Ask your friends and family, ninety-nine out of a hundred of them never heard of the New Jersey horror punk band the Misfits. But the one percenters take their love for this band very seriously.
Miami locals Mikhael Hell, Crystal Von Frankenstein, Sandy Skeletone, and Natalie \m/ first thought they were only going to play one night of Misfits covers, but the attention they received even before playing a live gig convinced them to make it a full time thing. Thus, this the all-female Misfits cover band, Ms. Fitts, was born.
Taking a break from rehearsal in the Wynnwood rehearsal space they call the Spookhouse, the ladies of Ms. Fitts gamely answered our questions via the interweb.
New Times: Ms. Fitts is a genius name for an all-female cover band of the Misfits. Did you come up with the name first, and then decide to form the band? Or did you form the band and then come up with the name?
The idea for the band came first. Mikhael, who's a die-hard lover of all things pink and Misfits, had been wanting to put together an all-girl Misfits cover band for years. Shortly after Mikhael and Sandy started jamming at the Spookhouse, Sandy showed Mikhael a playlist on her iPhone that she had named "Ms. Fitts." And like you said, genius. So it stuck.
In those early days, the idea was that Ms. Fitts would be more of a one-off "project," playing for Halloween. But the response since we started putting it out there has been tremendous, and rather surprising. As soon as our Facebook page went live, we were averaging 100 likes per week and getting requests to play all over the country. Mind you, this was before we had played a single show. People want to see hot chicks in ghoul makeup playing Misfits songs, and who are we to not give the people what they want?
How did the four of you meet?
Well, Mikhael and Sandy met on ChristianMingle.com and started working on Misfits songs at the Spookhouse. When Matthew Touchstone of Vice City Studios heard that we were doing an all-girl Misfits cover band, he put us in touch with Natalie and Crystal. So we almost all met for the first time that first day, and it was love at first sight! We were all huge Misfits fans and super enthusiastic about the band. It was a perfect match.
What can audiences expect from a Ms. Fitts concert?
First and foremost, we rock the shit out of this music. Our shows are fun! Mikhael channels her inner Danzig to capture the true punk rock spirit of a live Misfits show back in the day. We get a little wild; there's a lot of crowd interaction. We're amped, they're amped, and you kind of never know what mayhem is going to ensue. Makeup! Fog! Ghost stories! You get the picture.
A Google search of Misfits cover bands shows you have a bunch of competition around the world. My favorite was the band called the Misfats. Have you had any encounters with other Misfits tribute bands?
We have! And it has all been incredibly positive and supportive! In fact, we performed at a Misfits Tribute Night on Friday the 13th (of September) at Propaganda in Lake Worth with a couple other bands -- Horror Business and The Toilets. When you love the Misfits, it's like pledging to a rabid, horror-punk fraternity/sorority. We're all brothers and sisters. If there is any sibling rivalry, the Ms. Fitts will always win, because our skirts are shorter!
Why do you think The Misfits inspire so much emulation?
No one starts or joins a Misfits cover band who feels "meh" about the Misfits. Glenn Danzig was a true visionary. From 1978 to 1983, the Misfits were absolutely lightning in a bottle; no one was doing what they were doing with the whole horror aesthetic, stage performance, and artwork. Danzig wrote the catchiest, most tuneful songs, and overlaid them with some of the darkest and most transgressive lyrics that had ever been written in rock up to that point. And we all think Doyle is really hot.
Which songs have been easiest to nail? Which have given you the most trouble?
We nailed "Mommy Can I Go out and Kill Tonight" the first time, which really surprised us because that song is muy rapido. Since that one was so easy we thought "Green Hell" would go the same but we were wrong, wrong, wrong, my darling.
What's your stance on playing Danzig songs?
We certainly have nothing against Danzig songs, or Samhain songs, or any other iteration of the Misfits for that matter. Ask us again when we break up.
The Misfits are playing Grand Central in December. Does Ms. Fitts have any plans to commemorate this event?
Well, Danzig and Doyle are playing first on October 8, at Revolution in Fort Lauderdale. To commemorate that, we're going to sneak backstage and watch Mikhael persuade either Danzig or Doyle to marry her!
The BIG Misfits show is on December 14, at Grand Central. We're playing the Official Misfits Pre-Party at Churchill's the night before, Friday the 13th, with some of our South Florida punk rock buddies The Riot Agents, The Toilets, and Angry Pudding. We have a very, very special surprise in store for that show!
Ms. Fitts perform next -- their first Miami show -- 10 p.m., Charity Event for the Mixto Foundation, Kill Your Idol, 222 Espanola Way, Miami Beach. Suggested donation is $5.
They have a slew of shows in Broward and Palm Beach coming up, starting with October 11 with Killmama at Respectable Street, 518 Clematis Steet, West Palm Beach. Visit their Facebook page for full event listings.
