Bianca B., who is the lead vocalist/bassist for Betty Blowtorch, said that this time around, she wanted to be more rock than punk. "The approach, musically, was different," B. said during a phone call from the band's stop in Reno, Nev. "But the punk attitude is still the same."
Betty Blowtorch — B., guitarist Sharon Needles, lead guitarist Blair N. B. and drummer Judy Molish — is one of the bands playing on the smaller stage of the Vans Warped Tour, which hits the Utah State Fairpark on Saturday.
The formation of Betty Blowtorch happened back in 1996 with the band . . . Trumpet. Everyone, sans Molish, was part of that lineup.
"When we were in the other band, we just wanted to offend people and have a good time," said B., who cited Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, Joan Jett, Girlschool and L7 as her major influences. "When I joined . . . Trumpet, we wanted to help the nerdy kids have a life."
That was apparent in the song "I'm Ugly and I Don't Know Why," she said. "It focused on that awkward stage of living. But it also let kids know that they could be whoever and whatever they wanted to be."
With Blowtorch, B. said the band was able to focus on fun, although "I'm Ugly . . ." appears on the Blowtorch's debut CD "Are You Man Enough?"
"We reminisced about the Los Angeles '80s metal scene," B. explained. "Passing out fliers for our boyfriends' bands — things like that."
This isn't her first time on the Warped Tour. "I played a couple of years in my old band. And it's great. But I remember how I was the only female bass player in the whole lineup. It was ridiculous."
Although the band is all about fun and rock 'n' roll, B. said there are still issues that she would like to see tackled.
"We're an all-girl band. And it's still amazing to me how much inequality is out there. We're a strong live band, and sometimes that scares other bands — especially the male bands. But we're not here to scare them. We want to play with them. My dream is to see equality."
E-MAIL: scott@desnews.com