A History of Women in Rock Music: A Response To The Exclusion of Those Who Helped Shape the Genre

To please customers or to fight against everyday sexism? It’s shocking that we even consider this question. However, unfortunately, recent events have reinforced that inequality within the music industry is an ongoing issue.

I’m sure you’ve heard about the Middlesbrough pub - Doctor Browns – who recently introduced a policy that does not allow female-fronted bands to perform in their premises. This was after customers complained that some rock songs, which are supposedly “male”, should not be performed by female singers. Manager Paula Rees even stated in defence, “we’re a rock bar and they don’t think women should sing male rock songs”. It is worth asking – who are ‘they’ and why are ‘they’ saying this?

‘They’ are customers with an opinion, of course. However, I cannot fathom the idea of excluding women from the rock genre. Just thinking about the numerous iconic women who have fronted and influenced the rock scene throughout history creates a plethora of names that jump into thought:

Janis Joplin. “One of the first female artists to break the “girl singer” mould… her fusion of rock and blues influenced both male and female artists”. With four studio albums, two live albums, a set at Woodstock in 1969 and influencing Nancy Wilson, Joan Jett and Chrissie Hynde to name a few – this woman was powerful, strong and could definitely front a female rock band.

Stevie Nicks, an absolute inspiration. She joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975 and her singer-songwriter talent flourished. Her solo career in 1981 commenced whilst still working with Fleetwood Mac; not to mention a hefty 16 studio albums and three live albums under her belt. Even most recently, she joined Harry Styles on his tour for a “Landslide” duet. Like the music style or not, there is no denying that Nicks is an icon.

There shouldn’t have to be explanations for the likes of Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Pat Benater, Blondie, Patti Smith… the list goes on. There are also tons and tons of female-fronted rock bands, both upcoming and current who are paving the way in the rock industry. We have another blog post coming up which highlights important women in the current rock scene so be sure to check it out.

I just wanted to highlight the fact that the history of rock has influenced and created wonderful, inspirational women who have provided and continue to provide the music industry with talent, content and entertainment. There is no excuse for isolating female musicians from any venue. It is shocking, unequal and something must be done.

The negative response that came with this initial policy, however, does give hope. People realise that this is sexist and unjust. Let’s do something about it.

Written by Megan Ryder-Maki (@ixxmcmxl on Twitter).

REVIEW: Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes @ Manchester 03.12.17

A roar of excitement fills The Ritz on the 3rd December awaiting the entrance of Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, a punk band formed in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire in London. 

After the band pulling out of the support slot for Papa Roach’s European tour due to Frank needing to take time to focus on his mental health, there had been speculation surrounding their winter tour. However, having sold out their first date of the tour in Bristol, the fans knew that Frank was back on track.

Opening with the powerful tune “Primary Explosive” from the first album, Frank dominates the venue as the crowd sing along. “Ladies, this song is for you” Frank dedicates the song “Wild Flowers” to all of the females in the audience and reassures the women who have always wanted to crowd surf but have felt too vulnerable to do so due to groping at gigs that this is their time to do it in a safe environment. Carter reinforces the rule to the males in the crowd by threatening to “tear their f*****g heads off with his bare hands if they do not treat the female crowd surfers with the love and kindness and respect they deserve”.

Artists creating this kind of safe environment at gigs is so important. It not only totally discourages perpetrators from committing any type of sexual assault but it also reassures victims that they are in a safe space. 

The song is stopped half way through as a female member of the audience collapses and requires urgent medical attention. The band, the venue staff and the fans work together to make sure that she is safely removed from the incident. 

Once the band were given the thumbs up that she was safe, they got back to the set and performed the robust song “Acid Veins” which was the first time that it had ever been performed live, a real treat for the audience.

Carter explores the venue by performing the title track of the new album “Modern Ruin” on the balcony to make sure that everyone feels a connection, not just those that bought standing tickets. 

Frank and the gang may well have had some obstacles this year, which they have gone above and beyond to tackle to prove everyone they are back and better than ever. No doubt the rattlesnakes will bite back in 2018 too. 

If you have not yet heard of Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, check out their social media accounts and Spotify!

Written by Gee Stanley (@geeslostcontrol on Instagram).

OUR EVERYDAY HEROES: SAMMY BARCROFT & JOANNE VINES

Here at Girls Against we’ve decided to introduce a new feature to the blog called, ‘Our Everyday Heroes’ where we celebrate everyday female/trans people who have done something that deserves recognition! We hope to make this a monthly feature and would love it if you sent us a tweet or an email with anyone who you think has done something worth celebrating.

We’re starting with two absolutely amazing women from Portsmouth who have successfully transformed a double-decker bus into a homeless shelter, which is nothing short of magnificent.

Someone suggested the idea to Joanne Vines in 2016, and in January 2017, she put a plea out on facebook asking if anyone had a bus they could offer her. After receiving 3 offers, herself and Sammy Barcroft made the decision to take on the mammoth challenge of turning the bus into a well-needed homeless shelter.

When it arrived on the 31st March 2017, the Stagecoach bus was a 72 seated double-decker (complete with MOT), however, by the end of November, the bus had been transformed into a homeless shelter fitted with 12 beds, a kitchen, a living area and a toilet.

From curtains to insulation, everything was donated to the project by volunteers, and over the course of 8 months, Sammy, Joanne and their team worked tirelessly to create the shelter.

Members of the local community were heavily involved, with the local college offering to make the bunk-beds as part of their woodwork project, and a local housing association donating the entire kitchen.

Joanne and Sammy spent around £6,000, all of which was raised through crowdfunding or donations, however the build itself is worth about £25,000.

The bus has now been kindly donated to The Robert Dolling project, and will be parked outside of St. Agatha’s Church, where it’s estimated to help 300,000 people in the future.

I spoke to Sammy to find out more:

What/who inspired you to do this?

I'm not sure anyone inspired me, except Joanne!  We had seen other buses being transformed and thought we'd give it a try! We asked the guy who had transformed another bus for some advice and were met by very rude resistance which gave us more determination to succeed!

Will you miss working on the bus?

Yes, although a rest is as good as a change, I've become quite attached to the Bus and the talking point it always started. But I won't miss the early starts or late finishes or trying to organise time to meet others at the Bus!

Would you do this again in the future, maybe with a different structure?

Not sure, but never say never I guess!

What have you got to say to anyone who might be thinking about taking on an amazing project like this?

You will need bags of patience as well as everything else. Make sure you pin your tradespeople down to dates and ensure they work to it. Don't be afraid to ask, if Joanne hadn't of asked for a bus we'd never be here with a completed project. Always make sure you have a bus/life balance and work together with an amazing friend!

To find out more about Sammy and Joanne’s journey, check out Sammy’s blog post here!

Credit: All photos used were taken from Sammy’s blog (http://mrssammyb13.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/portsmouth-bus-project-2017-complete.html?m=1)

Written by: Samantha Hall (@_samanthahall_ on Twitter).

November Newsletter

Welcome to November!

Getting colder and the albums are running out. However, with the lack of new music being released we do have some exciting news! This month, we took on some lovely new reps from across the country and welcomed them into our ranks. We were so pleased with their enthusiasm and hope they help take this campaign even further. Some of these gems have written new pieces for us in the newsletter this month so hopefully you all enjoy their writing as much as we do. 

We’re hoping to bring this newsletter to your inboxes next month! Thank you to all the people that voted on our twitter poll and showed interest, we really hope that its something you can get on board with and are just as interested as we are in seeing if its successful. Its a big step for us. 

We’ve also opened up our blog submissions for artwork and all your amazing writing. We’re open to pretty much everything to do with intersectional feminism, the music industry, sexual harassment etc. Things that are appropriate to our campaign really. We really love seeing what you’ve got to offer and appreciate everything you do send us. 

Book Club

During the month of November, the Girls Against Book Club has been reading ‘Feminine Gospels’ by Carol Ann Duffy, a poetry collection that deals with female identity in various ways. In this month’s book club blog post i discussed some of my favourite poems from the collection, ‘Beautiful, ‘The Woman Who Shopped’, and ‘Loud’ and one of our new reps, Megan, contributed her thoughts on the collection too- scroll down to read more! During December we will be reading ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’ by Jeanette Winterson, a semi-autobiographical novel about growing up as a lesbian within a religious family and community. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in reading and discussing be sure to pick up a copy; its a relatively short novel so there should be plenty of time to read it over the christmas period! Don’t forget to join our Good Reads page for regular updates and discussions. 

Our Rep Favourites: 

To introduce our new reps to writing for us, we’ve done a small collaborative piece asking them to give us their top picks from this year in music from their favourite artists. 

Rep: Ellen Peirson-Hagger

Artist: Laura Marling

Album: Semper Femina

Top Picks

‘The Valley’

‘Nothing, Not Nearly’

‘Wild Once’

Semper Femina is a meditation on what it is to be a woman, and to be friends with women. The album is romantic, touching and empowering. Best of all, Marling is no holds barred, her voice as its fullest on this sixth album, her calm and collected anger wonderful in its fury.

Rep: Neive McCarthy

Artist: Anteros

Album: Drunk EP

Top Picks

‘On The Moon’

‘Drunk’

The release of the ‘Drunk’ EP earlier this year showed that Anteros have a taste for stratospheric heights and are well on their way to getting there- it’s simultaneously explosive and melancholic but altogether guaranteed to get you dancing along with effortlessly cool front woman Laura Hayden all the way through.

