Babes in Toyland

Babes in Toyland came to prominence in the late ‘80s with a raw live show that captured a musical and cultural moment; angry, talented and unfettered by societal norms, there were no costumes, no matching outfits and no harmonies. Babes in Toyland were as punk as their contemporaries, male or female, and made history along the way. Releasing three full-length albums and a number of singles and EPs, the trio of Kat Bjelland, Lori Barbero and Maureen Herman influenced a legion of musicians including Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill and Jack-off Jill.

Dangerous Minds said, “Kat’s delivery was intense and atonal, with her lyrics referencing fairytales (“Handsome and Gretel”), pain, rage, beauty, betrayal, and abusive parents, not sung with sweet, breathy, unsure vocals, but with a gut-wrenching maenad’s growl.” The Minneapolis-born band was the first of their female contemporaries to sign to a major label (Fontanelle, the band’s sophomore release, arrived in 1992 via Reprise Records) and as a byproduct of their individualism, Kat kick-started the return of baby doll dresses and plastic barrettes.

Babes in Toyland graced the covers of Alternative Press, NME and the aforementioned Entertainment Weekly. They played the Reading Festival three times (1991,1993 and 1995), Lollapalooza once (1993) and have been featured in numerous documentaries including 1991: The Year Punk Broke and Not Bad for a Girl. Herman left the band in 1997; Barbero and Bjelland played the "final" Babes in Toyland show in 2001.

Past Shows


Sep
22
nd
2017
Mainroom
Sep
22
nd
2017
Mainroom

Babes in Toyland

with Porcupine and Bruise Violet
Jan
30
th
2016
Mainroom
Jan
30
th
2016
Mainroom

Babes in Toyland

with Kitten Forever and AGEIST

More Shows

Jun
8
th
Turf Club

Arcwelder

with Products Band
Jun
19
th
7th St Entry

Queef Jerky

May
10
th
7th St Entry

Kash'd Out

with Dale and the ZDubs
Jun
23
rd
Turf Club

Chuck Prophet

with The Suitcase Junket