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Phantom Blue

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Phantom Blue

Phantom Blue was an all-female heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, United States in 1987. After a promising start they were undermined by lineup instability and finally petered out in 2001.

Career

Founded by best friends Michelle Meldrum and Nicole Couch, Phantom Blue recorded a demo that won them a contract with Shrapnel Records and an eponymous debut album in the Summer of 1989, attracting transatlantic interest, and minor hit single "Why Call it Love". However, the band resented the glam metal/hair metal image given by their record company, which did not equate with their actual much heavier sound, and also being made to shoot the video for "Why Call it Love" at a male penitentiary. Much momentum was lost in finding a new management and record deal (finally with Geffen Records), and their follow-up album Built to Perform did not emerge until 1993.

A reasonably successful European tour to promote it followed in 1994. Unfortunately some destabilizing lineup changes followed before the independently-released Prime Cuts & Glazed Donuts in 1995 which also featured a comic book on the band that was packaged with the CD. The band's live album Caught Live was released in 1997. By the end of the decade, vocalist Gigi Hangach had left, leaving drummer Linda McDonald the only surviving founding member of the band. Nevertheless the band soldiered on, releasing the EP Full Blown in 2000 before calling it quits.

Subsequent projects

Drummer Linda McDonald and guitarist Sara Marsh (who was part of the band's final lineup) went on to play in two tribute bands. The first being The Iron Maidens (billed as "The world's only female tribute to Iron Maiden"), who have released a self-titled tribute album in the USA and Japan, the CD/DVD release Route 666 and the EP The Root of All Evil in Japan on Powerslave Records. The second being The Little Dolls ("All female all Ozzy all the time, covering all eras of Ozzy"). In addition, McDonald is also involved in the all-female cover band Valley Dolls.

Guitarist Josephine Soegijanty (who was with Phantom Blue from 1997 to 2001) co-founded The Iron Maidens in 2001 with McDonald and Marsh, but left in 2005 - just months after the band released their debut album. Today, she goes by the name Jojo Draven and composes music for movies produced and directed by her husband Danny Draven.

Bassist Dyna Shirasaki and guitarist Tina Wood (from the 1997 lineup) are currently with the all-female AC/DC tribute band ThundHerStruck, with Shirasaki on lead vocals. [1] [2]

Lead vocalist Lucienne Thomas (from the 1998 lineup) became the lead vocalist of the Heart tribute band Dreamboat Annie after leaving Phantom Blue. [3]

Bassist Rana Ross (from the 1994 lineup) went on to tour with Vixen in 1997 before forming the band Sinboy. Sadly, she died of liver failure on May 3, 2003. [4]

Bassist Kim Nielsen (who now goes by her married name Kim Nielsen-Parsons) has become a successful session musician, tour production, and artist management assistant, working with many top bands in the music industry. She and Lucienne Thomas are currently working on forming an all-female Queensryche tribute band.

File:Gigi 94.jpg
Gigi Hangach with Phantom Blue: 1 March 1994 - Camden Underworld London, UK

Guitarist Nicole Couch currently lives in the British Virgin Islands with her husband and their two children.

Guitarist Michelle Meldrum went on to form an international band called Meldrum. The band have toured with Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, Motörhead, Sepultura, Nashville Pussy and Danzig. They have released a live DVD, Loaded Live, and two albums, Loaded Mental Cannon and Blowin' Up The Machine, the latter featuring her former Phantom Blue band mate, drummer Linda McDonald. On May 21, 2008, Meldrum died as a result of a brain hemmorhage.

Discography

Members

Original line-up (pre-Shrapnel Records):

1988-93 line-up:

  • Gigi Hangach - Vocals
  • Michelle Meldrum - Guitar
  • Nicole Couch - Guitar
  • Kim Nielsen - Bass
  • Linda McDonald - Drums

1993-94 line-up:

  • Gigi Hangach - Vocals
  • Michelle Meldrum - Guitar
  • Karen Kreutzer - Guitar
  • Kim Nielsen - Bass
  • Linda McDonald - Drums

1994 line-up:

  • Gigi Hangach - Vocals
  • Michelle Meldrum - Guitar
  • Karen Kreutzer - Guitar
  • Rana Ross - Bass
  • Linda McDonald - Drums

1996 line-up:

1997 line-up:

  • Gigi Hangach - Vocals
  • Tina Wood - Guitar
  • Josephine Soegijanty - Guitar
  • Dyna Shirasaki - Bass
  • Linda McDonald - Drums

1998 line-up:

Final line-up:

  1. ^ ThundHerStruck - Dyna Shirasaki's Bio
  2. ^ ThundHerStruck - Tina Wood's Bio
  3. ^ All Access Magazine Interview with Lucienne Thomas
  4. ^ Blabbermouth.net - Former PHANTOM BLUE/VIXEN Bassist Passes Away - May 6, 2003
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