Circus Magazine
Gwen Stefani never wanted to be considered the leader of her Orange Country,California-based outfit No Doubt.The sunny,28-years old platinum blonde once said that she stands for"the-whole-is-equal-to-its-parts
"ethic,and that the entire band-featuring bassist Tony Kanal,guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young-make decisions diplomatically.
It's hard,however,not to give the woman singer the same amount of attention in a male-dominated band,and her glamorous looks do not make her presence any more obscure.The band,conversely,is painfully aware of
that, as evidenced by their "Don't Speak" video (which won Best Group Video at last year's MTV Video Music Awards).Intercut with the typical live footage-lipsynching combo is a glam-orized depiction of the band undergoing a crisis that,in real life,almost threatened the future of the band. A photographer snaps a series of pictures of the band,eventually making Gwen the center of all the photos.Then the musicians are taken aside so that only Gwen(posing with some fruit) is photographed ,leading to fierce behind-the-scenes quarreling.
As much as No Doubt is truly a band with all of their opinions being equal,Gwen is proud to be in the posi- tion where she is currently at.Sort of.Gwen is an unconventional feminist who wears medium layers of makeup,trendy pants and skimpy tank-tops that reveal her navel.In rebelling the placement of females in society,Gwen ironically looks a million bucks.Unlike a true riot grrrl who "tells it like it is" in foul- mouthed fury,Gwen's more subtle words are dressed in a feel-good arrangement with slinky synthesizer lines and upbeat reggae-style guitar riffs."Take this pink ribbon off my eyes...'cause I'm just a girl,little ol' me,don't let me out of your sight,"sings Gwen in her piercing,high-pitched voice in the first single from their breakthrough album,Tragic Kingdom.She has told Circus Magazine that she loves the perks of being a female."I love being a girl.I love everything about it.I would never trade it.I love to wear makeup,and I'm a little girly-girl."
She doesn't only stand out during photo sessions.Her rowdy,fun onstage persona gives the multi-platinum band an edge over the other groups based in the state."What's cool is that because we have a female singing, Gwen gets the girls into it,lets them participate," said Kanal two years ago."With a lot of other bands,it's just a testosterone thing.But when you come to a No Doubt show ,the audience is spread across the board. Gwen will definitely get the girls involved,give them songs that are their songs,and its their time to get boosted,be in the pit ,whatever."
Gwen may be a main attraction for their band,but the excitement during their shows is also carried through by the other musicians.Play the newly-released,first full-length No Doubt home video,"Live In The Tragic Kingdom" and the average fan receives an accurate perception of what made the group one of the 1997's hottest summer tours.The 92-minute tape,released Novermber 11,captures their full 14-song set ranging from hits like"Excuse Me Mr." and "Sunday Morning" to their more obscure tunes,"Total Hate" (from the Beacon Street Collection)and "Move On"from their 1992 debut album.All the while,Kanal and Dumont are as active as Mexican jumping beans,while drummer Young offers his share of wacky hairdos and his stressed expressions of clenched teeth and frantic head movements.
Recruiting one of today's renowned video directors to shoot this one-of-a-kind release,Sophie Muller,was a grand gesture on her part,as well as vice-yersa."One of the reasons I wanted to work with No Doubt in the first place,is that I saw them play live.It seems only fair that the rest of the world be allowed the same honor."
No Doubt have been showered with nothing but critical and commercial honors over the last few years. From relative obscurity even in their hometown,the quartet shot up to becoming media darlings and one of the most-recognized bands in the late '90s.Their 1995 album Tragic Kingdom(recorded a few blocks away from Disney Kingdom in Anaheim)eventually sold up to 13 million copies worldwide(with eight million shiny discs being purchased in the States),thanks to the crossover success of "Don't Speak" and "Spiderwebs" into modern rock,adult-oriented rock and pop radio stations.Their passionate performance of the former tune on the Grammys in February 1997 only raised their profile to a feverish pitch.
The band's characteristic melting-pot musical approach has had many sources.Dumont was weaned on old- school arena-rock acts Judas Priest and Black Sabbath,and quit the fledgling scene in California because " people weren't there for the music,they were there to wear tight spandex and get chicks."Kanal was influenced by the soul and funk-oriented music of Prince,as well as being infatuated with Red Hot Chili Peppers'Flea (who recorded the band's first demo)and the bassists from The Specials and Fishbone.While first listening heavily to a wide spectrum of '70s acts,Young said that by junior high,"ska,new wave and punk became my life."
Out of all the other members,Gwen Stefani's introduction to music was the furthest away from her band's distinctive sound.She cites as one of her biggest influences,"The Sound of Music" and grew up liking the same of music as her older brother,Eric.The two were devout fanatics of New Wave stars Madness in the '80s,and it was also Eric who spurred his baby sister to channel her musical talent into performing. "Eric got way too much creativity and motivation when we were kids."Stefani told Circus last year.
I love being a girl.I love everthing about it.I would never trade it.
"He was always pounding on the piano and forcing me to come into the living room and sing with him...he wsa the one who got me into this.
"I was the one on the couch as a kid,watching "The Brady Bunch,"really lazy with no goals and no ambition .Not for any reason,that was just my personality,"she added.
It was at Loara High School when a mutual friend,John Spence,suggested to the Stefani siblings that they should from a band.In this early version of No Doubt,both Spence and Gwen shared lead vocals,while Eric handled keyboard duties.
Even during those early days,their music was ska-oriented,and played at friends' parties.Kanal joined the lineup after hearing that a bassist was needed, and later became their manager.Unfortunately,in December 1987,Spence,who was only 18,killed himself.The depressed band,particularly Gwen,spent a while trying to deal with their emotions,and almost faced an inevitable break-up.But with prodding by her brother,Gwen leaped back on her feet and the band started anew.The final pieces missing from No Doubt,Dumont and Young,finally fell into place.
Signed to Interscope in 1991,No Doubt developed an album's worth of tunes and released their debut album in 1992.Materializing amidst the domineering grunge movement,the disc went nowhere and sunk without a trace.The band experienced another downturn when their label dropped them from their roster.For now.
The quartet spent their time between albums refining their sound and their live performances.Eventually they gained a reputable name for their energetic concerts,earning valued opening slots for the 1995's Tragic Kingdom-most of which were spurred by the dissolution of a seven-year long romance between Stefani and Kanal.The more completed tracks were recorded and produced by themselves for their own "official bootleg" released independently entitled The Beacon Street Collection.
The band hit another obstacle after its main composer,Eric,departed the group to pursue an animation career.At first,this move was perceived by the others as the last straw of what they began to believe was a career that wasn't meant to happen.But they walked away deciding to make the most of what they had-as a foursome."Eric wasn't enjoying him-self anymore,"exlained Kanal."He had given all he really wanted to give to No Doubt.He didn't want to deal with anymore of the bullshit because there's so much more stuff that comes with begin a band."With about seven tracks co-written by Eric prior to his departure, the band clicked as a song-writing unit and came up with the other half.
A year-and-a-half after releasing the album,No Doubt came on strong in terms of record and ticket sales.They traveled to multiple sites around the world,and have become a house-hold name in many countries.
Their new live documentary is the closest we will get to of the No Doubt live experience ,for now.But Gwen's distinct vocal style and her unknowing feminist stance are some of her assets that will be with us for awhile.
