Bitch

Although the Los Angeles heavy metal quartet Bitch never achieved widespread recognition or arena-headlining status, the group cultivated a devoted niche audience that appreciated its playful tributes to bondage and S&M themes. Frontwoman Betsy Bitch served as the primary draw, embodying a hellish dominatrix persona while delivering lyrics that celebrated the appeal of whips, chains, handcuffs, gags, and similar accessories. The approach remained lighthearted and ironic throughout, yet reviewers spanning liberal feminists to Christian fundamentalists overlooked the intent behind song titles such as "Live for the Whip" and "Be My Slave."

A New Jersey native who relocated to Los Angeles for most of her adult years, Betsy was still in her twenties when the band formed in 1981. Metal Blade signed the act the next year, leading to the 1982 EP Damnation Alley and the full-length debut Be My Slave in 1983. The lineup at the time also featured guitarist David Carruth, bassist Ron Cordy, and drummer Robby Settles. Bitch waited until 1987 to issue its follow-up, The Bitch Is Back, by which point the group had reduced its explicit bondage and S&M references.

Seeking broader commercial traction, Bitch rebranded as Betsy in 1988 and adopted a more accessible hard-rock and pop-metal style reminiscent of Pat Benatar. The self-titled Betsy album reflected this revised, less provocative presentation, yet its engaging songs failed to generate major sales, and longtime supporters expressed disappointment over the abandoned original aesthetic. The Los Angeles musicians reverted to the Bitch name by the late 1980s, restoring their aggressive metal sound for the 1989 release A Rose by Any Other Name and the 1991 album Bitch.