thing to deal with, though.

Gere Fennelly: —yeah, I have friends that do some of that, but I don’t know if I really want to just sit in front of a keyboard all day by myself, you know? I like working with people: I like playing for singers, I like being around people. I mean, the guys that I know that are real composers, they’re sitting there all day in front of a keyboard, just tweaking knobs and then screaming at people on the phone about stuff.

Popshifter: (laughs)

Gere Fennelly: (laughs) You know what I mean?

Click to read more from Gere on. . .

Liberace
Redd Kross
What’s next

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