Editing Plasmatics (section)

=== ''New Hope for the Wretched'', ''Beyond the Valley of 1984'' and ''Metal Priestess'' (1980–1981) ===
The Plasmatics were soon selling out shows in Philadelphia, Boston, venues in [[New Jersey]], and elsewhere in the Northeast. Chris Knowles of ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' magazine wrote: the Plasmatics "were the biggest live attraction in New York... and the media was on them like white on rice... It's one thing to play at subversiveness, but The Plasmatics, unlike other Punk bands... put their Punk philosophy into action." Many U.S. record labels were reluctant to sign the band; The band was signed by [[Stiff Records]], a British label, in March 1980, and appeared on the cover of ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' in June of that year.<ref name="Strong">Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, {{ISBN|1-84195-335-0}}, p.&nbsp;116</ref><ref name="Gimarc313">Gimarc, p.&nbsp;313, 335</ref> Artists and Repertoire ([[A&R]]) from Stiff Records flew to New York City to see a show in person to determine if what they had been reading and hearing could possibly be real. <!--POV--> The day after seeing the performance, Stiff put in an offer and a deal was inked within a month. A few months later, The Plasmatics began to record songs in New York City for what would become the album ''[[New Hope for the Wretched]]''. As creative decisions go, Stiff's choice to ask long-time [[The Rolling Stones|Rolling Stones]] producer [[Jimmy Miller]] to be behind the console for these recordings was not the best.<ref>[http://www.plasmatics.com/BioPage3.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104065023/http://www.plasmatics.com/BioPage3.html|date=January 4, 2015}}</ref>

In addition to songs like "Corruption" and "Living Dead" – linked to TV smashing and automobile destruction – "Butcher Baby" featured a chainsaw sawing through a guitar, in place of a guitar solo, which was replicated during live shows. The Plasmatics visited the UK for a tour, which met with opposition from some quarters including the [[Greater London Council]] (GLC), particularly for their intention to blow up a car on stage and Williams' semi-nudity. The GLC canceled the band's show at the [[Hammersmith Odeon]] after fire inspectors decided the show would not meet safety requirements, although police had already arrived to disperse the gathering crowd before the decision had officially been taken.<ref name="Strong" /><ref name="Gimarc359">Gimarc, p.359</ref> (Williams, recalled [[Debbie Harry]] in 2014, "was such a big deal back then. She showed her tits and she blew up cars on stage and broke TVs – and now it would just be normal."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Marcel|last=Anders|title=I was criticised for being too sexual. But it was innocent compared to today|magazine=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] #197|date=June 2014|page=54}}</ref>) Released as a single by [[Stiff Records]], "Butcher Baby" reached No.&nbsp;55 on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="Strong" />

Stiff America had scheduled a release and a US tour. To capitalize on the band's popularity, the US edition of the album was packaged with a poster for the canceled Hammersmith Odeon show and an insert for the Plasmatics Secret Service, the official fan club. The album reached No.&nbsp;55 on the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref name="Strong" /> The band was set to tour the West Coast for the first time after the London cancellation and get their momentum back. To kick off the tour, Williams drove a [[Cadillac]] towards a stage at a free concert on [[Chelsea Piers|New York City's Pier 62]] loaded with explosives, jumping out moments before the car would hit the stage, blowing up all the equipment.<ref name="Williams">Williams</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQBxDSZe8CI The Plasmatics Pier 62 show], YouTube, retrieved March 30, 2010</ref> The permits needed for this were hard to get and only allowed for an estimated 5–6,000 people. The day of the performance, 10,000 showed up,<ref name="Gimarc">Gimarc, p.373</ref> jamming the downtown streets and lining the rooftops. Even though it cost virtually the entire advance for the US release of ''New Hope for the Wretched'' to do it, Williams was quoted by a reporter from the [[Associated Press]] as saying, "It was worth it because it showed that these are just things and... people shouldn't worship them," a point she'd repeat more than once.

