Pulsallama

1980s New York All-Female Percussion Ensemble

Pulsallama was a short-lived, yet legendary, 12 piece, then 7 piece all-girl bass and percussion band who ruled Manhattan nightlife for a brief period in 1981 and 1982. Their sound has been described as “13 girls fighting over a cowbell.” The band often fought with each other verbally and physically in the studio and at shows. The groups rowdy behavior, theatrical stage antics, props and costumes and awkward time signatures were what the New York underground loved most about them. In 1982 Pulsallama opened for The Clash, where an adoring audience of 6000 showered them with coins and cups of beer. Pulsallama’s single, ‘Devil Lives in My Husband’s Body’ was released on Y Records and was distributed by Rough Trade & became a minor college radio and cult hit.