The Leather Nun

The Leather Nun are Sweden's dark answer to ABBA. Careening from garage rock to goth and industrial, Leather Nun became cult heroes in their native land.

Leather Nun was formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1979 by Jonas Almquist (vocals), recruiting the remains of former Gothenburg punkact Straitjacket: Bengt "Aron" Aronsson (guitar), Freddie Wadling (bass), and Gert Claesson (drums). The band's name orginates from that of a London stripper.

Inspired by Velvet Underground and Iggy & The Stooges, Leather Nun recorded their debut EP, Slow Death, in Nov 1979, which was released on Industrial Records alongside such artists as Throbbing Gristle, SPK and Cabaret Voltaire. Due to a massive powerplay by influential BBC-presenter John Peel in the Winter of '79, Leather Nun gained a rapid reputation in the UK topping the indiecharts in NME and Sounds. Performed at the legendary Leap Year Day sold-out all-niter at Scala Cinema in London, alongside Throbbing Gristle and Monte Cazzaza in 1980. Wadling left Leather Nun in 1982 and joined Blue for Two. A handful of singles followed before Leather Nun released their first LP, Alive, in 1985.

Covering ABBA's "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" earned the group some respect in Sweden and Europe in 1986. Participated as the only scandinavian act in the Channel4 all-nite, all-european broadcast of The Tube (renamed The EuroTube) in the Summer of 1986. Gained massive mediaattention and several successful UK and European tours followed. In 1988, Leather Nun were reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine following a tour of the US. The tour started at a sold-out CBGB with NYC-legends like Joey Ramone, Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye in the audience. The tour closed in LA at the (bigger of the two) Scream. A sold-out show that saw the cream of the LA-rockcrop like Guns'n'Roses, checking out the swedish band.

In 1986 the group's imported singles found their way onto U.S. college radio stations, earning substantial airplay with "Pink House", a deadpan parody of John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses".

In 1987 the group released their first studio album "Steel Construction" which was critically acclaimed. Their second studio album "International Heroes" produced by Kim Fowley gained even more airplay and success.

While releasing their third album "Nun Permanent" (produced by ex-Bowie sidekick Mick Ronson) in winter 1991/92 their record company got bankrupt and could no longer deliver copies of the album. Being without a record company the Leather Nun continued to play gigs for a few years, but never got so successful again. The group finally broke up in 1995 only to successfully reunite in the summer of 2004 to celebrate their 25 year anniversary. Headlining a cityfestival in native Gothenburgh, Sweden and attracting massive media attention. Receiving a top rating half a page review in the biggest evening daily by Per Bjurman, then most influential swedish rockjournalist, calling the show The Event of Summer '04.

UK label Easy Action (with newly released official 8 cd Iggy & The Stooges cdbox) is rumoured to plan a release of a similar Leather Nun cdbox.

Singersongwriter and founder Jonas Almquist is rumoured to record a solo-demo in LA in summer of '07, with an all-star line up: David Bowie-guitarists Earl Slick and Reeves Gabrels (Tin Machine), bassplayer Gary Rasmussen (the original Iggy & The Stooges), pianist Mike Garson (piano on Bowiealbums Ziggy S, Aladin & Young Americans).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather_Nun