David Xavier Harrigan, also Tomata du Plenty (May 28, 1948 – August 21, 2000), was an American singer of the late 1970s and early 1980s Los Angeles electropunk band The Screamers. He was also the founder of Seattle's counterculture troupe Ze Whiz Kidz. During the later part of his life he focused on painting.
Early life
Tomata du Plenty was born as David Xavier Harrigan on May 28, 1948, in the state of New York, of Irish immigrant parents. His family moved to Montebello, California, when he was 9 years old, and Tomata ran away to Hollywood at the age of 15. In 1968 he hitchhiked to San Francisco, California, where he met members of the Cockettes, including Hibiscus. He appeared in one of the early shows of The Cockettes but soon moved to Seattle, WA. where he formed his own theatre group, Ze Whiz Kidz.
Early career
Tomata led Ze Whiz Kids, a troupe based on Seattle, Washington that blended counterculture comedy with drag theater during 1969–1972. The group staged nearly a hundred musical revues with a cast that featured performers like Satin Sheets, Co Co Ritz, Dyna Flo, Benny Whiplash, Michael Hautepants (costume designer Michael Murphy), Leah Vigeah, Valerie Allthetime DePonty (Valerie DePonty), Louise Lovely (Di Linge) and Cha Cha Samoa (Cha Davis, who died in 2019 after a long battle with cancer).
In the Fall of 1973, Tomata and Cockette founding member, Fayette Hauser moved to New York City to bring guerrilla comedy to CBGB's and other East Village clubs, working with then-unknown bands like the Ramones and Blondie. "I used to do Pat Suzuki between their sets", he said. They were soon joined by fellow performers Gorilla Rose, Cockettes Sweet Pam Tent and John Flowers. In 1972 and 1973, Tomata and company staged two Palm Casino Revues at the Bouwerie Lane Theater. In between shows, he and Fayette found time to write a gossip column called "Hollywood Spit" for the Naked News, an adult newspaper and together Fayette and Tomata also operated a vintage store on Mott St. Their clientele included the sculptor Louise Nevelson. The store had no name. Also at this time Fayette and Tomata worked with Chris Stein and Joseph Freeman on a video magazine also called "Hollywood Spit" with fellow performers Gorilla Rose and John Flowers for Public Access television. The show aired in New York and in Los Angeles.
Returning to Seattle in 1974, Tomata formed a band called The Tupperwares with Melba Toast (later Tommy Gear). The band re-formed in 1975, in Los Angeles. In 1976 they included drummer K. K. Barrett and keyboardist David Brown, and a new name, The Screamers. Brown was later replaced by Paul Roessler. As much theater as rock band, The Screamers eschewed guitars and featured two keyboards, one drummer and assaultive lyrics mostly written and sung by Tomata. Their sound anticipated the electronic rock of the early 1980s. Their look—foot-high hair and ripped clothes—was achieved with the help of hair sprays, gels and a full-time stylist (Chloe Pappas).
Late career
During 1977–1981 The Screamers were a notable L.A. punk band, and one of the city's leading club draws. They played consecutive sold-out performances at L.A.'s top music venues, including the Whisky a Go Go, the Starwood and the Roxy Theatre, but despite several offers never signed a record deal. The band's last performance, without keyboardist Gear, was at the Whisky a Go Go in 1981. Two years before MTV, it incorporated music video with live performances by Tomata, K.K., Paul Ambrose, Shari Penquin and the Fabulous Sheela. Much of the film was later used in a full-length feature, Population: 1, produced and directed by Dutch filmmaker Rene Daalder and featuring a cast of L.A. musicians and scene-makers, including a preschool Beck Hansen. Population: 1 was screened in 1986 at the Cannes International Film Festival and Seattle International Film Festival. In 1987 it was screened at the Chicago International Film Festival and was later released in Europe and Japan. In October 2008, Population: 1 was released on DVD in the United States and Canada.
Tomata was a prolific stage producer, playwright and lyricist who wrote scores of songs, plays, sketches, and musicales. He was fond of quoting an old review by Rex Reed, "No talent is not enough," but hundreds of avid fans disagreed. In 1985 he wrote and performed The Weird Live Show, a series of unconventional shows at the Anti-Club and LACE Gallery in Los Angeles.