Rep: Emma Randall

Artist: Amber Mark

Album: 3:33am EP

Amber Mark brings an uplifting tone of vibrance and colour to her new EP 3:33 am. Amber uses the song 'loose my cool' to express her feelings regarding the death of her mother and suggests that we ought to celebrate life rather than lamenting death. Amber Mark also explores her Buddhist upraising and the impact it's had on her life, the EP is a beautiful collection of female empowerment and encourages those who have lost someone to express themselves in a way that stops them from bottling up emotions.

 NME Album of the Year:

Our rep Neive writes beautifully about Lorde, and her winning NME album of the year 2017 for Melodrama... 

‘As the year draws to a close, it can only mean one thing (other than Christmas)- the imminent release of NME’s album of the year. This month saw the announcement that Lorde’s ‘Melodrama’ had won the accolade, followed by Wolf Alice’s ‘Visions of a Life’ in second place; 2017 really has been a stellar year for women in music. Lorde’s sophomore album chronicles an adventure in discovering yourself and in her own words,  “a record about being alone”. It’s completely self-embracing and intimate, with the introspective ‘Liability’, a raw, self analytical piano ballad, being one of the standout tracks. ‘Melodrama’ is an album which explores diversity so closely that the overall sound is incredibly eclectic but tied together by a distinct Lorde touch that makes it work so well; it soars to unheard of heights on the heartbroken yet anthemic ‘Green Light’, yet manages to contrast this with the lovestruck, magic-enthused ‘The Louvre’. Every song manages to discretely encapsulate a period in your life where uncertainty intertwines with reckless happiness, and that’s part of what makes it such a spectacularly important album. Releasing an album at 16 is no easy feat, and Lorde has mentioned that being a woman is the music industry is undeniably difficult. Still, she has managed to make the second album of all second albums- mature and introspective, but infectious to the point where you cannot help but dance. Most integrally, throughout her entire rise to success, Lorde has remained unwaveringly true to herself in the most unapologetic way possible: the way in which she has done things her own way is totally admirable  and perhaps could be attributed to why ‘Melodrama’ has been so successful. It’s an album that completely redefined the pop genre and riddled with those Lorde idiosyncrasies that have become so distinctive; ‘Melodrama’ is empowering, confessional and ambitious, and Lorde pulls this off magnificently to create an album that could not be anything other than album of the year’

-       Neive McCarthy

 Instagram

As you all (hopefully) know, we have an Instagram theme of Women Creating Waves. This is to celebrate all the incredible women that are doing something amazing either in the music industry or their own field. Our rep Megan chose her favourite from the past couple of months who has made the most impact on her.

‘In our new ‘Women Creating Waves’ (#wcw) Instagram theme, GA recently posted about Wolf Alice’s extremely talented Ellie Rowsell. As we mentioned in our post, “it’s always lovely to see strong women paving the way and being so iconic!” and Ellie is one of many who has proved to music lovers everywhere that “you are your own artist” (Ellie for NME, 2016). We believe artists from all walks of life should love and embrace that! Another example that Ellie never fails to impress the music scene was her casual invite on Twitter for “any gals” to play her guitar part in the wolf alice song ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ during a gig. Some thought she was joking, but on 11th November a fan called Freya joined the stage and absolutely smashed the song! You can see a clip on the band’s Instagram . We love recognising women who create waves in what they do, and Ellie is just one. We have mentioned the likes of Jessica Hopper, Lady GaGa and Ines Rau. Follow us on instagram @girls.against to keep up to date with such wonderful women who inspire us every day!’

-       Megan Ryder- Maki

Another of our reps, Iona, chose Cardi B (an icon), a post will be up about her soon for a wcw but for now, here is what she had to say.

‘The only female rapper to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in almost two decades, Cardi B brought us one of the most landmark moments of music in 2017. Gaining an accolade established rap megastars like Nicki Minaj couldn’t reach, Cardi surpassed any misconceptions about her past in stripping and reality TV as her track “Bodak Yellow” climbed the charts gradually after its first release in June 2017, reaching the top spot on the 25th of September. That’s not to say Cardi shies away from her past in exotic dancing in the slightest; self-proclaimed “stripper hoe”, Cardi is proud of the career that made her name and saved her from an abusive relationship. Her unapologetic expression of her sexualit, her unrelenting work ethic and the fact she didn’t rely at all on her famous boyfriend to make her name in the rap world (she is now engaged to Migos’ Offset), Cardi is a beacon of the reshaping image of what it means to be a woman in the music industry today. Formerly “Cardi B: stripper, Instagram personality, reality TV star, rapper”, ‘Bodak Yellow’ with its unforgettable hook and oozing personality cemented her identity as “Cardi B: rapper”. And this is just her debut.’

-       Iona Macwhirter- Harley

 Music

Our rep Sophia has curated our November playlist! This includes artists such as Sigrid, Black Honey and Sunflower Bean. Give us a follow on Spotify for our monthly playlists.   

Thank you for reading!

 The Girls Against team xxx

 Contributors for November:

Alice @aliceporterX        Book Club

Sophia @hurricanegrrrl    Spotify

Ellen @ellen_cph     Music

Megan @ixxmcmxl     WCW

Neive @neiveeee     Lorde, Music

Iona                    Music             

Emma                   Music

Ellen @ellcharlotte_           Editor and Coordinator

  FIND US:  

twitter: @girlsagainst    

 facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlsagainstgroping/ 

 instagram @girls.against

 email: girlsagainstgiggroping@gmail.com

GA Book Club #5// ‘Feminine Gospels’ by Carol Ann Duffy

Welcome back to the Girls Against book club! It’s the first Sunday of December which means it’s time to discuss the book we’ve been reading during November, Feminine Gospels by Carol Ann Duffy. This is the first time the book club has read a poetry collection and I’m hoping those of you who joined in this month enjoyed reading it. I have to admit that I struggled to get through the collection a little because, as an English Literature student, poetry is something I generally read in an academic sense. This meant that not only did I need to be in a quiet environment when reading the poetry, which is difficult when you do most of your recreational reading on public transport, but it was also difficult for me not to over-analyse every single word in each of the poems. However I’ve wanted to read some of Duffy’s poetry for a while and so I’m glad I finally have and it was a nice change to read something other than a novel recreationally. Anyhow, let’s get on with discussing some of the poems that I liked!

‘Beautiful’ ,one of the first poems in the collection, references the lives of notable historical female figures, depicting how they are defined by their appearance to men. Duffy describes Helen of Troy as ‘the girl next door’, Cleopatra as ‘wrapped in satins, like a gift’, Marilyn Monroe as a ‘dumb beauty’ and Princess Diana being told to ‘act like a fucking princess’. This portrayal of the women as defined by their looks is undermined by the tone of anger created throughout the poem, which feels like a fight against the objectification these women and many other women all around the world face. This is epitomized by the last line of the poem, ‘History’s stinking breath in her face’ which depicts the terrible effects of creating a persona of a woman and forcing her to live by it, such as in Princess Diana’s case.

Another poem in the collection, ‘The Woman Who Shopped’, is an interesting criticism of capitalism and the commodification of women and their bodies. The first section of the poem is a seemingly never-ending list of someone’s wants, ‘wanted a wedding, a wedding dress, groom, married him, wanted a honeymoon, went on one’. The second part of the poem sees the women in question transformed into some sort of department store, portraying how excess can affect the self but also perhaps depicting the damaging effects of objectifying and commoditizing women’s bodies, as Duffy states that ‘crowds would queue overnight at her cunt, desperate for bargains’. The use of metaphor throughout the entire collection was a clever way to force the reader to reconsider aspects of our society and particularly the role of women as often impossibly hyperbolic situations were given a real meaning which made me think differently about the topics in discussion.

Perhaps my favourite poem in the collection is ‘Loud’ as Duffy uses it to deal with real-life issues head on, preceding the poem with the statement that ‘Parents with mutilated children have been turned away from the empty hospital and told to hire smugglers to take them across the border to Quetta, a Pakistani frontier city at least six hours away by car.’ It’s so important that creators of art use their voices to help tackle issues going on in the world and Duffy’s decision to include this statement in the collection is brilliant as it forces the reader to acknowledge that the things in this poem, and in all of the other poems, are truly happening, providing no escape from this fact. The poem itself is also great as it portrays a woman who finds her voice as a result of the issues Duffy makes the reader aware of. Finding your voice is something I feel a lot of women remember experiencing whether that’s through reading a book, talking to a teacher or parent, social media or, as it so happens in this poem, through something that makes you so angry that you are determined to find your voice in order to change it. I remember the moment I found my voice and this poem reminded me of that. ‘Now she was loud’ Duffy writes, epitomizing the change that takes place in a woman when they realize what they should be fighting for.

Feminine Gospels as a collection is empowering and inspiring and I am so glad that this text and many of Duffy’s others are studied at schools as this is the type of text that could really enable a young person to find their voice and motivate a generation to try and change the world. In terms of poetry it’s pretty easy to read so I would definitely give it a go if you haven’t already and are looking to widen the types of texts you read like me!

One of our lovely new reps Megan Ryder-Maki (@ixxmcmxl on Twitter) told me about her views of the poetry collection:

‘Carol Ann Duffy’s collection is a powerful depiction of the inequalities and injustices women have faced throughout history to present day. Duffy challenges The Gospel Truth in her title alone, an account created and historically taught by men. However, she does not exclude men from her poetry collection. Instead, she focuses on the female form and transcends reality entirely in poems such as ‘The Woman Who Shopped’ and ‘Map Woman’. This gives us an example of the perception and sexualisation of women in a metaphorical and symbolic way rather than simply isolating and blaming men. The shocking but powerful collection is one of my favourites from Duffy and for those who read it, you will never forget it!’

