Read a Transcript of this episode – Episode 16: Season 2 – Pauline
Buffalo’s Queen of Punk, Pauline, joined Rockabilly Greg In the Flamingo Lounge to talk about her past bands including Pauline and the Perils as well as her new project, Perilous. Pauline is also a fellow podcaster and you can hear her podcast filled with great musical stories of local Buffalo musicians at: paulineandthepodcast.com
Pauline Digati is one of the most influential women in the history of Western New York’s music scene. Growing up in the 1970s, she was a huge fan, but she had too much energy to just be one of the kids dancing in front of the stage.
Her first band was a short-lived outfit called the Scooters, but then the legendary Tim Switala asked her to be in a band he was starting. That band was the Perils, and they took off as Pauline and the Perils after she came back from spending several months in England and Scotland, where she also did some singing during the English punk boom.
Pauline & the Perils wasn’t the only new wave/punk-influenced band to have a female lead singer — Doty Hall of the Stains and the Elements also comes to mind — but she was hugely influential. She had the style, charisma and talent to influence a whole generation of performers to follow. For a 2- to 3-year period, Pauline & the Perils was one of the hottest bands in Buffalo, bringing elements of reggae into their music and keeping their fans dancing — and even opening up for U2 at Uncle Sam’s.
From there Pauline went on to perform in the Promise, the Rain and Big Happy Family, recording with all of them (as well as some great tracks with Pauline & the Perils!).
After that, Pauline took time off from performing, spending time with her kids, but doing occasional reunion shows with the Perils, starting with 2002’s “This Is It” show at the Tralf.
More recently, she’s been back on stage and in the recording studio with Perilous, and we’re glad she’s back. If you want to see Perilous live, and keep up-to-date on the band and their gigs, check them out on Facebook.
— Elmer Ploetz
Associate Professor, Journalism
SUNY Fredonia
