Queen Adreena



Queenadreena are a British alternative rock band (although the exact genre is up for dispute- some people refer to them as 'goth'n'roll') which was formed in 1999 in London by vocalist Katie-Jane Garside and guitarist Crispin Gray, both formerly of the punk band Daisy Chainsaw. They initially wrote their name Queen Adreena, but made it a single word soon after the release of their first album, Taxidermy. Since then the band have had a steady and stable career despite frequent lineup and label changes, but no breakthrough success.

The band's music is dark and often quite heady, eerie and desperate sounding, with the lyrics, when not open to multiple interpretations as they so often are, usually tackling difficult subjects such as anorexia ("My Silent Undoing") and the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey ("FM Doll"). The videos match: strange and grainy, and occasional doses of horror.

Many members of the band have side projects, which they develop alongside Queenadreena. Katie Jane sings for Ruby Throat, and has a released a collection of her own songs under the name 'Lalleshwari', and in 2006 Crispin and Nomi founded a band of their own, the Dogbones. The band have also composed a live soundtrack to David Cronenberg's film Crash.

Members:
 * Katie-Jane Garside (vocals) (ex. Daisy Chainsaw)
 * Crispin Gray (guitar) (ex. Daisy Chainsaw)
 * Nomi Leonard (bass)
 * Bambi (drums) (Also in Selfish Cunt)

Former members:
 * Orson Wajih (bass)
 * Billy Freedom (drums)
 * Janne Jarvis (bass)
 * Richard Adams (bass)
 * Melanie 'Maple Bee' Garside (bass) (ex. Mediaeval Baebes)
 * Paul Jackson (bass)
 * Pete Howard (drums) (ex. The Clash)

Studio Albums:
 * Taxidermy (2000)
 * Drink Me (2002)
 * The Butcher and the Butterfly (2005)
 * Ride a Cock Horse (2007) (made up entirely of the band's demos, independently released)
 * Djin (2008)

This band provides examples of the following:

 * Bishonen- It could be argued that the mildly feminine Crispin Gray fits into this.
 * Careful with That Axe- In most songs, most of the lyrics will be sung the old fashioned way, but a few lines will be screamed or shrieked.
 * Creator Breakdown- The song "Suck" is autobiographical, apparently.
 * Face of the Band- Katie-Jane. Long-term fans may also recognise Crispin Gray. Anyone else is anyone's guess.
 * Fetish Fuel- most videos and live performances. Although it is somewhat (intentionally) twisted and disturbing Fetish Fuel.
 * High Turnover Rate- Five albums. Six bassists. You do the maths. They have also struggled with record labels, going through Blanco y Negro, Rough Trade, One Little Indian and Imperial Records in under a decade.
 * I Am Not Shazam- Queenadreena is the band, not Katie-Jane!
 * Just Here for Godzilla- Chances are a few fans of legendary rock band The Clash have been pulled in by the presence of Pete Howard on drums.
 * Now no longer the case, since Pete left in 2008. They currently have Bambi from the band 'Selfish Cunt' as the drummer.
 * Murder Ballad- Their cover of Pretty Polly.
 * Performance Video- "FM Doll" and "Pretty Like Drugs" are both made up of the band standing in a room, performing the song. Although thankfully both videos are spiced up a bit by the camera work and choreography.
 * Don't forget at least one of the versions of the video for "Medicine Jar".
 * Reclusive Artist- Interviews with the band seem to be few and far between, and when they are present, they tend to only be with Katie-Jane, who incidentally, claims to be an actual, fully-fledged recluse.
 * One such interview for a French music show had Katie very nervously answering questions in a bizarre way. Crispin sat behind with a drink in his hand and a smirk on his face, as if he was in on something.
 * Something Something Leonard Bernstein- A rather annoying case, in that the discernable lyrics always seem to be either the most X-rated ones, and/or the ones that give completely the wrong impression off when taken out of context.
 * The Ophelia- Katie-Jane's stage persona fits this to a tee, from the long blond hair to desperate-sounding vocals to frequent lack of items of clothing.
 * Three Minutes of Writhing- The video to "FM Doll", although the writhing in question bears more resemblance to somebody having a fit. This is fully intentional.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene- Katie-Jane
 * The Wonka- Katie-Jane tends to waffle a lot in interviews, often coming out with bizarre metaphors and comments.
 * What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?- Due to Katie-Jane's erratic and eccentric behaviour in interviews and on stage, many people think she is a drug addict. Most people, however, reckon it's just her, as for her odd mannerisms to be caused by drugs, she would have to be under the influence 24/7.
 * It has also been speculated that KJ may also have Asperger's Syndrome, though this has never been confirmed.