For the month of December we will be reading Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson, a semi-autobiographical novel about growing up as a lesbian within a religious family and community. I’ve chosen this book, with the help of some of the other GA reps, because Winterson is a truly inspiring woman within the literary community and generally as she uses her literature to explore topics within and surrounding intersectional feminism and this is a book that I’ve wanted to read for a while about important real-life experiences.

I’d love it if you want to get involved in reading this novel over the next month! One of the reasons I’ve decided to read it now is because it’s fairly short at under 200 pages and I know December is a busy month for everyone, including me, so I hope this encourages you to join in. Plus, the first Sunday of January falls on the 7th, which gives you even more time to read the book! Remember if you do decide to read this month’s book you can contribute your thoughts to the discussion section of our GoodReads page (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/19084704-december--oranges-are-not-the-only-fruit) or email us at girlsagainstbookclub@gmail.com with your thoughts to be featured in next months post!

Written by Alice Porter (@aliceporterx on Twitter)

THE SPOOK SCHOOL X GIRLS AGAINST

The Spook School are a Glasgow-based four-piece who make candid and earnest music. Their upcoming album, Could It Be Different, is out on 26.01.18.

What inspired the song 'Still Alive'?

Nye: I wrote the song kind of in response to a guy that sexually assaulted me years ago. It’s one of those situations where at the time, despite being very upset by the experience, I told myself that it couldn’t have been rape or any kind of sexual assault because ‘he was a nice guy’. For a long time I blamed myself for not protesting enough, or for somehow misleading him into thinking there was consent. It’s only in recent years that I’ve realised that it was him that I should have been blaming, not myself. So this song is an overdue ‘fuck you’ to that guy, and also an acknowledgement that – however much that experience might have messed me up – I’m still here and that’s something.

It feels quite different to the past stuff on Try To Be Hopeful et al – where do you think that comes from?

Nye: I think Try to Be Hopeful made sense as an album that you would write after quite recently figuring/affirming your identity – there’s a joy in that, and a desire to just kind of yell out ‘yeah, this is who we are’. I think also, especially as a trans person, because that can cause you so much unexplainable sadness/distress before you figure it out, you can fall into thinking that it’s the only part of your life that matters, and that being read as your gender/getting to physically transition and stuff like that will magically cure every problem you’ve ever had. It definitely helps, but usually all the other life stuff is waiting for you to pay attention to it again. And in many ways that’s kind of what this album is about, it’s about living as a queer person – about regrets and relationships and family and body image and just everything.

How would you describe the upcoming album?

Adam: It’s a lot more introspective that our previous work. More nuanced I think, and more personally honest. There’s a lot of looking backwards and looking forwards, wondering about the past and worrying about the future. At it’s heart though I see it as a celebration of the community we’ve found (in many ways through playing music) and the personal relationships we value in our lives.

Who in music inspires you right now?

Adam: Perfume Genius is making some really wonderful stuff right now. I’m also on a really big Jimmy Somerville kick at the moment. I think he’s one of the most underrated, radically political pop stars ever. Shopping, Sacred Paws, and basically everything Rachel Aggs touches is incredible.

Have you ever seen or been made aware of sexual harassment or assault at any of your shows?

Nye: I’ve never seen or been made aware of sexual harassment at any of our shows. I’d like to think that that was because the people that come to our shows are all wonderful people without exception, but in reality it’s more likely that it’s happened at least once and we’ve just not seen/heard about it.  

Is it something you've experienced as performers?

Nye: I’ve experienced sexual assault, though not in the context of playing shows. At least part of that is probably due to the fact that we’re an overtly queer band. Some of it will also be down to sexism – as a masculine presenting person playing music I’m less likely to get comments yelled at me than women or more femme non-binary folks.

What would be your response if you saw it happening?

Nye: If one of us saw something when we were onstage I would like to think that we’d stop playing and try to get the assaulter/harasser kicked out of the show. Equally, if someone came to us earlier in the night, we’d listen to them and see what they’d like done to make them comfortable and then work with the promoter/venue to make that happen.  

What would you like to say to the people who have that experience at a show?

Adam: This is not your fault, and there will be plenty of people who are willing to support you, including us. We’ll try our best to make sure our shows are as safe for everyone as possible. If there’s anything we can do to help please let us know (if you feel you can). We can be contacted online (email, Facebook, Twitter) or in person at shows. Reaching out to others for support can often be really helpful. This could be people close to you or organisations such as The Survivors Trust.

Girls Against are also here to listen to you and provide support, though please note that we are not trained counsellors.

What would your message be to the perpetrators of that behaviour?

Nye: If you can’t go to shows without harassing people, then don’t go to shows. Seek advice to change your behaviours and don’t put other people at risk of your unwanted advances/aggression. Doubly so if you are a performer/artist – you shouldn’t be putting yourself in a position where you have social capital that you could abuse.

Why do you think sexual harassment is such a big issue in rock/alternative music scenes?

Nye: A whole raft of things really. There’s still quite a lot of people with pretty misogynistic views of music scenes as a place where women/femme people don’t belong – despite all obvious evidence to the contrary (seriously, if you’re only listening to music written/performed by men how are you not bored by now?).

Also the association between gigs and alcohol probably isn’t something that helps, given how many people use being drunk/high as an excuse for acting in ways they wouldn’t allow themselves to sober. Especially for performers, there’s this kind of archetype of the rockstar that’s always drunk and that being a ‘rock ‘n roll’ thing. I remember going to gigs as a teenager and seeing the lead singers of bands that I loved at that time drinking full bottles of whisky on stage. I remember thinking that was just part of being a rockstar, rather than something that’s going to have an impact on both you and the people around you.

Then also there’s the whole ‘groupie’ stereotype – the idea that femme people in music scenes can’t possibly be creative or performers or even people that appreciate music, but are instead a kind of object to be claimed by male band members or fans. It seems like an outdated idea but the number of women in bands that still get asked ‘oh are you drummer/guitarist/whatever male band member’s girlfriend’ by people doing sound/other bands/promoters suggests that it’s very much still a stereotype that exists.  

What do you think your responsibility is, as a band in combatting this issue?

Nye: It’s a hard thing to tell someone that you don’t know about sexual assault, so it’s up to us/other bands/promoters/people in general to make it as clear as possible that any kind of harassment or assault won’t be tolerated and that we’ll do everything we can to make sure that people coming to our shows are safe from that. Things like signposted ‘no tolerance’ policies at gigs, statements on stage, and kicking people out when necessary. We should be making sure that we don’t play on bills that are just bro-ey bands, or for promoters/venues that create a hostile environment to any people that might want to come along to one of our shows. Sometimes it can be hard to know that information, especially when you’re travelling to places that you’ve never been before – so we’ve also got to be prepared to listen when someone comes forward to tell us something, and try to act helpfully based on that information.

What do you think crowds should be doing?

Adam: Looking out for each other. Everyone’s come to the show to have a good time, so try to be aware of the people around you as much as you can. Dancing and jumping around is really fun, but it’s not an excuse to touch others without their consent. You wouldn’t do so in the street (I hope), so why would it be acceptable at a show? I’d hope people who come to our shows (or any show for that matter) would try to offer support if they witnessed harassment of any kind, or anyone looking uncomfortable or distressed.  

October Newsletter

Hey everyone, welcome to our October newsletter! This month, we've grown as a team, taking on a few reps to help us with socials and stuff you'll definitely see a more active Girls Against online (not just behind the scenes). All our links, socials and reps contact info for any questions you may have will be at the end of this post!

The #metoo campaign took over social media this month and we 100% fully support it. It is so incredibly brave and inspirational of all these people, not just women, to come forward and share their stories. It helped to expose the shocking behaviour of Harvey Weinstein and further helped other people come forward following his allegations. Many well known women gave their experiences and helped the media and the public really understand this apparently hidden situation. Everyone who tweeted spoke with such courage and its very important to say that we are absolutely here for everyone, if they  want to confide in us to tell us their stories or look for help.

Our rep Sophia has been busy with interviews this month, bands featured include The Regrettes, Idle Frets and Beyond Recall. All can be found on our tumblr. They're all really in depth and interesting so check those out!

From Sophia: 'The Regrettes supported SWMRS’ on the Europe + UK leg of the Farewell Drive North Tour. I followed the tour around the UK and had a great week watching these bands every night. I spoke to The Regrettes ahead of the London show – the biggest show of the tour, and my last one! They were very warm and welcoming, and answered my questions thoughtfully – even though they were on a very tight schedule! They were reflective and nuanced, particularly when discussing how women in music are talked about. I felt like they really embodied what we’re about as a campaign – both during the interview and on stage every night. They truly interacted with the crowd, Lydia coming into the pit most nights and getting various people to sing a line. They treated me like a peer, and I saw them be the same with so many fans after the shows every night.'

We started our 'Women Creating Waves' Instagram theme (#wcw)! This takes inspirational women, not just in music, and showcases how amazing they all are! If you have any thoughts of women we should be including over the next few weeks, send us an Instagram DM!

International

Our international rep Andrew has been even busier this month! He was featured on a great podcast by ChunkyGlasses. It can be found here: http://www.chunkyglasses.com/content/episode-318-girls-against-how-to-combat-sexual-harassment/assault-in-the-music-industry-and-beyond

The podcast discusses what we do, our book club and giving a wider view of sexual harassment in the music scene.

