Friday, August 26, 2005

Lord Blasto

Rockers Queen Bee play at 8 tonight at the Magic Bag.

Artist of the week: Queen Bee

Veteran performer still reigns supreme in rock

Front woman Karen Neal has broadened her horizons by becoming a multi-media artist.

By Melody Baetens / The Detroit News

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Few musicians can remain active let alone interesting in the local music scene for 20 years but Queen Bee front woman Karen Neal has mastered the art of re-invention and self-promotion.

The bass-playing vixen came onto the scene in 1985 with her first band Inside Out. The trio, which was one of Metro Detroit's first all-female hard rock bands, was told they were the first American female band to play the Eastern Bloc after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Throughout her career, Neal has been in several high-profile rock bands and has worked with musicians of all genres. In 1997, she started the band Thrall with Mike Hard. This year, she and Hard, along with other members of Thrall, started playing as the punk group the Brain Saw. Neal also has performed or recorded with rapper esQuire, Brian O'Blivion, Warn DeFever, punk icon Jello Biafra and others.

With the Queen Bee project, started in 1998, Neal started to market herself as more than a bass player. With her ultra-sexy image, crazy outfits, and wild makeup, Neal has taken gigs hosting events and modeling. She also has gotten into makeup artistry, photography, graphic design, burlesque, and she wrote an advice column for Candy ForBadChildren.com.

"I've gone from being a musician to being a multi-media artist, which is what I consider myself now," Neal says.

Queen Bee, which has gained a great local following, released a single on Alternative Tentacles Records. Neal says, "the best is yet to come."

The newly revamped Queen Bee features Neal on bass and vocals, Terry Bradley on drums and John Hajec on guitar. The band performs tonight at the Magic Bag with Crud, Haf/Life and XO. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $8. The Magic Bag is at 22920 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. Call (248) 544-3030. For more information, visit Queen Bee on at www.queen beedetroit.com.

You can reach Melody Baetens at (313) 222-2402 or mbaetens@det news.com.