The Plasmatics' debut in Los Angeles was at the famed [[Whisky a Go Go]]. The show was originally planned for only two nights but was later expanded to four due to large sold-out crowds.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

The [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] show ''[[Fridays (TV series)|Fridays]]'', which was looking to be a more cutting-edge version of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', booked Williams and the Plasmatics to appear in late December to go live on national TV.<ref name="Deming" />

In January 1981, Williams' stage performance in Milwaukee led to her arrest on charges of indecency after she reportedly "simulated masturbation with a sledge hammer in front of an audience".<ref name="Gimarc424">Gimarc, p. 424</ref> After objecting to being searched she was thrown to the ground and reportedly kicked in the face (later requiring a dozen stitches), with manager Rod Swenson also beaten unconscious when he tried to intervene.<ref name="Gimarc424" /> Williams was charged with battery of a police officer, resisting arrest, and "conduct in violation of a Milwaukee city ordinance pertaining to establishments that sell liquor",<ref name="Gimarc424" /> with Swenson also charged, but both were later cleared of all charges.<ref name="Skanse" /><ref name="Gimarc482">Gimarc, p. 482</ref> A subsequent performance at The Palms nightclub sold out, and passed without incident, although the venue was raided after the show by the vice squad, with more than 30 police officers in attendance in case of trouble.<ref name="Gimarc424" /> Williams was also arrested on obscenity charges in Cleveland, but she was again acquitted.<ref name="Williams" />

A second album was long overdue but due to the ongoing legal battles and the Miller debacle with the first album, which was costly both in terms of time and money, it was agreed that this one had to be lean and mean. Bruce Kirkland at Stiff agreed to put up the funds as long as Swenson produced and the album was done in less than three weeks at a quarter of the cost of the first.

Given the recent turn of events, Swenson proposed the name ''[[Beyond the Valley of 1984]]''. The tour, in 1981, became "The 1984 World Tour". In between touring drummers, [[Alice Cooper (band)|Alice Cooper]]'s [[Neal Smith (drummer)|Neal Smith]] was brought in to drum on the record.<ref name="Deming" /> The album, with its [[Orwellian]] and apocalyptic theme, and songs such as "Masterplan", "Pig is a Pig" and "Sex Junkie", was released a few months later. During the album's recording, the Plasmatics were booked on [[Tom Snyder]]'s [[The Tomorrow Show|late night TV show]], on which the host introduced them as possibly "the greatest punk rock band in the entire world." Recording engineer Eddie Ciletti mixed the record at the Ranch recording studio in New York as well as the TV sound for the Snyder performance.

The album cover for ''Beyond the Valley'' was photographed in the Arizona desert where Williams appears on horseback with the band (without a drummer) as the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse".

The 1984 World Tour continued with the bold slogan "Down On Your Knees and Pledge Allegiance!".

During the last part of the tour, Swenson was contacted by American singer, songwriter and record producer [[Dan Hartman]]'s office, asking for a meeting with Williams and Swenson. Hartman, who produced [[38 Special (band)|38 Special]], [[James Brown]], and others, had been working on a session in LA when he picked up ''Beyond the Valley of 1984'' and could not stop playing it. He felt it was "groundbreaking". He said, "I knew I wanted to meet these people and do something with them." Hartman came down to the Tribeca loft, met Williams and Swenson, and a month later he and Swenson were working on the production of the ''[[Metal Priestess]]'' [[mini-LP]]. The band needed more product but another album was premature, partly because [[Capitol Records]] was now making overtures for the next one. Bruce Kirkland at Stiff was ready to release it and that summer ''Metal Priestess'' was recorded at Hartman's private studio off his schoolhouse-turned-home in [[Connecticut]]. Released early that fall, ''Metal Priestess'' saw the band move closer to [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], and included new members Chris "Junior" Romanelli (replacing Jean Beauvoir) and Joey Reese.<ref name="Gimarc547">Gimarc, p.547</ref>

In October 1981, the band made an appearance on the ''[[Second City Television#Special guests and musical guests|Fishin' Musician]]'' segment of ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'' on NBC, shortly after the release of ''Metal Priestess''.