Book Club

During October, the Girls Against Book Club has been reading ‘The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic’ by Jessica Hopper. It’s a set of essays about various issues in and surrounding the music industry and I chose to read this for the book club to learn more about and amplify the voice of a woman’s experience in a largely male-dominated industry. In the book club blog post I talk about some of my favourite essays, including  ‘Emo: Where the Girls Aren’t’ and ‘Deconstructing Lana Del Rey’, and the reasons why I didn’t like some of the other essays as much. For the month of November, the book club will be reading Carol Ann Duffy’s collection of poetry ‘Feminine Gospels’ which I’m really looking forward to as this is the first time our book club has ventured out into reading poetry and I’d love it if you joined us in reading the text! If you’re interested in reading more about my thoughts on Jessica Hopper’s set of music criticism, the fourth book club blog post is up now. Don’t forget to join our GoodReads group by following this link- https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/230714-girls-against-book-club

This piece was written by our rep Alice Porter; Alice writes and picks the book club books so please get involved with that and send her suggestions for the following months book to her email.

Music

So much good music has been released this month. Honestly, it’s been quite overwhelming. Especially as I’m still not over Architects’ ‘Doomsday’, which was my main pick from last month. My absolute favourite new song is ‘Temple’ by Tonight Alive – which was dropped with less than 24 hours warning. It’s safe to say that day I was…annoying. It’s a triumphant return, one which sees the band return to edgier, punkier sounds than their last album, Limitless. Thematically, it remains spiritual, but explores darker ideas than they dared approach previously. It’s a song that came at the right time, and one which hit hard – the upcoming album, Underworld, is undoubtedly going to be astounding. I already know it’s going to be honest to an uncomfortable degree, and that’s going to be the most freeing thing of all – for band and fans.

My next favourite is ‘Still Alive’ by The Spook School. A friend recently introduced me to this band, and as soon as I heard a couple of songs, I was hooked. This is their most recent release, and I love to play it on repeat. The standout line in the chorus – “fuck you I’m still alive” – is perfect to shout loud, over and over. Bad moods cannot persist when playing this song – that’s a fact.

There’s been so much this month though! We finally have a new Sleater Kinney song – mother Carrie answered my prayers! – and all proceeds go to Planned Parenthood! Idle Frets – an interview with whom is up now – released a new single which is a smasher! Marmozets dropped another banger! We have been very fortunate this month. Listen to all the best tunes in this month’s playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/user/girlsagainst/playlist/0QBhIV7RP6YWzSYxLH7sv8 

This Spotify playlist and piece was written by our rep Sophia Simon-Bashall.

Thank you so much for paying attention to us and following our campaign! Aforementioned, there will be a lot more action on our socials and we have SO many exciting things planned (that we can't yet give away, even more reason to stay tuned).

Our tumblr submissions are open for your thoughts but also for pieces you would like to write for us! These include anything creative, writing, poetry or anything that you think might be relevant or that we'd like to hear! We always welcome constructive criticism and are always looking to improve. We recently opened up the search for new reps which we will be announcing week commencing the 13th so keep your eyes peeled if you've applied and hopefully you've been successful. Finally, thank you so much to everyone that did apply to rep for us. We really appreciate all the messages and all the reasons why you were interested in becoming a rep were so insightful.

The Girls Against team xxx

Contributers for September:

Alice @aliceporterX        Book Club

Sophia @hurricanegrrrl    Music

Ellen @iimmortals            Editor and Coordinator

Andrew @andrewjwkoh   International

Our socials:

twitter: @girlsagainst

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlsagainstgroping/ 

instagram @girls.against

email: girlsagainstgiggroping@gmail.com

If you need to contact any of us individually (reps), our twitters are @iimmortals (Ellen), @aliceporterX (Alice), @hurricanegrrrl (Sophia), @monica_gems (Georgia), @wardeeey (Isabella) and @azzannedale (Azzanne).

GA BOOK CLUB #4 // ‘The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic’ by Jessica Hopper

Welcome back to the Girls Against Book Club! For the month of October, we’ve been reading ‘The First Collection of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic’ by Jessica Hopper, a title that, on the first page, she states is not entirely accurate. The title of this collection of essays is what drew to me to it though. The lack of music criticism written by women perhaps reflects the disproportionately lacking amount of women in the music industry generally, or perhaps the amount of women who are given opportunities rather.

Sexual assault at gigs, from my experience, affects women at a much larger rate than it does men and perhaps the domination of men in the music industry is the reason why the issue was largely ignored before campaigns like Girls Against. I chose to read this book as part of our book club in order to learn more about the experiences of a woman in a male-dominated industry and to amplify the voice of a talented female music critic.

 I thought parts of this book were great but others, I didn’t enjoy so much. This is in no way a criticism of Hopper’s writing style, which is engaging, humorous and honest; it’s purely because some of the artists she writes about I’ve never heard of and some of the essays were originally written when I was 6 years old, making it difficult to understand some her points of reference. Obviously, this book is not handmade for each and every reader, ready to go with artists they like and cultural references they can understand and so I really don’t feel justified in criticizing the text for this reason. But personally for me it made it a little bit less of an enjoyable read and someone who is perhaps a little older than me with a better general knowledge of music would have enjoyed it much more I’m sure. I do think the text would have benefitted from a structural change in terms of grouping the essays by date rather than category as the essays at times were loosely grouped by category anyway and it was a little disorienting reading essays one after another that jumped from 2003 to 2013 to 2007 etc.

Anyway, with my little moan out of the way, I’ll move on to some of the essays I enjoyed.  The first essay I liked is titled ‘Emo: Where The Girls Aren’t’. It explores the distorted portrayal of woman in emo music, in which Hopper states woman are ‘denied the dignity of humanization through both the language and narratives, we are omnipresent yet chimerical, only of consequence in romantic settings.’ I don’t listen to much emo music and so can’t comment on whether this has changed since when the essay was first published in 2003 but this representation of women is present in many music genres that I do listen to and I think Hopper explains it nicely here. A line from this essay that really resonated with me is ‘men writing songs about women is practically the definition of rock ‘n’ roll’ as it seemed to explain to me why I unconsciously shifted to listening to so many more female fronted bands. A lot of the male-fronted bands I used to listen to, and admittedly still listen to now at times, do often just write songs about romanticized versions of women and I’m as bored of this in 2017 as Hopper was when writing this essay in 2003.

Another essay that I enjoyed, one of Hopper’s artist-specific essays, was ‘Deconstructing Lana Del Rey’. Lana Del Rey has been one of my favourite artists since ‘Born to Die’ and Hopper’s commentary on, what she describes as, the ‘Authenticity Debate’ surrounding Lana was really interesting to me. Hopper indirectly mocks those who ‘don’t understand’ Lana Del Rey and are determined to get to the bottom of ‘what she is’ and outlines the debate surrounding this. In response to this she simply states, ‘Being sexy and serious about your art needn’t be mutually exclusive, even when your art involves being a pop package.’ A simple statement like this portrays how unfounded the questions surrounding Del Rey’s image are and for me, this ‘debate’ just goes to show that society is still a little bit afraid of women who do not perfectly fit into it’s mould of what a woman is and should be.

Hopper’s essay on Courtney Love and Hole was definitely one of my favourites to read. ‘Live Through This’ is such a great album (that you should go and listen to right now if you haven’t already) and her conversation with the band is really interesting. The essay is titled ‘You Will Ache Like I Ache: The Oral History of Hole’s Live Through This’ and Hopper describes ‘Love’s surety of her band’s rightful place in the hierachy’ as a sort of rite of passage for ‘every girl with a guitar’, describing the album as ‘the portrait of a woman claiming her power’. Listening to this album feels incredibly empowering and I couldn’t have summarized it better than Hopper does here. There were so many lines like this one in the collection where Hopper put my long and confused thoughts into a well-written and simple line and I always think that having the ability to do this makes someone a really great writer.

It is clear in all of these essays how truly passionate Hopper is about music and this along with her vast and extensive knowledge of the music industry makes her the ideal music critic. She put together this collection of criticism to, in her own words, ‘help mark the path’ of music criticism written by woman, dedicating the book to ‘those that came before, those that should have been first, and all the ones that will come after.’ This set of essays was my first real look into music criticism written by anyone of any gender and I can vouch for the fact that it sets an amazing example not only for women but for everyone and I sincerely hope that more women are given the opportunities to become music critics. I only wish that my knowledge of music was more extensive generally so I could fully appreciate every essay in this collection and essays to come- I will work on that!

For the penultimate book of 2017, we will be reading Carol Ann Duffy’s collection of poetry ‘Feminine Gospels’. I really wanted to incorporate some poetry into the book club before the year was over and who better to begin with than the first female and LGBT British Poet Laureate? She’s even Scottish which is where our campaign’s roots lie with two of the three current founders being Scots too! In this poetry collection Duffy focuses on the theme of female identity and explores it historically, archetypically and in various other ways.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in then please join us in reading it during November! If you have already read ‘Feminine Gospels’ or are planning to then be sure to join our GoodReads group here so you can keep up to date with the book club and contribute your views on the text. Alternatively, if you’d rather contribute your views anonymously or privately you can email us at girlsagainstbookclub@gmail.com with your thoughts. The next book club post will go up on Sunday 3rd December so be sure to tell us what you think of the text by then for a chance to have your views included in the post.

Written by Alice Porter (@aliceporterx on Twitter).

Idle Frets - Interview

First, can you pitch your band to people who haven't heard of you before?

