The American underground scene of the 1980s was a man’s world with most of the women performing in bands and those who made work related decisions. It was in these circumstances that Bikini Kill came up and sparked the riot grrrl movement. Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, Tobi Vail, Billy Karen were not only creators of feminist rage rock but the voice of women – that were literally pushed to the corners and were tired of it. They were tired of everything.
The band’s history starts from 1989 with the release of the first issue of Vail’s fanzine, Jigsaw, which focused on the importance of women in punk. This publication, however, reached Hanna who undertook with Vail to use Jigsaw for addressing relevant issues, chiefly the representation of women in music.
“I am an 80’s high school kind of type and as such, I belong to the American hardcore movement,” she tells at Indie Today, just before her eagerly awaited first trip to Argentina. “They were just dudes who were doing it for other kids in shows. Bikini Kill was born from that angle. But then, in the 90s, the Pacific Northwest, thanks to grunge, became more famous. There was this fascinating moment in history when the focus of the popular culture turned to the subculture which led to events like this which does exist in today’s world for good and bad.”
Riot did not just rhyme with the tagline grrrl, it has become a source of protest, and anger, and gave feminism a wider platform within the punk subculture. Groups like forgiveness killed, bratmobile, sleater-kinney, heavens to bets, and l7 took on sexism and feminism in society, as well as sexism and feminism in the music commitment. And with all the power those words had, they spoke about beating women and the perception of women as sex objects, abortion, and feminism, and the lack of it.
“When we came out, we were happy to be called a girl band,” Vail recalls. “We used to want it to be part of our identity and lead other girls to such bands. We imagined back then that there would be more girls or women performing instead of just backstage or in the audience, and we sought to change this. Even now, this rings true. For as long as we can remember, we have always perceived ourselves as more of a feminist band.” Clenching a fist unsuccessfully, marches and women, banners asking for empowerment and guitar shredding electric. A riot of rousing language, power struggle in visceral poetry for women who remain mute no longer. When Bikini Kill released their first album, Pussy Whipped, in 1993, the legion of patriarchy’s bulwark trembled. “Star Bellied Boy,” “Speed Heart,” and “Tell Me So,” are some of the songs in which their potent screams ring out. It includes memorable songs in the riot grrrl movement like “Alien She,”” “Rebel Girl,” and “Magnet,” and although these are decades old, they still speak empowerment and defiance to younger generations. “Once we started putting out songs, those were straight up recordings of our live sound.”
I usually do not consider the possibilities of forming a band that will have & release records; it just somehow did not arise in me,” remembers Vail.
Over the years the self titled releases of the band still carry with them unmatched vivacity. Even with the years that have swiftly gone by, Vail still enjoys the beating of the drum on the tracks on the first album quite vigorously. “I think the track that I most look forward to performing during our set is ‘Lil’ Red’ – no questions asked. It’s from Pussy Whipped. I love guitar, and Kathleen’s voice in that performance is simply amazing,” she confesses.
Bikini Kill’s emergence onto the music scene allowed for many young women to take up music, art and politics within their embrace. Nonetheless, many women, who feel oppressed by society, have embraced their art and the messages they convey, thanks to the band. Through their music and the riot grrrl movement, they provided women with tools to reclaim their own bodies and voices against the overwhelming masculinity inside and outside the punk culture.
The end of the band was in 1997 and that is the point where it becomes significant. They had been undergoing years of activism when they announced their disbandment. Although people do suggest different reasons for the pull out, it is said that stress from constant tours, conflicts amongst the band and too much publicity were factors. Ritournelle had by then, become a very popular artist and every member of the band worked on personal projects. In the year of 1999, Hanna has founded an electroclash band, Le Tigre, a side project of Johanna Fateman. However, Bikini Kill is back now.
About ‘Round 2012’, we started out a band again to establish a record label We called Bikini Kill Records to re-issue our albums first released by Kill Rock Stars,’ explains Vail with reference to the reasons for the reunion. ‘Pamela and I met again after five years in New York to record one song in support of The Raincoats and we thought we would do a Bikini Kill song. Of course, it was in 2016, when Trump had just been elected, when women’s life in the US was really bad. That was the thing which made us.’
Vail, who knows everything about music, talks about the music that she likes now. ‘I like Sweeping Promises which is from Lawrence, Texas, and today for the first time I heard a band called Shadow Show which is from Detroit. Also very looking forward to a new album finally from mary timony. I like the Linda Lindas a lot and I have the Lemon Twigs that is my favorite. They are no feminists or whatever, they are a pop band consisting of very young and supremely gifted gentlemen.’
For Vail, the fight for justice does not appear to end in her field of study. Social networks are canvases on which she also creates protest posters. With posters “Punks 4 Palestine” Vail speaks against occupation and blockade of Gaza by Israel and for the right of the Palestinian people to live in an independent state free of occupation.
“On January 27, in Olympia, we gave a benefit show that attracted up to close to 800 people, and tickets were sold out in the course of ten minutes. We probably should have done a bigger show,” Vail shares. “We did this in order to help raise funds for Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, with the assistance of Rachel Corrie Foundation, Jewish Voice for Peace and Palestinian Feminist Collective. We were just in attendance to make music and attract crowds, but the prominent figure was Salma Al-Aswad speaking on behalf of Palestinian Feminist Collective. She delivered a talk on the interrelations of the liberation of Palestine and the riot grrrl movement.”
“Now, the other thing that we, together with two of our friends are doing is within the fanzine that we are working on, we are going to document the night and include her speech in that. Those are my hopes for it. I hope it goes all over the world and makes people see our stand,” Vail explains, turning his attention to the reason why the group supports Palestinians, insisting that it is not about religion but justice and human rights. “There is also a diverse point of views within the United States regarding the situations in Israel and Palestine. Such opinion is rendered very heavily or rather harshly by many who believe the criticism is accusing anti-Semitism towards them, I however do not think that that is the case. One can be opposed to anti semitism and Judaism phobia and still be against Islamophobia and the phobia of Muslims as well, that doesn’t need an explanation, that’s pretty clear to me.”
It has been 30 years since Bikini Kill took on a sub-genre labeled “beergut boy rock” head on and in the process deconstructed the male gaze in rock music.
They achieved this not just with their lyrics but also during such fierce, often physically aggressive performances that involved the uppermost rows being reserved for females only with men being shoved to the back. In an era of upheaval and rising consciousness where numerous movements such as #MeToo and #NiUnaMenos offer resistance to patriarchal oppression, students like Bikini Kill hope you can feel their deep-rooted desire for change. It challenges the system, it is a nevertheless internalized view which seeks to reform all ongoing struggling.
Bikini Kill will take place on Friday 9th March, 7 PM at Complex C Art Media (Av. Corrientes 6271, CABA) and the tickets can be purchased through Passline.
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