Biography
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Years Active
1981 – 2007 (26 years)
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Founded In
Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
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Members
- Alan Bishop
- Charles Gocher
- Sir Richard Bishop
Sun City Girls were an American experimental rock band, formed in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona. From 1981, the group consisted of Alan Bishop (bass guitar, vocals), his brother Richard Bishop (guitar, piano, vocals), and Charles Gocher (drums, vocals). Considered a neo-mystic melting pot of free rock, demented surf, ragas, Arabic folk songs, free-form freakouts, gamelan percussion and Dadaist poetry, their name was inspired by Sun City, an Arizona retirement community. Performances by the group were often wildly unpredictable, sometimes verging on performance art, with elaborate costumes, kabuki-inspired makeup, and the creation of a festive, ritualistic atmosphere with audience participation.
They found little mainstream success, but they have inspired and continue to inspire a devoted cult following and have recorded numerous critically acclaimed albums, released in small editions by labels like Placebo, Majora, Eclipse Records, Amarillo Records, and their own Abduction Records. Their music was hugely varied, spreading across genres such as spoken word, free improvisation, jazz and rock. Their records typically incorporated lyrics that rely heavily on their interests in mysticism, paranormal topics (especially UFOs), religious cults and other esoterica, often also manifested in their song titles, lyrics and album art. Charles Gocher died on February 19, 2007 after suffering from cancer for a long time, bringing an end to the group. In a prolific 26-year-career, they produced 50 albums, 23 cassettes, 6 feature-length videos, and many other recordings.
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