Violent Femmes tickets & concert schedule

Violent Femmes were created in 1980 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by multi-instrumentalist Brian Ritchie and Victor DeLorenzo (drums, percussion) who found Gordon Gano (vocals, guitars e.t.c.) and began playing together in the streets and at coffee houses. Members of the rock band The Pretenders discovered them and ask from them to take part in their show.

They released their first and homonymous album in April of 1983. It included “Blister in the Sun”, one of their characteristic songs and became platinum in 1987 (also two times platinum in Australia), while it managed to enter at the US album charts (no. 171), almost four years later! It was followed by 1984’s “Hallowed Ground”, which had been recorded before the release of the band’s first album. Apart from its folk punk sound, it contained elements of country and gospel rock. The next one named “The Blind Leading the Naked”, came out in 1986 and reached no. 84 on the Billboard 200 chart, their highest until now. It had a more mainstream and alternative rock sound. After a small break in which some members dealt with solo projects, Femmes returned in 1988 and released their third album “3”.

In the next decade, after the release of 1991’s “Why Do Birds Sing?”, DeLorenzo left the group and was replaced by Guy Hoffman in 1993. In September of that year, the compilation album “Add It Up (1981-1993)” came out and became gold later. Another two studio albums were released during 90’s, 1994’s “New Times” and “Rock” a year later (firstly only in Australia). After 2000’s “Freak Magnet” and one more compilation album later, DeLorenzo returned in 2002. The next years the band released only live material and another compilation album and after litigation between Ritchie and Gano about “Blister in the Sun” Femmes decided to dissolve.

They reunited in 2013, following a series of live appearances in several American fests. The band’s drummer since 2016 is John Sparrow and they have released one more album that year named “We Can Do Anything”. For many years, Violent Femmes use a small group of additional musicians under the name “Horns of Dilemma”, whose members have changed through the years.