Alicia
"Alice" Armendariz, (born November 7, 1958) known professionally as
Alice Bag, is a punk rock singer, musician, author, educator and
feminist archivist. She is the lead singer and co-founder of the Bags,
one of the first wave of punk bands to form in the mid-1970s in Los
Angeles.
Both of her parents were from Mexico and she was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. As a child, Bag was influenced by the music played by her family, including her father's rancheras and sister's
soul music collections. Growing up she developed a certain liking in
music such as Queen, David Bowie and Elton John. This
stage in her life guided her to transform into a rebellious, yet
attentive teenager. Alice
Bag began singing professionally at the age of 8 recording theme songs
for cartoons in both English and Spanish. She didn't gain exposure until
after forming the Bags. Alice
originally collaborated with Patricia Morrison and Margo Reyes in what
they first called Mascara then Femme Fatale and ultimately evolved into
the Bags, pioneering an
aggressive sound and style which has been cited as an early influence
on what would become the hardcore punk sound. The aggressive sound that
the band had was later noted to have a Mexican/Chicana influence that
Alice unintentionally brought along from her childhood.
Alice Bag was the vocalist and Pat Bag played bass, and the rest of the comprised guitar players Craig Lee and Rob Ritter, and Terry Graham on drums. The Bags played their first concert at The Masque on September 10, 1977. In 1978, they released their only record, a single called "Survive", backed with "Babylonian Gorgon", released by independent record label Dangerhouse Records.
"We Don't Need The English" was included on the Yes L.A. punk compilation album released by the same label.
After
this, Pat Bag left the band. In 1980 the group, minus Pat Bag, was
filmed by Penelope Spheeris for the documentary film The Decline of
Western Civilization, which also featured the Germs, Black Flag,
Catholic Discipline, X and other Los Angeles punk bands. At the release
of the film in 1981
the producers billed the group as "Alice Bag Band" to avoid any conflict
with ex-member Pat, but the band had already broken up by then.
Bag went on to appear and perform in other Los Angeles–based rock bands including Castration Squad, The Boneheads, Alarma, Cambridge Apostles, Swing Set, Cholita - the Female Menudo (with her friend and collaborator, performance artist Vaginal Davis), Las Tres, Goddess 13 (the subject of a KCET/PBS produced documentary, "Chicanas In Tune") and Stay At Home Bomb.
Still today Alice shares her music with her followers. In addition to her musical talents she also inspires other women musicians and remains involved with her community. She also wrote her biography book “Violence Girl”.
