| Babes In Conflict by Peter S. Scholtes When Minneapolis legends Babes In Toyland played a sold out gig at the London Mean Fiddler on March 3rd, Time Out heralded it as a "reunion show". Yet the band that took the stage in London contained only one original member: singer guitarist Kat Bjelland. The rhythm section had recently been borrowed from the British band Angelica. The "reunion" tour is news to Babes In Toylands co-founder , drummer Lori Barbero. And she's furious. "I asked Kat three times about it, and she claimed she was touring England as Katastrophy Wife," says Barbero, who's home in Minneapolis. "After being in a band for 15 odd years, I thought we were on pretty good terms." Katastrophy Wife is, of course, Bjellands other local trio, whose breakup she announced three months ago. At the time she said she planned to keep the name - a claim shed never made on Babes In Toyland which Barbero lifted from Victor Herberts operetta for various projects before she met her soon-to-be best friend 16 years ago. Since the bands original 1987 incarnation, the name has stuck through a succession of bassists, including one each for two reunion tours since the women abandoned the Babes as a full time pursuit in 1998. Reached in London, Bjelland's manager Kurt Pagan says he booked a Babes In Toyland reunion tour in Europe last fall. According to Pagan, Barbero committed to the gig, then pulled out after September 11 but agreed to reschedule for February 2002. She proceeded to back out of that committment as well, Pagan says. "I want to stress that Lori was asked from the beginning," he says "We actually spoke to Lori about the possibility of Yoko Ono producing a new cd ." He concedes however that he never followed up with Barbero to let her know that Bjelland would be touring England as Babes In Toyland without her. Barbero tells a different version of the story. She says it was Bjelland that backed out of the 2001 tour. She maintains that she never committed to the 2002 tour dates, because she needed to accommodate a co-worker on maternity leave though she was open to touring at a later time. Barbero adds that she didnt know that the tour had been booked without her until people began phoning her from England, wondering about the Babes dates they'd seen on the internet. When she confronted her old friend, Barbero recounts, Bjelland assured her that the tour was not being booked under the old band name. "I would never for one minute approved of her doing that" Barbero says. "Peter Murphy is not booked as Bauhaus, Daniel Ash is not booked as Love and Rockets." Bjelland is scheduled to play the Loring Pasta Bar April 4th with a new Katastrophy Wife lineup featuring members of British outfit Sally and a U.S tour is in the works. But any plans for a genuine Babes In Toyland reunion have been junked. "The breakup of a band is not something new in my life," Bjelland says, "Now I'm just worried about coming back. People love to hate me there though so I'm used to it" she says. Does Barbero agree that Babes In Toyland are kaput? "Oh yeah," she laughs,"Are you kdding me? I'm really proud of what I've done and I dont hate anybody but I feel really betrayed". Article from www.citypages.com |
 |