BITTER FRUIT

The official blog of queer death rock band BItter Fruit from Oakland, CA

[bitterfruitoakland]

August 23rd bitter fruit Will play the golden bull in Oakland ca. We're sharing the stage with: ötzi https://otzi.bandcamp.com Cemetery http://cemetery.bandcamp.com And Mystic Priestess https://m.facebook.com/MysticPriestess666/

[bitterfruitoakland]

Bitter Fruit is playing this upcoming Saturday at Lobot Gallery in west Oakland. It's a big night, specifically to celebrate our drummer Mikey's birthday, and we're sharing the stage with his two other projects... Moira Scar https://moirascar.bandcamp.com/album/scarred-for-life & Healers https://healers.bandcamp.com We're also playing with Diesel Dudes, which we're stoked about https://dieseldudes.bandcamp.com And the lovely Dark Beach https://darkbeach.bandcamp.com/album/ouija-2 And Cube https://m.soundcloud.com/adamkeith-1 It's a night of homies and this super packed event starts at 6 pm 1800 cambell st, oakland

[bitterfruitoakland]

hello everyone

Jack here from Bitter fruit, wishing any one unfamiliar with us who might stumble across our band’s various web presences a heart felt thank you for your curiosity and to anyone continuing to follow us through the years i want to say thank you for your support! 

Here is a video of us last October when we played with Altar de Fey and Otzi at a night promoted by Davey Bones at The Night Light here in Oakland, and it was shot by the beautiful and talented Melissa Dale... She’s the drummer of one of my favorite local bands DARK BEACH and one of my favorite people ever... you can check out an awesome video from their first release here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pa98QRl1yc

It’s been more than a few months since we last posted here on tumblr, but it hasn’t been for lack of activity or interest. I just really, really hate self promoting on the internet... writing music and making art and new friends is fun and neurotically checking websites and trying to establish a brand and presence is decidedly not. were writing 7 new songs for a release in the next few months and plan on finally making some music videos and releasing some vinyl by the years end. stay posted.

if your finding us for the first time, here’s a little essay to explain what we do: we identify as a queer band with a death rock sensibility. folks have told me before that they don’t particularly agree with us being one or the other and i’ve tried in some interviews to justify it by making it into some kind of broad social statement, but really it boils down to this: my experience of being a socially ostracized survivor of sexual and emotional abuse made me feel crazy, hate the world and try to kill myself in so many different ways. coming to recognize myself as gay after being called a faggot since elementary school proved even more difficult when i found myself being dehumanized, assaulted and ridiculed by the communities i was suppose to be accepted by.  Dark music gave me a sense of identity, catharsis and purpose because it gave voice to my internal experience and connected me to other people who had survived abuse or who were otherwise misunderstood and made to feel like outsiders in a world that will never accept us. 

I call us a queer band to force those who would pick and choose who get’s to exist in that world to accept that those they would reject have an equal place there alongside them whether they like it or not, and our experience isn’t all just partying and fucking. I call us death rock because our sound is intended to express that rage and fatalism and to honor the bands, art and subculture that made me feel like i could continue to live. whether either of those world’s see us as having any value couldn’t interest me any less. It’s kind of selfish, but in the end i’m just keeping a promise to my younger self.

I love my band mates David, Yoko and mikey like family. The wonderful friends and artists we’ve met by virtue of this project are invaluable. Regardless of what happens to us, I hope like minded people who feel lost and weird are able to find the random recordings and videos that have come from this project and find themselves entertained and comforted by them.

blah blah blah blah blah xo

Jack Bradley from Bitter Fruit  

[bitterfruitoakland]

BITTER FRUIT performing THE GOLDEN FAUN at The Eagle Tavern in SF... the video was shot by KEVIN BROWN of the band ESSES...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=362QAcPgm2I

 you can follow them on facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/esses-482185325253485/timeline/

thanks kevin!

