2013-10-05

Gender Clichés - Women In Garage Rock (documentary)

Greer McGettrick (The Mallard), Adobe Books benefit 2012

I just received a communication via YouTube...
To: thehappyone
Hey! I know it's been a LONG time. But the documentary I worked on is finally up. We're still having issues with getting YouTube to understand that we got permissions for the songs, so it's unlisted for now. But pass around the link if you can! I hope you enjoy it!
The video is...was...here...would love to see it again...




The documentarian gave me her consent to upload it to my site. 

Right off the bat, this starts out with footage from the Mallard at the Adobe Books benefit from last April, and then interviews Dylan E. and Greer from the Mallard, Shannon Shaw from both Hunx and his Punx and Shannon and the Clams, and Emily Rose Epstein from Ty Segall.  

I can honestly say that the any thought that they were "good musicians/artists for being women" at no point ever crossed my mind when seeing any of these groups. 

Unfortunately, at least according to them, it seems to have crossed a lot of other people's, which makes me feel a bit shameful, but mostly puzzled.  I wished we lived in a world where one's gender (or any other identity someone holds dear to them) would be empowering and enabling, not conforming or demoralizing, and I struggle to imagine why anybody would ever not want to listen to Shannon when she tells them how she thinks she should sound.

That's not to say I didn't notice they were women...of course, I did, and all the attributes that go along with that.  I'm only human.  While gender does certainly inform what themes certain songs feature, there's nothing intrinsically "male" or "female" about the way a person approaches playing the drums, guitar, keyboard, or bass.  But at the same time, some of my favorite bands I've been blessed to experience (Lush, New Order, Vomit Launch, Thee Oh Sees, Quaaludes) have one or more women members...and I think they're all the more interesting for it!

Anyway, I don't want to prattle for longer than the length of the doc, so please spare a few minutes and give it a spin.  

Thanks!