Violence Girl

About this book

East L.A. punk pioneer Alice Bag tells the raw, feministmemoir of survival, music, and the birth of West Coast punk.Violence Girl is the memoir of Alicia Armendariz--better known as AliceBag--frontwoman of The Bags and one of the earliest voices of the Los Angelespunk scene. Raised in East L.A. by Mexican-born parents and shaped by aturbulent, often violent home life, Armendariz crossed cultural and geographicboundaries to become part of the 1970s underground movement that transformedAmerican music and youth culture. From early performances at the Masque to appearances inPenelope Spheeris' landmark film The Decline of Western Civilization, Alice Baghelped define the sound and spirit of West Coast punk. In this candid memoir, she traces her journey from barrio life and family trauma to feministawakening, artistic community, and creative survival. The book documents notonly the emergence of Los Angeles punk but also the experiences of women andChicana artists within a male-dominated music scene. Combining personal history with cultural documentation, ViolenceGirl explores themes of identity, resilience, music, and self-invention. Nearlyone hundred photographs capture the era's clubs, bands, and personalities, placing Armendariz's story within the broader evolution of punk and alternativeculture. The memoir stands as both a personal narrative and an important recordof the early L.A. punk movement. A core title for readers of punk history, feminist memoir, Chicana literature, and music biography. "It's rare that someone at the real beginning of something so monumentallyinfluential is around long enough to put it down in writing." -- Henry Rollins, LAWeekly "A riveting autobiographical reflection...equal parts Chicana lit and punk rock."-- OC Weekly "Fierce and funny, feminist and political, and punk as f___." -- Bitch "Absolutely inspiring...a thoroughly moving story of personal triumph." -- TheStranger