[bitterfruitoakland]

NEXT BITTER FRUIT SHOW! were playing friday sept 11th with our good friends DARK BEACH... awesome surf with feminist sci-fi and horror themes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pa98QRl1yc

VALIANT STEED which is a side project of  Chavez D'Augustine of Queercore synth band BUTCH vs FEMME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTsylDHLlOw

and BAUS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Gom7mN1gc

the show is happening at DIY venue “THE BOAT” located at MLK and Macarther in OAKLAND

see you there

[bitterfruitoakland]

We have a new EP called DADDYLUST available on a limited run of cassette tapes made exclusively for our tour last month. the entire thing is available for you to listen to and download through our bandcamp site which you can find here:

https://bitterfruit.bandcamp.com/

The EP was Produced by Skot Brown of The Phantom Limbs, Black Ice, Jeweled Snakes, Malditos and Altar De Fey. He had worked on our first EP ‘IT GETS BITTER’ and were so happy and grateful to have worked with him again.

an assortment of songs from both tapes were recorded live and released through VETOXA RECORDS on a full length called ‘IT GETS WORSE’. check it out here:

http://www.vetoxa.com/bitter-fruit-it-gets-worse/

[bitterfruitoakland]

Photos taken of us when we played at VINYL in Oakland california by our dear friend, photographer NIKI PRETTI. you can see more of her photography on her FLICKR account here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikipretti

[bitterfruitoakland]

here are some odd and ends of photos that have been taken over the last couple of months... photography by Kevin Brown, Enola Dismay, Helen Oji.. and Steve Francis Kong at the Brooklyn Transcore stage at punk island in new york

[bitterfruitoakland]

Bitter Fruit will be performing Thursday July 30th at The Eagle Tavern in San Francisco. We really enjoy the other acts sharing the stage with us... ESSES is a new project featuring Kelly and Kevin Brown of BLACK ICE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=362QAcPgm2I&feature=youtu.be

DONKEE has a very birthday party-ish kind of theatricality and darkness of tone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9aELZ3ywQ8&feature=youtu.be

and BLACK DOG is a treat to see... heavy, abrasive, chaotically energetic... their front person deserves to be seen rather than described, so make sure you show up early to catch them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA5VxQA36zo

[bitterfruitoakland]

TONIGHT IN SLC!!!!!!!!!! With WORRY and GORO // 266 s 900 w!

[bitterfruitoakland]

BITTER FRUIT is playing in Cincinnati june 11th. 2159 central avenue Cincinnati, with DECIDE TODAY, HUSK and SKULL and DJ SCABBY. its a benefit to suppirt political prisoners. Music starts at 7 pm... email [email protected]

[bitterfruitoakland]

[bitterfruitoakland]

Next bitter fruit show may 1st refer to flier for details

[bitterfruitoakland]

Bitter fruit and No Business are playing El Rio in sf monday 4/20... show starts at 8 pm... just say the password "bitter business" and the door is only 3 bucks... say it at the bar and get $1 tecates and $ 3 well drinks!

[bitterfruitoakland]

The next BITTER FRUIT show is on APRIL 16th... the show is going to be held at VINYL located at 420 14th st and its a benefit for the beloved LOBOT GALLERY, a favorite oakland living/show space that needs your help. were going to be playing with SBSM and RAGANA!!!  hope to see you there

[bitterfruitoakland]

hello again! january has been a busy month for us.. one show in oakland, another in Sacramento, new recording with Skot Brown of phantom limbs-malditos-altar de fey, and now were ending the first month of the new year with a show in san francisco at the hemlock tavern!! we will be playing at the front of an awesome lineup of two of our very favorite bay area bands...  

DAISY WORLD is hypnotic, droning, screeching, like the psychotic telepathic communications of carnivorous alien flowers who have begun to wilt.  you can follow them on tumblr here : http://humanreunion.tumblr.com/

ANCIENT WING is post punk  par excellence ... we've been listening to their tape for months and would prefer to let their music speak for itself... check out their band camp here!  

http://ancientwing.bandcamp.com/

we know facebook is dumb, but you can look at an event page for this great night here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2112057142266752/

[bitterfruitoakland]

BITTER FRUIT is going to be playing this upcoming wednesday the 21st at THE PRESS CLUB in SACRAMENTO with BUTCH VS FEMME and LIPS OF RENEGADE!!! were really excited to have been asked to play cuz Butch vs Femme are reuniting for it... queer rock featuring lead accordion? whats not to love. show is located at 2030 P street .. thank you to HEATHER WRECKAGE for this awesome flier!!!