Dave: Imagine if ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon was actually written by Post Malone fuelled by two litres of Monster energy drink. We sound like the opposite of that.

Erin: Get yourself a ticket, come see us live! Of course we love our records and are really proud of them, but I would deffo say – and I think the boys would agree – that we’re all about our live shows. We love performing shows that are lively, all about singing along, and getting your bev and groove on! We’ve got influences from all over the shop, but relatable indie-pop-rock bangers are our thing!

Luke: If you’re a fan of lively performances, slick guitar hooks and good times, then get to know Idle Frets.

What have the highlights of this year been for you?

Dave: We played the main stage at 110 Above Festival, that was insanely good. It feels good to be moving up the ranks.

Luke: For me, playing the main stage on the Saturday on 110 Above Festival was incredible. It was absolutely chucking it down and we had an amazing turnout. We went on our first headline tour in May/June, too, going to so many places for the first time and having people showing is a great feeling.

Which songs do you get most pumped up to play live?

Erin: I love playing ‘Glow’ and ‘Now You’re Back’ live; strong drum game in those songs! They’re big sounding and need a lot of energy to play live, and I think that’s what live shows should be all about.

Dave: My personal favourite to play is ‘Glow’, I think it works the best live, and it means I get to push the magical fuzz button.

Luke: Our new single ‘Talk About You’ is big and ‘Now You’re Back’ always goes off.

What’s your favourite part about performing your songs up in front of people?

Erin: I enjoy it all. Playing live is my favourite part of being in a band. I was never a performer when I was younger, I don’t like public speaking particularly and I get quite nervous. But I enjoy this so much, and when I look up in front of the kit and my three best mates are having the best time too… it’s super cool. Being able to have fun together for that time, and not think about anything else, [that’s my favourite part].

Luke: Seeing people dancing, singing along and enjoying themselves, for sure. We just hope people enjoy our music as much as we do.

What’s your favourite gig memory?

Erin: From our shows, he will be fuming at me for this, but Ben fell over once a few years ago on stage, and it was one of the funniest things I’d ever seen. He tried to disguise it as dropping his guitar pick and picking it up again but everyone noticed, and I was howling! As a crowd member, my second Glasto I saw Frank Turner. At my third, I saw Biffy Clyro. They’re both my favourite acts and I will never forget – the happiest I think I’ve ever been, in a field full of dirty and gross, open-minded people, singing my favourite songs in the sun and rain with my best friends! Cheesy, right?

Luke: As a member of the crowd: Arctic Monkeys at Don Valley, Sheffield was spectacular. Even though I lost my shoes.

Is there anything you’d like to change about the music industry?

Erin: So much! I love it dearly but my god, people need to begin to see things differently. Number one for me would be from the perspective of a young artist entering the industry, and a young booker/agent entering the industry. I will never understand how people expect people to work for absolutely nothing in return. I don’t always expect money in return for my work, as I understand experience, gig tickets, contacts etc. are valuable. Favours here and there when arranged are also fine, and all part of having passion for the industry and helping people involved, but how people expect musicians and young graduates to make a living on ‘experience’ is a joke, and it’s a battle I face weekly as a young professional.

Luke: People who are working in the industry just to make money, rather than doing it for the passion.

In terms of feminism, who do you look up to within the music industry?

Erin: P!nk, 100%. I think she is an incredible person. I have always loved P!nk since I was small, and growing up I have come to understand her, her music, and her outlook on life more and more. She has battled a lot in her life, people have tried to take of advantage of her in multiple ways because she is a woman. She has had prejudice thrown at her left, right, and centre, yet she is one of the most open minded, strong, independent woman at the minute trying to champion change – especially for her little girl!

Luke: Frank Turner, he’s an ambassador for Safe Gigs for Women and he’s doing a stellar job campaigning and raising awareness.

Have you witnessed sexual assault at live music events – that being your own or anyone else’s?

Ben: Not often, but have been to gigs with mates and had to pretend to be the boyfriend to get a girl out of a difficult position. Also been to a gig when girls have been drunk going round squeezing lads asses.

Luke: Unfortunately, I have. I’ve seen people who have a little too much to drink and think that gives them the right to act in an inappropriate and unwarranted manner.

Erin: Of course. I was a 15 year old young gig goer myself, and it happened then and it still happens now. Sexual assault sounds like a very aggressive term, and that’s why I think people don’t believe that it happens. If anyone purposefully touches you inappropriately without your consent that counts. I think this is what people need to be made more aware of. To my knowledge it has never happen at one of our shows but if it did and we as the band knew about it, I really would stop everything and have people removed from the venue before continuing the set. No one should leave a gig with that as their lasting memory.

Do you have a message to those who have had that negative experience?

Erin: Speak up! To a bouncer; bar staff; people in the crowd around you; make sure they don’t get to do that to someone else. And always remember to take something positive from the gig that you enjoyed. Don’t let the perpetrator ruin your fun experience with your friends or family. They don’t deserve that satisfaction!

Do you have a message to the perpetrators?

Ben: Don’t be a dick.

Erin: Gigs are places for people to enjoy themselves, and putting someone in an unwanted negative position for your benefit is selfish and goes against everything that the next generation of the 21st century are working towards. Get out of our happy places.    

As a band, what do you think you can do to help combat the issue?

Erin: As a band on our own… speaking up about it is all we can do. The more people that speak up about it, the more perpetrators know that they won’t get away with it.

Luke: Interviews such as this and discussing it to raise awareness will go a long way. And of course, we always make sure everyone is comfortable and having a good time during our shows.

Finally, what's coming up for Idle Frets?

Luke: We’re currently halfway through our Talk About You Tour! [And] you’ll be able to feast your eyes upon our music video soon.

Erin: So many exciting things! Studio sessions, music videos, gig announcements… all to come!

Idle Frets’ latest single Talk About You is available now: https://soundcloud.com/idle-frets/talkaboutyou

You can follow the band on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Idle_Frets

Interview by Sophia Simon-Bashall

An Interview with Beyond Recall

On 25.09.17, in Manchester, GA rep Sophia sat down with Zaid – lead singer of the band Beyond Recall – to talk about their music, their message, and more…

First, can you pitch Beyond Recall to people who haven't heard of you before?

I’d say we are the love-child of All Time Low, Don Broco, and nu-metal. We come at you from all angles. They’re pop-punk tracks at their core, but then there’s rapping and screaming too.

You've been on tour with Young Guns recently – how's that been?

The tour has been a dream come true. Josh (drummer) and I have been best friends since 2010, and we first hung out at a Young Guns show. So it’s come full circle. It’s been amazing – the artists that we look up to I can actually call my friends. [Young Guns] have been the nicest guys, and playing in front of their crowds every night really is an honour.

What’s your favourite gig memory?

My favourite gig memory is from when I went to see Enter Shikari in Bristol, and letlive. opened the show. It was – wow, it probably would’ve been 2011/2012 – and it felt like I was the only one in the room who knew who letlive. were. Jason Butler didn’t care whether anyone knew who they were, and he controlled the stage, he controlled the audience. He just took over the room and I just remember thinking, “this guy right here, he’s killing it”. That’s probably my best memory of being in the crowd.

What about from one of your own shows?

It’s probably from when we were in Edinburgh, on tour with our good friends in THE AFTERPARTY. We’d never been to Edinburgh before, and honestly I thought about 10 people would come to the show. But then we got this half-packed room – and sure, it was a small room – and they all went crazy. That night, I felt like we had ‘made it’. It’s still one of my top 5 shows.

Which songs do you get most pumped up to play live?

I think my favourite to play live is ‘Almost’. There’s a part that’s just so fucking catchy and new people can sing along easily. Also, I love playing ‘Tomorrow’, because I get to let everybody know how I feel about the world.

What inspired the lyrics to ‘Tomorrow’?

I had a mum come up to me at a show once, and she thanked me for giving her daughter a safe place. That same night, her daughter came up to me too. She hugged me and started crying. I was a bit taken aback for a moment, thinking “shit, what do I do?” But then I realised all I had to do was be there, be me, be in this band, perform and connect with people. That’s what ‘Tomorrow’ is about for me.

Could you tell us about your new single 'Wonder'?

‘Wonder’ is all about trying to find a place for yourself. I was feeling unsure and outside of life, and I used that to create a character. I wrote about that person for this song. It’s also a great one, for me, because it shows the more pop-punk side of the band. It’s a fun track with a serious message.

You play a lot of shows and do talks at schools. How did that start and what do you talk about?

We started an anti-bullying campaign in March [2017], because we knew that there was a lot going on at schools and on the internet between young people. We go into schools to talk to kids about online safety, bullying, and to give them a safe space to open up.

You speak very frankly on stage about the issue of suicide in young people – why is that a topic you speak about?

We speak about it because it’s a huge issue. It’s the number one cause of death in young people in the UK, and yet people overlook and dismiss it. People think it’s a joke, like something that’s a goth or emo ‘trend’ – but it’s not. It’s serious. Everyone ignores it until it happens to someone they know – and the response is always “I didn’t know” or “but they were always smiling”. And that’s a problem because suicide doesn’t have a face.

Before becoming aware of Girls Against, how aware were you of the sexual harassment that goes on at shows?

I knew that sexual harassment went on at shows, but I’ve never witnessed it at our shows – though it may happen. I unfortunately can’t see beyond the first three rows, so I don’t know.

But I have had a girl grab my penis once – she kept doing it throughout the show. Afterwards, I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I was so annoyed and so uncomfortable.

I don’t understand why people think it’s an okay thing to do.

By the way, I am so happy that this campaign exists, and I want to thank you for doing what you do.

Do you have a message for those who have had that kind of negative experience at a show?

Speak to the appropriate people – the security at the venue. Make it public [if you feel comfortable to].

What would your message be to the perpetrators of that behaviour?

You’re idiots. That is so inappropriate and wrong. You may feel like you can get away with it, but you can’t.

Finally, what's coming up for Beyond Recall?

With the anti-bullying campaign, we’re really excited too. When we started it 6 months ago, we decided we wanted to reach 10,000 students by 2018 – but, as it stands, we will hit that number in November. We want to get out and tour more too, because we haven’t been able to do that enough lately – doing this tour has shown us how much we’ve missed it. Mostly, we just want to make people feel better.

You can follow Beyond Recall on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Nice work....just a thank you....

When i was younger, going to gigs in the mid nineties from age 15 onwards, it was pretty normal to expect some groping, men pressing themselves against you. All the excitement of the gig i remember in the middle of the crowd, suddenly feeling a scary place to be when you realise how vulnerable you are and how very few people notice when you are frozen in panic not knowing how to remove a man’s hand from up your skirt. All, as i thought back then, a normal thing that girls go through….and yet the feeling of a gig can be the best ever and so you risk it to enjoy the band you love and the atmosphere of music ringing in your ears.

Now I’m nearly 40 and the world has changed. Or at least it thinks it has. It is official that it is now not ok to be groped…. and there are people like you who are willing and able to use the platform of social media to say it. 

So i wanted to say thank you. Thank you for my two young girls who will hear a voice which says report the perverts…who tells them it isnt normal and it isn’t acceptable.

I wish someone had told me i could stand up to it. Great idea.

Rep Ania meets NICK MURPHY (CHET FAKER)

Not only is he an incredible visionary, with a talent for synth-based, electro-jazz tunes, but he is also a humanitarian- helping us combat sexual harassment at live music events. We had a chance to sit down with the international star, Nick Murphy (previously working under the name of Chet Faker), following his first night at the Metropolis in Montreal, Canada. Here’s his views on sexual assault, the music industry, feminism, and the conformity to masculinity as part of an artist's identity:

Q: Have you witnessed sexual assault at live music events- that being your own or anyone else's?

A: No, I never have seen that… violence at gigs sometimes… It’s not always easy to tell the difference between the two, because it happens so quickly. Things break out at the most inappropriate times as well- not that it’s ever appropriate-, but it’s like… what the fuck are you doing? But it’s definitely not something that I haven’t seen.

Q: Do you have a message to the perpetrators?

A: (laughs) where do I start? It’s complicated, and it’s hard to understand where that’s coming from. It’s obviously a place of confusion, and not really understanding someone’s emotions. First and foremost, it’s completely not appropriate and not right. So, that’s the first message. But, I would say that if that’s something that someone is leaning towards doing, talk about it with people and figure out where that’s coming from and why you think that’s appropriate, because it’s obviously an emotionally driven act.

Q: As a figure in the music industry, what do you think you can do to help combat the issue?

A: Well, talk to you (laughs), for starters. I mean the reason why I agreed to meet with you is to see what you would suggest. Sometimes these issues are so pervasive and big, it can be hard to understand how to do that. There’s so much wrong going on in the world- it can be kind of confusing and complicated to figure out what responsibility, or how a responsibility should be applied to that. And that’s something I’m interested in. Sorry, that’s not really a direct answer… but I’m interested in answers.

Q: That’s really great to hear. For starters, I would suggest spreading awareness and of course discussing the issue. That is, speaking to the security teams at venues, as well as your own management team. Of course, I wish that issues of sexual assault or harassment won’t happen at any one of your shows, but if they do, it’s important to speak up about it. I’ve seen some bands and artists stop mid-show to address the perpetrators and ensure a healthy, safe environment during the gig.

A: Yeah, speak out about it, absolutely.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to change about the music industry?

A: Oh, so much, I couldn’t even begin. This is a great start! It’s supposed to be about togetherness, that’s why people come to live shows, it’s about getting along. It’s the reason music exists; so that people can communicate with each other, beyond their differences. People need to remember that, it’s not like an accessory, like buying a ticket for something just so you can say you were there, or buy a jacket or some shit. You go there because it means something. If it doesn’t mean something- don’t go, don’t buy a ticket! I’m not interested in playing for people that think it’s just a thing, you know?

Q: How much do you think feminism, and the treatment of women is discussed within the music industry?

A: At the moment more than it has been before, which I think is amazing. It’s definitely a male dominated industry, and I think that needs to change. How? I don’t know. It’s something I have been trying to figure out for the last couple of years, even if it’s something like getting amazing artists like Charlotte Cardin, to support us. I think it is such a complicated issue, and equality is not really a scoreboard, but a state of mind. It’s just talking about it, and keeping it in your mind at all times, when it comes to decisions. Really, there are no laws about it, it’s just applying it to decisions you make, and at least that’s where I feel like I’m making a difference. Just being aware of it, and open about it.

Q: That’s it, exactly. How much do you think masculinity, and the conformity to that stereotype affects the way that artists present themselves?

A: It’s a huge issue! And I think the issue concerns the industry and labels, and things like that. With music… there’s less money involved now than there used to be, so larger labels are less likely to risk this stuff. My ex-girlfriend was a musician, and she was always looking for a manager. You know, this was years ago, but they were always trying to sexualize her. And that’s not what her music was about! It baffled the shit out of me, because she is talented, and she’s doing really well now, but it’s just this extra hurdle. You know, no one came up to me and said, “you have to be sexy on stage”. It’s not something I had to deal with. Fuck, I wouldn’t even know where to start. There’s people not being open to new ideas, or just resting on talent.

Q: How much, and how often do you think other social issues- like racism or classism- are discussed within the music industry?

A: In the industry, it’s hard to tell. I don’t deal a lot with the actual industry heads, because it’s not something I’m interested in- because it is so close minded, it’s like this fucked up little community. But I think socially, it’s being discussed more. For example, we’re talking about it now. I’ve been touring for five years and it’s the first time someone has asked me these questions. It’s definitely on the radar of the youth’s social awareness, which is great. I think it’s moving in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go with that.

Q: Since it’s your first night playing in Canada, how is it like being back?

A: It’s nice being back! I’m a little sick, so I’m drugged up on everything I can take. But it was really enjoyable… an amazing crowd. I had fun.

Q: How is the crowd different from festivals versus your own shows? I remember seeing you at Osheaga a couple years back, and the crowd was very different from your show tonight.

A: Well, hopefully no one comes to the show if they don’t want to see your music. Whereas at a festival, you might get dragged on by a friend or whatever. And that’s cool, because people can get excited. That’s the difference- at your own shows people have a connection to the music and want to be there and hear it.

Q: Do you have any highlights of your summer? Any specific shows or funny stories?

A: I took a road trip this summer, as a holiday, and drove across the United States, which was amazing, I really enjoyed that. I got to see the country.

Q: That seems incredible. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us!

A: Thanks, it was really nice to meet you, and we love what you’re doing!

Big thanks to Ania Buksowicz for conducting this interview!

Rep Sophia meets ‘THE REGRETTES’

I meet The Regrettes at what feels like 100 miles underground. Islington’s O2 Academy’s backstage is buried deep beneath the room where the band will play to 1000 people shortly after, and is something of a labyrinth. Their dressing room is cosy, and I sit on the floor with frontwoman Lydia Night as we chat and everyone gets covered in glitter.

Photo: Alan McCarthy

So, who are The Regrettes? “We are super honest people who make super honest music about things that we care about and things that we go through”. The LA-based four-piece is made up of Lydia (vocals/guitar), Sage Chavis (backing vocals/bass), Genessa Gariano (backing vocals/lead guitar), and Maxx Morando (drums). The music is youthful, energetic, and fun – whilst also tackling misogyny, broken friendships, and more.

Talking about the European tour with SWMRS, it’s evident the band have all had a great time. “It’s been the best fucking time of my entire life”, Lydia tells me, as Genessa beams and gushes “we are so lucky!” They insist it’s been their favourite tour they’ve ever been on, both from the perspective of fans and as a band. “This is the first time I’ve really been able to let loose in the crowd since we became a band”, says Sage. “It’s been so fun to be with all these people who really care about the music that’s being played”. Lydia laughs, adding “we’ve been going fucking ape-shit!” They also appreciate the support fans have given their own band. “At every show, there have been people who know our lyrics. That’s so special.” Maxx points out that “people are singing along to the guitar” and instrumental parts, too. I admit that is my favourite part of every show, which excites Genessa who feels the same way.

When I question them about their feelings on being labelled as a ‘girl band’, their response is mixed. “We’re not an all-girl band”, Lydia points out – at which point Maxx waves, smirking – “but being called girl-fronted is fine because that’s what we are”. Sage disagrees. “Even that term bums me out”. She explains that it feels like they’re being put into a box, and it prompts ignorant questions about being a girl in music. Lydia reassures me that they “want to talk about [being women, and feminism] but in a particular way – like this!” The band understand that being girls in a band IS, at this moment in time, ‘special’. “We want it to get to a point where it doesn’t matter!”

(l-r: Maxx, Genessa, Lydia, Sage) Photo: Chad Kamenshine

They are, however, willing to talk about the issues that are faced by women who make music. “We play festivals and we’ll be the last girls in a band playing – it won’t even be dark yet, and there will still be tons of bands after us playing!” Genessa gets particularly frustrated reflecting on her time at music school – which is where the band met. “[Throughout] my musical education there was a lot of dudes getting better treatment than I was getting. They told me I could ‘sing background vocals and finger pick’, they wouldn’t let me play main lines. I would really have to fight for it and then when I WOULD get a lead line, some dude would get a guitar and solo all over the top of my riffs! It was very…” – she takes a deep breath at this point – “annoying”. That’s a polite alternative to what I’m thinking.

In regards to safety at shows, the band are adamant that there should be no violence or harassment. “We are very aware when we’re playing”, Lydia begins. “We try to make sure that everyone is good. If we were to see [abuse] going on, we would make sure that person is kicked ou”. Maxx adds that it can be difficult for them to see everything that happens in the crowd, and that people who notice it need to say something. “They can yell to us for help”. Genessa pleas that people “come to [them] after the show and let [them] know” if something happens to, and they feel able to speak about it. “We will publicly write about [incidents which occur] if that can help”. When I ask them how they feel about security’s role, Sage ponders how easy it is for them to watch out for sexual harassment. “These things often happen in closed spaces…” Lydia jumps in. “But if someone comes up to them and tells them that something has happened, they need to listen. They need to take that seriously”. And their message to the perpetrators? It’s simple. “Stop”. Lydia adds that “they need to not put themselves in a public situation [such as a show] if they can’t be respectful and not a fucking asshole”.

The Regrettes are on tour with SWMRS in the US for the rest of 2017.

written by Sophia (@hurricanegrrrl)

GA NEWSLETTER // Issue 1 - September

Hi everyone!

Welcome to September’s (and our first) issue of our newsletter! I’m hoping this will be the first of many and a really good way of letting you all know what we’ve been up to, and what drives us as a campaign.

We intend to bring you news and updates of our antics this month as well as band and artist recommendations and just other general stuff our reps would like to share with you. We really hope you find this useful, we hope it helps you keep up with what we’ve been doing and shows what we’ve been listening/reading/singing along to this month.

 GA UPDATES – SEPTEMBER

So, what have we been up to this month? I think the best way to start is the massive success of our Reading and Leeds main stage appearance! Our rep Isabella Ward successfully managed to make us stars by having our video shown on the big screens as well as having it introduced on stage by Huw Stevens (!!). We hope that people managed to catch a glimpse of this amazing thing for us, we were so proud that we got that opportunity and want to thank everyone involved!

 Our poster appeared in Derby this month. Sitwell Tavern joined us in fighting sexual harassment and showing as a venue, they do not tolerate it.

Image courtesy of Sophie Arnold

International 

 Our Washington DC rep Andrew Koh got Mac Demarco to follow our Twitter account this month which is crazy but also really lovely to know that we have someone of a high profile supporting what we do.

There’s also an interview conducted by Andrew with the incredible Slowdive coming very soon - look out for that!

Image courtesey of Andrew Koh, Amanda Lee & Pamela Ayala

Our rep Ania Buksowicz got the amazing Nick Murphy to follow our campaign! Videos and pictures can be found on our socials, he seems very passionate about what we do and helping with the issues we’re trying to tackle – interview with him coming soon.

NEW!

Exciting news! Wild and Kind Studio are hosting an exhibition to raise money for all the charities we support. It is happening on the 2-8th of October and they are open from 10-4 every day so try and pop along if you can. Find them on instagram at @wildandkindstudio for all the deets and their address (based in Glasgow).

Book Club

This month for the Girls Against Book Club we have been reading ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She developed this essay after giving a TED Talk with the same title and both the text itself and the talk have received much acclaim. In this month’s Book Club we discuss how this pocket-sized text works as a ‘beginners guide to feminism’ and its importance in bringing the discussion surrounding feminism to the mainstream, whilst also touching on its drawbacks because of the restricting nature of its length. We have also announced October’s book, which is ‘The First Collection of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic’ by Jessica Hopper. The title is pretty self-explanatory and we are hoping that reading this book will allow us to discuss feminism, the music industry and how they are linked in more depth. To read more about ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ head over to the book club post on the Girls Against blog and make sure to get your hands on a copy of Jessica Hopper’s collection of music criticism so you can take part in the book club during the month of October.

This piece was written by our rep Alice Porter; Alice writes and picks the book club books so please get involved with that and send her suggestions for the following months book. 

MUSIC

September tends to be a good month for new music – it’s ahead of autumn tours and it’s a time when people need cheering up. For me this month, the stand-out release has undoubtedly been Architects’ unexpected new track ‘Doomsday’. I could talk about this song forever, but I’ll try and keep this short. It’s a song about grief and one that captures that journey so eloquently, so honestly. Its’ brutal, it’s beautiful and it’s brilliant. I want to promote music made by women here, but that felt like a worthy exception. Please, please go and listen to it. My other favourite is the new MUNA song, ‘In My Way’ – and it’s accompanying video, which is adorable and wonderful. It’s far more positive than anything from the bands debut album, About U, which is always nice to hear. It’s about the euphoria of falling in love and putting faith in a relationship and sonically feels like a perfect summer to autumn transition song. Other grrrl fueled jams can be found here:

Spotify September 2017

This Spotify playlist and piece was written by our rep Sophia Simon-Bashall.

A Word From The Founders

Hey everyone! We’ve had a busy summer with many festival appearances and collaborations with other campaigns, such as the Safer Spaces campaign coordinated by AIF. 

As we transition into autumn, and with more and more gigs cropping up as gig season approaches, we want to push artists to talk much more openly about the topic and our campaign. A more hands-on approach collaboratively from venues and artists is what we’re seeking for towards the end of this year - as a campaign we have raised awareness if the issue, and now it’s time for an active effort to crack down on sexual assault at gigs.

As ever, our Twitter DMs are open for anyone who has fallen victim and needs support, or wants to ask any questions about our campaign, or even if anyone wishes to help us out in anyway or has any suggestions!

I[’m s proud of what we’ve achieved as a campaign thus far - this newsletter is an amazing way of showing people what we have been up to, and shows how as a campaign we are a collaborative force to be reckoned with!

Big love, Anna x

So that just about sums up our month, we’re so proud of the Reading and Leeds appearances and everything else our reps have managed to achieve! Catch us back in October!

Lots of love,

The founders and the reps x

Contributers for September:

Alice @aliceporterX        Book Club

Sophia @hurricanegrrrl    Music

Ellen @iimmortals            Editor and Coordinator

Anna @L0VESlCK          Founder

 Twitter: @girlsagainst

GA BOOKCLUB #3 // We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie - written by Alice Porter

The month of September is over which means it’s time to discuss ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie. I hope you’ve been able to get involved with the book club this month either by reading the essay or watching Adichie’s TED Talk.

What I like about this essay is its accessibility. It’s accessible first and foremost because of its length; I’d have a much better chance of convincing someone who isn’t particularly interested in either reading or feminism to give this text a go than I would offering them a chunky and thick hardback. Its pocket-sized design is really great in this way, and the relatively short length of the text does not take away from its quality either as it moves quickly, covering many different aspects of feminism, making it the perfect text for the aforementioned purpose. Adichie also creates accessibility in her writing style through combining anecdotal stories of her life with a humorous tone and limited use of subject-specific or low frequency lexis.

However, the essay’s length and style also had some drawbacks for me personally. After watching Adichie’s Ted Talk, I was surprised to discover that it was almost identical to the essay I had just read and I felt like some aspects of the text could have been expanded on more as it almost moved too quickly for me. Although, this is coming from someone whose main interests are reading and feminism and would happily read hundreds of pages on the things Adichie discusses. This essay would have been absolutely great for me a few years ago when I was first discovering feminism and although this meant it was lacking in some ways for my current self, I can appreciate it’s worth as a ‘guidebook’ or ‘introduction’ to feminism and I am glad it exists as it does! Anna, one of the founders of GA, described the text in a similar way when I told her we would be reading it this month for the Bookclub.

Despite the fact that reading this essay didn’t completely blow me away, there were some parts of it that I found really interesting. For example, Adichie’s consideration that physical strength was the defining factor that made men the more powerful and important gender one thousand years ago. Through discussing this she highlights the absurdity that this could ever be used as an argument to promote gender inequality in our world today where, amongst other things, intelligence and creativity are valued much more highly. She puts it nicely stating, “We have evolved. But our ideas of gender have not evolved very much.”

Adichie’s forgiveness of the people who have been unintentionally misogynistic towards her throughout her life is also important. In describing her experiences of being on the receiving end of misogyny, for example in describing waiters who greet the man she is with but not her, she states “The waiters are products of a society that has taught them that men are more important than women, and I know that they don’t intend harm’. Even though the way in which the men act anger and upset Adichie, she understands that they are not acting in such a way out of spite but rather because this is the way society has taught them to act. Although Adichie telling these men that they should also greet her might have made her feel better, it probably would not have changed the way they view gender and specifically women in society, but watching her TED Talk or reading her essay might have. It can take a great deal of energy calling out people every time they make a misogynistic comment and Adichie shows the importance here of picking and choosing when it is most productive to react. That said, of course sometimes it is totally okay to call people out when they are being blatantly and intentionally misogynistic and you’re always justified in doing so!

 Even before watching the TED Talk, I read parts of the text in my head in Adichie’s voice and was confused why I recognized the line, ‘You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man.’ I soon realized that part of Adichie’s essay/talk is included in Beyoncé’s song ‘Flawless’ which is why I recognized what I was reading. For me, this reflects the accessibility of this text because it is an example of how Adichie really brought this discussion into the mainstream. I feel as if this text is really important for our generation as it has been represented by many different forms of media and in a world where media dominates, it is necessary that a message can be received on as many platforms as possible and it is Adichie’s straightforward prose that allows for this to be the case.  

