PHANTOM BLUE + MELDRUM
Phantom Blue
http://www.myspace.com/kimnielsenparsons
http://www.myspace.com/nicolecouch9
Phantom Blue was an all-female heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, United States in 1987. After a promising start they were undermined by lineup instability and finally petered out in 2001. The surviving original members are slated to host a reunion show in early 2009
HISTORY
Founded by best friends Michelle Meldrum, Nicole Couch and Linda McDonald, Phantom Blue recorded a demo that won them a contract with Shrapnel Records and an eponymous debut album in the Summer of 1989, attracting transatlantic interest, and minor hit single "Why Call it Love?". However, the band resented the glam metal/hair metal image given by their record company, which did not equate with their actual much heavier sound, and also being made to shoot the video for "Why Call it Love?" at a male penitentiary. Much momentum was lost in finding new management and a record deal (finally with Geffen Records), and their follow-up album Built to Perform did not emerge until 1993. During that time, Couch had left the band and was replaced by guitarist Karen Kreutzer.
A reasonably successful European tour to promote it followed in 1994. Unfortunately, some destabilizing lineup changes followed. Shortly after Geffen Records dropped Phantom Blue following the release of Built to Perform, Meldrum and bassist Kim Nielsen parted ways with the band. Kreutzer also left months after breaking her leg in a skiing accident, which forced the band to cancel majority of their 1994 U.S. tour. The band independently released their third album Prime Cuts & Glazed Donuts in 1995, which also featured a comic book on the band that was packaged with the CD. The band's live album Caught Live! was released in 1997. By the end of the decade, vocalist Gigi Hangach had left, leaving drummer McDonald the only surviving founding member of the band. Nevertheless the band soldiered on, releasing the EP Full Blown in 1998 before calling it quits.
Subsequent projects
Drummer Linda McDonald and guitarist Sara Marsh (who was part of the 2001 lineup) went on to play in two tribute bands. The first being The Iron Maidens (billed as "The world's only female tribute to Iron Maiden"), who have released a self-titled tribute album in the USA and Japan, the CD/DVD release Route 666 and the EP The Root of All Evil in Japan on Powerslave Records. The second being The Little Dolls ("All female all Ozzy all the time, covering all eras of Ozzy"). In addition, McDonald is involved in the all-female cover band Valley Dolls.
Guitarist Josephine Soegijanty (from the 1997-2001 lineups) co-founded The Iron Maidens in 2001 with McDonald and Marsh, but left in 2005 - just months after the band released their debut album. Today, she goes by the name Jojo Draven and composes music for movies produced and directed by her husband Danny Draven.
Bassist Dyna Shirasaki and guitarist Tina Wood (from the 1997 lineup) are currently with the all-female AC/DC tribute band ThundHerStruck, with Shirasaki on lead vocals.
Lead vocalist Lucienne Thomas (from the 1998 lineup) became the lead vocalist of the Heart tribute band Dreamboat Annie after leaving Phantom Blue.
Bassist Rana Ross (from the 1994 lineup) went on to tour with Vixen in 1997 before she and former bandmate Karen Kreutzer formed the band Sinboy. Sadly, she died of liver failure on May 3, 2003.
Guitarist Karen Kreutzer (from the 1993-1997 lineups) retired after moving to West River, MD. She is currently married with one daughter and is working as a data analyst for a content solutions company.
Bassist Kim Nielsen (who now goes by her married name Kim Nielsen-Parsons) has become a successful session musician, tour production and artist management assistant, working with many top bands in the music industry. Her most notable work outside of Phantom Blue is in Asia's 2004 album Silent Nation. She and Lucienne Thomas are currently working on forming an all-female Queensrÿche tribute band.
Lead vocalist Gigi Hangach currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Guitarist Nicole Couch currently lives in the British Virgin Islands with her husband and their two children.
Original Bassist Debra Armstrong currently lives in Sioux City, Iowa with her husband. She left the music industry soon after being replaced by Kim Nielsen, and went on to pursue a career in 3D modeling and engineering, working for clients such as Disney Imagineering, DARPA and others.
Guitarist Michelle Meldrum went on to form an international band called Meldrum. The band have toured with Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, Motörhead, Sepultura, Nashville Pussy and Danzig. They have released a live DVD, Loaded Live, and two albums, Loaded Mental Cannon and Blowin' Up The Machine, the latter featuring her former Phantom Blue band mate, drummer Linda McDonald. Sadly, on May 21, 2008, Meldrum died as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Reunion
On July 2008, Kim Nielsen-Parsons posted on her MySpace blog that the original members of Phantom Blue will host a reunion concert between January and February 2009 at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA, for the benefit of Michelle Meldrum's family. Motörhead, Black Label Society and the surviving members of Meldrum are to be on hand. Michelle's position will be filled by a guest guitarist. According to Linda McDonald, it will most likely be a former replacement member of Phantom Blue - with Karen Kreutzer being the first in line.
