Mentally Ill

Mentally Ill were one of the Chicago-area's first and most mysterious punk acts. Formed by 4 teenagers in Chicago's north shore suburbs, the band released a 7" EP called "Gacy's Place" in 1979, named after notorious Chicago-area serial killer John Wayne Gacy. College aspirations seemed to put the band to an early end, and outside of a few house parties, the original group never played live. Over the years, due to its crude sound and outrageous lyrics, "Gacy's Place" developed a cult following, finding such famous fans as Steve Albini and Jello Biafra. In 1982, the band, sporting a different line-up, put out a second 7" called "Sex Cells", which did not have the same impact as "Gacy's Place". In 2004, [l=Alternative Tentacles] released the entire "Gacy's Place" recording session on CD, along with other demos that the band had recorded. In 2007, the original line-up played its first official gig, appearing at the after party for a screening of the documentary "You Weren't There: A History Of Chicago Punk 1977-1984". Since then, the band has continued to make sporadic live performances.