The Leather Nun were a Swedish rock group. Careening from garage rock to goth and industrial, Leather Nun became cult heroes in their native land. In the early eighties they often shocked their audiences by showing adult movies and being accompanied by strippers when on stage.
The Leather Nun (originally named "Lädernunnan") was formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1979 by Jonas Almquist (vocals), Bengt "Aron" Aronsson (guitar), Freddie Wadling (bass), and Gert Claesson (drums). Although many people think so, Jonas Almquist claims not to have taken their name from the American underground comic Tales from the Leather Nun. He also claims that it was not taken from the stage name of a London stripper, but chosen because "it felt just as a clockwork name for a band who based its music on the dynamics between the pure innocent and the black shame full ..."
Inspired by such groups and artists like John Lee Hooker, The Mothers of Invention, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, Rory Gallagher and Mick Ronson, The Leather Nun recorded their debut EP, Slow Death, in 1979. John Peel played this song each night for two weeks on his BBC radio programme. Wadling left The Leather Nun in 1982 and joined Blue for Two. A handful of singles followed before The Leather Nun released their first LP, Alive, in 1985.
Covering ABBA's "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" earned the group some respect in Sweden and Europe in 1986. Several successful tours followed. In 1988, The Leather Nun were reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine.
In 1986 the group's imported singles found their way onto U.S. college radio stations, earning substantial airplay with "Pink House", a deadpan mockery of John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses".
In 1987 the group released their first studio album "Steel Construction" which was critically acclaimed. Their second studio album "International Heroes" produced by Kim Fowley gained even more airplay and success.
While releasing their third album "Nun Permanent" (produced by Mick Ronson) in winter 1991 their record company went bankrupt and could no longer deliver copies of the album. Being without a record company The Leather Nun continued to play gigs for a few years, but never got so successful again. The group finally broke up in 1995, but has reunited on some occasions since then. In 2005 they had a short comeback, but did not release any new albums.
In 2009 Jonas Almquist reformed the band with all new members under the name "The Leather Nun: reloaded". On September, 12 2009 they played their last gig and it was over again. Jonas Almqust has now focused on his new band project Godtherapy.
Members :
Musicians who toured and recorded with The Leather Nun: