Girls show Zaphod's crowd how to rock
Frontwomen speak out about role of women in music industry
An evening dedicated to estrogen.
This was the scene at
Zaphod Beeblebrox last weekend when a crowd full of rock aficionados were treated to performances by three female-fronted rock bands during the
Girls Rock Boys event.
The evening, which included sponsors like Harley-Davidson and Strutter magazine, featured stage-shaking acts from Montreal's Counterclock and Ottawa's Emergency Broadcast System and the Amanda Rheaume Band.
According to Counterclock frontwoman Melissa Garand, being a part of the event was an important moment for her because it showcased the talent of female rockers - something she believes to be in short supply today.
"There aren't enough women in the rock industry these days, so for me probably as well as the other girls it's really important that girls are out there and that they show that they have talent, show that they can play guitar and show that they can rock," said Garand. "It's not just a man's world and that's where people get confused."
Garand added that she's pleased to see that so many strong female artists are coming out of the Canadian indie scene and she feels honoured to be a part of it.
"There are a lot of Canadian artists that are women that are in music for music, not just to look good. That's one thing that really sets us apart from internationals like in the States," said Garand. "There's good rock in the States, but the best ones are underground and they're from places like Ottawa and Toronto and Montreal and those little places where you don't care about the way you look or the way you dress; you just care about doing music.
"I mean, it gets cold here. We don't walk around on the beach all day. We sit around in our big jackets and write music."
The Amanda Rheaume Band's namesake frontwoman thinks that, while female-fronted rock bands may still have a competitive edge, the challenge facing these women is figuring out how to balance sex appeal with artistic integrity.
"I find it hard to decide how sexy to be onstage," said Rheaume. "You also have to say, 'Where are the boundaries?' Sometimes I find that women may have a harder time with that because people are really quick to be like, 'Oh, she's a slut' or stuff like that."
Garand's answer to this problem is simple: stick to your values.
"I won't tomorrow take my clothes off and pose for Playboy - that's something I'm never going to do," she said. "Of course I understand that the music industry is about marketing and it's a business and there's a lot of competition. But I also have four other boys with their beliefs and their values so we have to take everything in and make it happen and make everybody happy. We're a band; I'm not a solo artist."
Although the rock industry is still dominated by male performers,
Emergency Broadcast System's TJ Van der Velden is optimistic that things will change.
"There's no drug in this world that can get you higher than music from one extreme emotion to the next," she said. "I'd like to see more female rockers out there (doing that). I think this Girlzilla thing is gonna catch on."
Related Links
Counterclock - Official Site
Amanda Rheaume Band - Review
Suicide Girls DVD: The First Tour - Review
