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The following is an article taken from the March 2007 issue of g3 magazine
The music biz must be a tricky trade to navigate if you’re a dyke, thanks in no small part to the fact it’s run by a highly organised syndicate of male players whose success devolves almost entirely from the practice of white, heterosexual female subordination and exploitation. In a world where the key decision makers are men, and a diva’s success is measured by her sex appeal, how do emerging lesbian musicians negotiate issues of sexuality when coming out is so commercially capricious?
We asked Axe Girl (AG), the Bee Stings (BS) fronted by sassy Sapphic vocalist Valkyrie and Joanovarc (JV), who this month, in celebration of g3 magazine’s sixth birthday and International Women’s Week, will be rocking the Café De Paris.
Words by Jo Webber.
How (if ever) has your gender affected your career prospects in the industry?
AG: I don’t think my gender has ever affected my prospects; there are plenty of successful female artists. However, it certainly affects the way in which I’m treated, since the first time I entered a guitar shop, I have been patronised. Too many times it’s happened that when accompanied by a guy, even if it’s clearly me shopping, salesmen will ask ‘what’s she looking for?’ as if I’m incapable of deciding for myself. The same sort of thing happens at music venues, recording studios etc. It has taken some serious ass-kicking to gain respect.
BS: I’ve been chucked out of bands before because I’m a girl, but to counter that I have specifically been asked to join bands because I am female rather than just a guitarist/vocalist, so I suppose it balances out. We were specifically told by one A and R guy that even though he doesn’t usually like female-fronted bands, he likes us. So maybe it is a fairly open-minded industry, even if it is run by consumer demand. Ultimately, if we have a big following and can shift records, I don’t think we can be ignored, male, female, monkey-fronted or otherwise, because the industry is about making money.
Do you think the music industry is still gender biased?
BS: Certainly about image. The guys have it lucky ‘cos they can be scruffy, turn up in jeans, be spotty with messy, greasy hair and play in a band where they are judged on their music. I strongly suspect that a band of scruffy girls who couldn’t dress and were deemed less than perfect would probably be judged more on whether that image is ‘sexy’ enough, than whether they’re throwing out kick-ass tunes or not.
JV: Definitely, even though there are a lot of female solo artists, there are more male artists out there who get more interest and hype. Also the business side of the industry exploits women for their image more than their music.
Would you ever consider becoming a female spokesperson for a charity/organisation you believed in passionately?
AG: Absolutely. We all would, it would be amazing to be in a position to not only stand up for what we believe in, but to actually inspire others to make a difference.
JV: Yes we would and have already done a lot of charity work and secretary work for the homeless/alcoholics.
What does International Women’s Week mean to you?
BS: Power to the sisters! It’s definitely all about empowerment.
JV: It means a lot to us as it’s a chance for women to be heard all around the world. We have come across a lot of women who have struggled to get the equality they deserve, not just in the music industry, but in life and business.
What do your lesbian fans represent to you as a group?
AG: For me (Axe) having gone through teen issues with sexuality and coming out, the music I was listening to was crucial in making me feel like I wasn’t the only one. To be able to inspire someone else the way I was makes it all worthwhile. I (Bexray) don’t think that there were or are any musicians that I could identify with in mainstream music. You get the random fads like Tatu and Alex Parks, but nobody that I, as a lesbian, have ever been able to look up to or admire. We are all incredibly open and confident about our sexuality, and we believe that it’s not just about having the courage to say who you are, but loving being who you are. Our music reflects this and that’s what the fans really like.
BS: They’re like my extended family!
JV: They represent passionate women in rock and support us in showing everyone that women can rock as hard, if not harder, than men. We are not feminists, we are just passionate about what we do, and would just like the recognition we have worked for.