Discography
Phantom Blue (1989)
My Misery (promo CD)
Built to Perform (1993)
Prime Cuts & Glazed Donuts (1995)
Caught Live (1997)
Full Blown (1998, EP)
Members
Phantom Blue lineups Pre-Shrapnel Era
(1987-1988)
Gigi Hangach – lead vocals
Michelle Meldrum – guitar
Nicole Couch – guitar
Debra Armstrong – bass
Linda McDonald – drums
Shrapnel/Roadrunner Era
(1988-1993)
Gigi Hangach – lead vocals
Michelle Meldrum – guitar
Nicole Couch – guitar
Kim Nielsen – bass
Linda McDonald – drums
Geffen Era
(1993-1994)
Gigi Hangach – lead vocals
Michelle Meldrum – guitar
Karen Kreutzer – guitar
Kim Nielsen – bass
Linda McDonald – drums
(1994-1996)
Gigi Hangach – lead vocals
Michelle Meldrum – guitar
Karen Kreutzer – guitar
Rana Ross – bass
Linda McDonald – drums
(1996-1997)
Gigi Hangach – lead vocals
Karen Kreutzer – guitar
Josephine Soegijanty – guitar
Samantha Jones – bass
Linda McDonald – drums
(1997-1998)
Gigi Hangach – lead vocals
Tina Wood – guitar
Josephine Soegijanty – guitar
Dyna Shirasaki – bass
Linda McDonald – drums
(1998-2000)
Lucienne Thomas – lead vocals
Tina Wood – guitar
Josephine Soegijanty – guitar
Mary Jo Godges – bass
Linda McDonald – drums
(2001)
Jeannine St. Clair - Vocals
Sara Marsh - Guitar
Josephine Soegijanty - Guitar
Amy Tung - Bass
Linda McDonald - Drums
(2001-2009) (Disbanded)
Reunion!!!!
(2009)
Gigi Hangach – lead vocals
(To be announced) - guitar
Nicole Couch – guitar
Kim Nielsen-Parsons – bass
Linda McDonald – drums
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Meldrum
is a multi-national Heavy Metal band formed by ex-Phantom Blue guitarist Michelle Meldrum.
Meldrum was born in Detroit, Michigan, to a family of musicians and actors (grandfather Thomas Hubbard and Great Uncle Elbert Hubbard). The family moved to Los Angeles, California when she was 13. She started playing guitar at age 14. Ulrich Roth and Michael Schenker were her main influences after listening to albums such as the Scorpions' 1976 album Virgin Killer. Her first move was forming thrash metal band Wargod with later Dark Angel, Death and Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan, then moving on to become both co-founder and lead guitarist in Phantom Blue, an all-female heavy metal band. Phantom Blue released their self-titled debut album on Shrapnel Records in the US (Roadrunner Records in Europe & Japan, and on to a major label deal with Geffen Records). The band toured internationally with much success.
Meldrum the band was formed in late 1999 with Hasse Sjölander on the drums, who was later replaced by Fredrik Haake. They recorded their debut album Loaded Metal Cannon in 2000, but due to trouble with the record company, the album wasn't released until 2001. Guest musicians included Brian Robertson, Marcel Jacob and John Norum, who is also Michelle Meldrum's husband.(Meldrum married Europe guitarist John Norum in 1995 and they moved to Sweden where she went on to form Meldrum, a multi-national hard rock band. The band, fronted by Moa Holmsten's mammoth vocal style, combined aggressively melodic vocals, mind bending guitar riffs, along with a rhythm section creating fiercely bombastic grooves, giving Meldrum their unique, cutting edge sound. )
In 2005, Meldrum toured for three months with Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, appearing in sold out venues across the US and Europe. In the fall of 2005, Meldrum joined Motörhead as special guests on their 30th anniversary tour throughout Europe. Meldrum has also toured with Sepultura, Danzig and Nashville Pussy, among others. In addition, she performed with her former Phantom Blue band mate Linda McDonald and The Iron Maidens on a handful of gigs in late 2006.
Their second album, Blowin' Up The Machine (produced by Toby Wright), was released through Frontiers in Europe on May 11, 2007, and in the U.S. on September 11, 2007. Motörhead's Lemmy, Gene Hoglan, and former Phantom Blue drummer Linda McDonald all guest on the album.
On May 18th, 2008, Michelle Meldrum was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California, in critical condition. Three days later, on Wednesday, May 21, she passed away as a result of a cystic growth that had restricted oxygen and blood flow to her brain, rendering her braindead.
Michelle had just completed writing and recording Meldrum's soon-to-be-released third album Lifer with drummer Gene Hoglan, along with the group's latest additions, Michele Madden (vocals) and Laura Christine (bass). The surviving band members plan to release the CD later this year in tribute to their fallen bandmate.
Other projects
Moa Holmsten is special guest vocalist on Motörhead's 30th anniversary DVD, and recorded guest vocals for Lemmy's solo album on a song written by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.
Wargod
New Renaissance Records Compilation
Metal Massacre 8
Post Mortem
Post Mortem (EP)
Phantom Blue
Phantom Blue (1989)
Built to Perform (1993)
"My Misery" (4-track CD-single)
Prime Cuts & Glazed Donuts (1995)
Meldrum
Loaded Mental Cannon
Blowin' Up The Machine
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