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They predicted a Riot
from: irishtimes.com
by Una Mullally
In the early 1990s, the Riot Grrrl movement called for a revolution. Twenty years on, they've inspired a new generation
'Because we girls want to create mediums that speak to us. We are tired of boy band after boy band, boy zine after boy zine, boy punk after boy punk after boy...
"Because we need to talk to each other. Communication/ inclusion is the key. We will never know if we don't break the code of silence... Because in every form of media we see us/myself slapped, decapitated, laughed at, objectified, raped, trivialized, pushed, ignored, stereotyped, kicked, scorned, molested, silenced, invalidated, knifed, shot, choked and killed.
"Because a safe space needs to be created for girls where we can open our eyes and reach out to each other without being threatened by this sexist society and our day to day bullshit..."
The manifesto of the early '90s riot grrrl movement sounds as urgent today two decades after it was photocopied in zines and read in the cafes, bedrooms and dive bars of Washington, written by a group of female musicians who had had enough, and did enough to inspire a generation.
Next Tuesday at University of Limerick, the history, impact and influence of riot grrrl will be dissected at Riot Grrrl! A Day Symposium on Women and Rock Music . Dr Eoin Devereux, Head of Sociology at UL has previously organised symposiums on The Smiths, Morrissey and David Bowie.
"My co-organisers [fellow UL lecturers Martin Power and Aileen Dillane, who co-authored Devereaux's book Morrissey: Fandom, Representation, and Identities ] and I are engaged in several research projects which have the politics of popular and rock music at their core.
"Examining the significant role of women in rock music and in punk in particular appealed to all three of us, as it raises lots of interesting questions in a field that is traditionally seen as being male dominated."
In the annals of what is loosely termed 'guitar music', the contribution of women is often glossed over, but the riot grrrl movement wrote its own history. While Fleetwood Mac, Patti Smith, Siouxsie Sioux, JOAN JETT, Chrissie Hynde and The Slits created role models for female musicians from the 1970s onwards, women in rock remained an anomaly.
Emerging DIY scene
The roots of riot grrrl lie largely in the discontent of a group of female musicians in northwest America. An emerging DIY scene that was to become grunge, the democratic media of punk zines, and a socio-political atmosphere which saw feminism discourse reignited, all conspired in cutting bands such as Bikini Kill, Bratmobile and Heavens To Betsy, a slice of music history.
While punk shows were largely a male space, a less macho culture was emerging, primarily driven by K Records. Simultaneously, Kathleen Hanna, Toby Vail and Molly Neuman were shaking the cage, organising shows, publishing zines, releasing albums, and speaking to young women previously frozen out of what was perceived as the largely male occupation of punk rock.
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