 Another aspect of the text I enjoyed was Adichie’s statement that women are portrayed as ‘inherently guilty’. This portrayal hugely affected me when I used to find excuses for the misogyny I experienced, particularly when I was groped and particularly when no one else knew about it because I was in a packed environment such as a gig. This victim-blaming mind-set was so harmful for me because society has taught us to ‘close your legs’ and ‘cover yourself’ as Adichie comments on in the text. I want to use this as a reminder to never blame yourself for being on the receiving end of misogyny.

Although Adichie has come under some controversy recently for her comments about transgender women, her discussion of gender in this text is seemingly pro-LGBTQ. She states ‘The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be rather than recognizing how we are.’ Although I wish Adichie would have further discussed the transgender community in this text, she regularly rejects stereotypes and traditional views of gender throughout. Again, it seems that she does not go into too much detail on the subject because she does not go into too much detail on anything in this text, it’s main drawback for me, but these subtle references help the reader more easily understand the experience of transgender people.

I think my favourite part of the essay is Adichie’s rejection of the so-called evolutionary argument. She states ‘Some people will bring up evolutionary biology and apes, how female apes bow to male apes- that sort of thing. But the point is this: we re not apes.’ Simply put, this sounds so obvious! But I am regularly surprised about how when I express my thoughts on anything that people tend to disagree on, someone says ‘well, apes do it so it must be natural’ or ‘well, that’s how cavemen lived so it must be right’. We have evolved for a reason! We are supposed to be making progress socially and intellectually so it baffles me that people refer to our primitive ancestors or to apes, who we can all agree are not as intelligent as humans, as a point of reference.

Overall, I would recommend this essay. It wouldn’t necessarily be my first recommendation for someone who takes great interest in reading and feminism as I think, if you have the time and the want to do so, there are better and more informative texts to read. I would however recommend this to someone who has considerably less interest in either reading or feminism or both. Considering the short amount of time it takes to read though, it is worth a read for anyone who has the best part of an hour on their hands, maybe not even that if you’re a fast reader!

 For the month of October, we will be reading ‘The First Collection of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic’ by Jessica Hopper. It was recommended to me for the Bookclub by a fellow GA rep, Sophia Simon-Bashall, and the title immediately caught my eye. It seems like a great fit for our campaign and although music criticism is not something I am particularly well read on, I am very much looking forward to giving this collection of essays a go!

If this book sounds like something you’d be interested in I hope you’ll join me in reading it over the next month. You can send us your thoughts on the text either on Twitter using the hashtag #GABookClub, email us at girlsagainstbookclub@gmail.com or join our GoodReads group and contribute to the monthly discussion by following this link- https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/230714-girls-against-book-club

The post discussing Jessica Hopper’s essay collection will be up on Sunday 5th November so keep an eye out on our Twitter page for the link then. And if you do have any thoughts on any of the essays then make sure you send them in before this date for a chance to be featured in next months post!

GA BOOKCLUB #2 // The Colour Purple by Alice Walker -  written by Alice Porter

Welcome back to the Girls Against Book Club! For the month of August we have been reading ‘The Color Purple’ by Alice Walker, a novel first published in 1982 that follows the life of a black woman named Celie. It is set in rural Georgia during the period 1910-1940 and tells the story of the many struggles Celie and those around her face during this period in her life that she documents in a series of letters. I found this novel to be absorbing yet harrowing as it exposes many of the problems women of colour faced in the early 20th century and some of which they still face today.  

I’m going to start by discussing the structure of the novel as I think it is an important feature of the text. The events of the novel are recounted through a series of letters written by Celie addressed to God for most of the novel, then eventually addressed to her sister Nettie. Initially for me, this epistolary form was confusing as the letters jump straight into the events of Celie’s life with barely any recognition of the context surrounding them. However, this structure reflects two very important aspects of the text. The first is that the letters portray Celie’s isolation, as she believes she has no one to confide in other than God as everyone in her life during the first part of the book - other than Nettie who eventually moves away - treats her cruelly. Celie’s letter writing and her increasing levels of freedom throughout the novel also depict how necessary literacy is in order to gain liberty. Walker also makes this clear at the beginning of the novel when Nettie encourages and helps Celie to improve her knowledge stating, “You got to fight. You got to fight.” Something that always interests me when learning about oppressed groups in the past and in the present is the efforts of the oppressors to prevent the oppressed from gaining an education and how vital knowledge seems to be for groups and individuals in gaining freedom. Alice Walker illustrates beautifully in ‘The Color Purple’ that knowledge truly is power.

‘The Color Purple’ is a novel that follows Celie’s increasing levels of self-awareness that she gains through the help of other women. This self-awareness is eventually what sets her free from many of the things that have oppressed her throughout her life. The two women who have the most influence on Celie’s journey of self-awareness are her sister, Nettie, and Shug Avery. Nettie and Celie have a wonderful relationship that is at the heart of the novel and whether Nettie is physically present in Celie’s life or is so only through letters, she constantly supports and empowers her. At the beginning of the novel when Celie’s husband showers Nettie with compliments Celie explains, ‘He try to give her a compliment, she pass it on to me. After while I git to feeling pretty cute.’ 

Celie and Nettie’s bond created throughout their childhood and teenage years is so strong due to the dreadful things that they both endured, so much so that when Celie gives up on writing to God, she writes to Nettie instead. She does so because ‘the God I been praying and writing to is a man. And act just like all the other mens I know. Trifling, forgitful and lowdown.’ This is a hugely important moment for Celie as she realises that she should not worship God just because she is told to, just as she should not submit to the men in her life as she is told to. From completely accepting all of the awful things in her life and refusing to fight them, to denouncing everyone that has played a part in her struggles, even God, Celie gains a great deal of autonomy throughout the text despite the subjugation individuals and society have tried to implement on her.

When Nettie leaves to become a missionary, Shug Avery, who at the time is Celie’s husband’s girlfriend, takes over in Celie’s empowerment. Shug is perhaps the most important individual who directly influences Celie’s life as she encourages her to redefine life in her own terms and allows her to be herself completely, emotionally and sexually. This is exemplified by Shug’s assurance that Celie is still a virgin because although she has technically had sex, she had never enjoyed it. Shug continues to help Celie to abandon what she has been told about religion, sexuality and many of the other things she has been oppressed by as a black woman, as she engages in sexual relations with her leading to a lasting romance between the two and helps her open her own business. Celie’s relationships with the women in her life truly reflect the importance of female solidarity and portray the life-changing effects of looking out for the women around you.

Walker also effectively highlights the difference between the oppression white women face and the oppression black women face. This is portrayed through a story Sofia, a strong black woman, tells about the white woman she works for. She tells Celie that Miss Millie’s husband bought her a car but that he refuses to let her drive it and although this represents the oppression all women felt because of the strict gender roles in the early 20th century, when reading this section of the book it seemed highly trivial to me compared to the things in which the black women had been through. I found this anecdote to be an interesting way to portray the privileges that people have and the importance of understanding intersectionality.

The final aspect of the text I wish to discuss is the way in which it dismantles gender stereotypes. There are so many examples of the way in which Walker does this throughout the novel but an important one is the conversation Celie has with her husband towards the end of the text. In discussing Shug and Sofia, two of the most outspoken women in the novel, Mr _____ states “Sofia and Shug not like men…but they not like women either” and in reply Celie says, “You mean they not like you or me.” This conversation portrays how restrictive stereotyping is as Celie’s husband is completely unable to describe the way in which these women are simply because they do not fit into a gender stereotype and Celie immediately recognises his narrow-mindedness and highlights it through that simple sentence.

As usual, I asked for your thoughts on the novel and I am really appreciative of people becoming involved with the book club as it’s always interesting to have multiple viewpoints of a text. We had an email from a girl called Alice this month who is doing a feminist reading of this text for her English coursework and contributed many interesting thoughts. Here are some of them:

 ‘For my essay I’m going to talk about gender roles as well and how with the characters of Sofia and Harpo the roles are almost reversed with Sofia beating Harpo rather than the other way round!’

 This is something I hadn’t considered in terms of gender roles and I think it is another example of the way in which Walker attempts to dismantle stereotypes. Thank you very much for your email Alice!

I think this is novel is a very worthwhile read as it not only has a gripping and emotive storyline but touches on so many issues surrounding gender and race. It is very well written and I became so attached to the characters that the last letter made me cry - I always think this is a good testament to a novel’s quality.

So, for the month of September the Girls Against Book Club will be reading ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ by Chimamand Ngozi Adichie. Adichie is a Nigerian author and in this essay she offers a definition of feminism for the twenty-first century. It’s a text that I’ve been meaning to read for a while and it’s also relatively short, which I think will be good for the month of September with many people not having as much time on their hands as they did during the summer months. Adichie also did a ‘TED Talk’ with the same title that you can watch if that works better for you- https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_we_should_all_be_feminists?language=en#t-3644

I hope you’ll join us in reading this essay! If you have any thoughts on the text or the author you’d like to contribute you can email us at girlsagainstbookclub@gmail.com, tweet us using the hashtag #GABookClub or join our GoodReads group and contribute to the monthly discussion by following this link- https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/230714-girls-against-book-club

The post discussing ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ will be up on the Girls Against blog on Sunday 1st October so there is plenty of time to give it a read before then and I would love it if you did!