The Welders was one of St. Louis’ earliest punk bands, and definitely its first all-girl punk band. It was formed in Florissant by sisters Jane and Caroline Fujimoto, Stephanie von Drasek, Julie Benz, and Kelly Draper.
They played their first gig in November 1976 at an all-ages club, Blueberry Jam, with borrowed instruments. Stephanie sang; Jane played drums and keyboards; Caroline played bass; Kelly and Julie played guitar. The Welders wrote snarky, hilarious songs making fun of the icky guys harassing them on the street, or about being a prude, or the cultural backwardness of the Veiled Prophet. In 1979, after playing around the metro area for a few years, they went into the studio and recorded an EP. After the label went bankrupt, the master tapes went down the memory hole, and the band called it quits in 1981.
In 2010 BDR Records reissued The Welders’ lost EP on CD with some unreleased later tracks. In December 2009 they played a one-off reunion show opening for long-time friends Raymilland. The band sounded absolutely contemporary; the songs were both funny and catchy, and its playing was so sharp you'd never guess that the group hadn't played together in three decades.
