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 Rather than provide a critique of the times I've tried to let the personalities speak for themselves in their own words of the time . What becomes apparent straight away is that there is no consensus of opinion. Everyone has their own ideas of how women should act and play in music and that's why it was so refreshing and I can imagine confusing. There were no rules until later in the day when politics entered the arena and it became more complicated. In 1978 you have Debbie Harry and Patti Smith both international stars. One had used sex to sell records the other sold more on an intellectual basis. Regardless both made great music. Before them came the Runaways, a product of Kim Fowley's sexual fantasies yet at the same time helped mould Joan Jett a tough sexy and accomplished guitarist . In the UK you had Siouxsie and Gaye Advert both in hit bands. Gaye - the reluctant pin up and Siouxsie - the strong sexual front woman. Poly Styrene asexual and not your typical stereotyped front woman yet strong and vulnerable. The Slits followed behind, female versions in attitude of male bands, sexy, all girl and not caring but musically disorganised. Behind them came Fay Fife and Pauline Murray and Shanne Bradley . These people were perfectly assimilated into their bands ie you never noticed their femininity as being forced. Same with Chrissie Hynde; for so long without a band yet seeming to fit a guitar like a hand in a glove. Lastly Gem from the Killjoys, more a return to the Runaways decked out in basques and fishnets as part of Rowland's msterplan. Meanwhile in the USA The Plasmatics gave us a different notion with Wendy's own idea of a tough independent womanhood; a half naked amazon destroying the symbols of western consumerism while having multiple orgasms ! Here more all girl groups followed The Slits ,notably The Raincoats and Modettes, yet the latter two almost directly in contrast with each other . Rock against Sexism was born to politicise the debate and it all got a bit out of hand so much so it became hilarious. Ludus and the Poison Girls arrived to make it even more ridiculous and b4 we knew it Crass were there gobbing off as usual. Pity Girlschool then. As so much of Heavy Metal is based on technical ability and socks down the pants how were they to stand a chance. The answer to that is easy coz they were freaking good and were helped by seemingly the strangest of allies. ..Motorhead... Girlschool succeeded and along with Joan Jett, Suzy Quatro, the Slits and Chrissie Hynde and al paved the way for later bands.
Then There Was The Birth Of The Riot Grrl
Riot grrrl is a raw, incendiary brand of feminist punk that emerged from the early-'90s indie-rock scene and sparked a subculture that lasted well after the initial movement began to fade. Riot grrrl was a blend of personal catharsis and political activism, though most of the attention it drew was due to the latter. Many (but not all) riot grrrl lyrics addressed gender-related issues rape, domestic abuse, sexuality (including lesbianism), male dominance of the social hierarchy, female empowerment from a radical, militant point of view. The similarly confrontational music favored raging, willfully amateurish blasts of noise, with only a rudimentary sense of melody or instrumental technique. Riot grrrl's abrasiveness served several purposes: it ensured that the anti-corporate music would never achieve alternative rock's crossover success (the label that released the highest percentage of riot grrrl records was called Kill Rock Stars); it defied stereotypes of women (and female musicians) as meek, overly sensitive, and lovelorn; and it found a powerful expressive tool in noise. To most riot grrrl bands, the simple act of picking up a guitar and bashing out a screeching racket was not only fun, but an act of liberation. To outsiders, the musical merits of riot grrrl could be highly variable, but to fans, what the movement represented was arguably even more important than the music. The riot grrrl movement was mostly centered in the Seattle/Olympia, Washington area; several exceptions included England's Huggy Bear, as well as several grungier groups like Babes in Toyland and L7, who fit the spirit of the style but were more tangentially related to its ideology. It was mostly rooted in punk's DIY ethos and tradition of protest, but in terms of direct inspirations, Joan Jett was lionized in many quarters of the movement for her simple, punky hard rock, confident sexuality, and independent business sense. Riot grrrl's emergence coincided with an explosion of female talent in other wings of alternative rock, and the term was frequently misapplied in media accounts of the phenomenon, which incorrectly labeled more accessible alt-rockers like Hole and PJ Harvey as riot grrrls. True riot grrrl bands Bratmobile, 7 Year Bitch, the queercore outfit Team Dresch, and the center of the riot grrrl universe, Kathleen Hanna's Bikini Kill never even approached popular acceptance. Since most bands weren't very prolific, the movement's initial flash of enthusiasm faded after a few years, but it continued to enjoy a lasting impact in indie culture, where the original bands helped inspire countless feminist zines and were still looked up to as icons and role models. Kathleen Hanna continued to record with several different projects, and scene veterans Sleater-Kinney became critically revered indie stars several years later, thanks to their ability to blend riot grrrl's passion and ideals with hookier songs and intricate instrumental technique.
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| Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill |
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