The first time Matt Dresdner heard Mia Zapata sing he was certain she would be the perfect person to front the punk rock band he wanted to form.
This idea came to fruition when Matt, Andy Kessler, Steve Moriarty and Mia formed The Gits at Ohios Antioch College in the fall of 1986. Three years later the group and a handful of friends relocated to Seattle, WA in search of a new life and audience. Characterized by powerful music and poetic lyrics, one local Seattle musician said, "It was music to start a revolution to."
The Gits quickly became popular in the Seattle music scene of the early 1990s, distinguishing themselves by their soulful street punk at a time when "grunge music" was putting Seattle on the map. In 1991 the group embarked on a self-sponsored tour of northern Europe. Upon their return to the States The Gits remained the hub of a vast circle of friends and musicians that continually flourished. This included the all-female rock band 7 Year Bitch, who had initially been encouraged and inspired by The Gits. In a tangible sense The Gits transcended the traditionally perceived barriers between rock audience and performer; an unusually large number of their audience quickly became close friends of the group. One Gits fan remarked, "People went to see The Gits live because the band lifted people up out of their own hells."
After the groups debut album "Frenching the Bully" was released in 1992, fans in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest continually packed their gigs. In the summer of 1993 The Gits began recording their second full-length album, titled "Enter: The Conquering Chicken." By all accounts the group was positioned to explode onto the national underground rock and roll scene. In July 1993, The Gits drove back to Seattle from a show the previous night and were eager to resume work on their new album. On July 7th, however, Mia Zapata was raped and murdered, thus ending the bands career.
This film will document the bands journey from its inception to the tragedy that cut its promise short. The film contextualizes The Gits as part of a loyal and creative community, and explores how they were transformed through the experience of having been a unique and explosive underground rock group for seven years. It will examine the bands career from the perspectives of fans, friends, and the surviving members themselves. It will also explore how members and friends of the group were irrevocably altered by Mia Zapatas life and death. Efforts made by this same community in search of Mias killer, and its response to the recent arrest of a suspect in the crime will also be detailed. Finally, The Gits musical legacy will be examined.
The Gits is a celebration of a rock band that touched many lives. Driven by pure conviction and the voice of Mia Zapata, The Gits stood apart from many groups of their time. This film will tell the story of a band that many referred to as "the band of the people."