Le Butcherettes' Teri Gender Bender Talks Bloody Pig Heads, Malcolm X and Abuse

Filed under: , , ,


Le ButcherettesCourtesy of Le Butcherettes

Le Butcherettes hail from the underground Mexican scene, where they quickly rose to fame for their daring live act featuring onstage theatrics involving fake blood and political stunts in the name of stopping violence against women. When vocalist Teri Gender Bender (born Teresa Suaréz) relocated to the U.S. in 2009, she reconvened the band with Gabe Serbian on drums and Jonathan Hischke on bass and keys.

Thanks to the recent release of 'Sin Sin Sin' -- which sees the band signed to the label of renowned producer and musician Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In), who also plays bass on the disc -- the act's stock is rising. The record has even reached No. 1 on the iTunes Mexico Alternative charts in Bender's homeland.

With a string of dates with the mighty Queens of the Stone Age on the horizon, Bender sat down with Spinner to discuss her crazy live show (from the early days of incorporating a severed pig head into the set to her token blood-soaked apron.) The fiery 22-year-old also recounts a near-death stage-diving incident in Tennessee and how Malcolm X inspired her rock 'n' roll namesake.

Why did you nickname yourself "Teri Gender Bender"?

I was really influenced by Malcolm X. I love how he said, "OK, my last name is part of who I am but it really doesn't mean anything to me because all of my ancestors were robbed of their original last name by the white man." The reason of "X" was for him unknown. For me, gender bender is, "OK, look at me as an individual, not for my sex." It's like the literal meaning of taking the gender and you're bending it -- I want you to see me for my ideas not for my anatomy.

Ramon Estevez Freddie Highmore Beau Garrett Rudolph Giuliani Eduardo Noriega