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*Most of this was all written several years ago so i might not agree with the original content anymore and im too lazy to write new articles*
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Because English is not the main language for Belgiums I will not translate the articles.
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Don't cry, theres enough English sites already that contain good articles.
These articles are in English so read this!
][ MY DEFINITION OF RIOT GRRRL ][ + : + : + : + : + : + : + : + : + ][ by Nina ][
I find it hard to define Riot Grrrl, but I'll try. Riot grrrls and boys are artistic (human)
beings and feminists.They are anti-discrimination and some of them (or should I say 'us'?)
are vegetarian. Because most feminists are female, most riot grrrls are female too,
although there are also riot boys. Sisterhood is very important. We need to know each
other, respect each others idea's and opinions and 'do as we please'.We will not accept a
society that tells us girls, black people, .... suck. We will fight racism, sexism, classism,
...by creating art, zines, sites, music, books, and organizing meetings; encouraging each
other,...
We work (mostly) underground because we don't need the media and we've seen the
media only destroys what we stand for.
Music is very important too, wether it's punkrock, hardcore, grunge, metal, folk, indie,
pop,...Not every riot grrrl is in a band or is interested in music, but most of them are.We
can also meet at concerts and play our own gigs.
Riot grrrl started in the early 90s in Olympia, WA, USA and I want it to grow in Europe
and Belgium too because there aren't any riot grrrls that I know in this country (yet). So
let me know you exist because IT'S TIME FOR SOME ACTION!!!
Oh, yeah, you can read Corin Tucker's (Sleater-Kinney) idea of riot grrrl too on this site!
MY VERY OWN 'HOT TOPIC' LIST
By Nina
Inspired by Le Tigre's 'Hot topic' song I made my own list of great female artists. Of
course I know this list is incomplete, but it can give you an idea of which women & girls
('work) are/is worth checking out. I hope it will also encourage you to make
your own lists. Feel free to send them to me : Nina Well, enjoy my
list and please remember there is no particular order.
Evolution grrrl-style
In the 70s and 80s the punk/hc scene had been dominated by men. There weren’t many grrrlbands or female artists like Girlschool, the Raincoats, the Au Pairs (in the UK), the Slits, the Runaways, Naked Aggression, and Patti Smith (in the USA) and The Brat (Mexico). There weren’t a lot of female examples to look up to. Most girls didn’t go to concerts and they weren’t expected to pick up an instrument and make some noise themselves (even though in the beginning of the punk movement this was a bit different). Punk & hardcore was something that only their boyfriends were actively involved in. Just boy’s fun?
But all this started to change radically in the early 90s especially in the north west of the USA. While the mainstream press had just discovered ‘grunge’, girls started to form bands, write zines, start labels, organise meetings & discussions, etc. Some call this implosion of grrrl anger & creativity a reaction against 90s grunge, but I think it’s more an (in)direct reaction against 80s cockrock and a mix of boredom, frustration and emancipation.
In the summer of 1991 (the Year Punk Broke according to the band Sonic Youth) the International Pop Underground Convention (IPUC) was organised in Olympia, WA (a small town near Seattle). The opening night of the festival was called "Girl Day" and has been of major importance for riot grrrl. Among the bands that played that night were Heavens To Betsy (early Sleater-Kinney), Mecca Normal, L7, Courtney Love (the BAND, not the singer of Hole), the Fastbacks, Kicking Giant (early Need), Beat Happening, Bratmobile, etc.
In the same year the punk label Kill Rock Stars started who signed lots of riot grrrl bands like Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney and Bratmobile and also released spoken word 7"s. Other labels like K and Chainsaw also put out records and tapes by local bands and lots of zines, like Action Teen and Girl Germs, were written.
Some older grrrlbands reformed and started to tour again (like the Raincoats) or worked together with the new bands (like Joan Jett who has collaborated with Bikini Kill and L7)
The Riot Grrrl Movement was born!
Riot Grrrl is feminism that not only fights for women rights but also for queer rights and wants to ban all kinds of discrimination, not in the last place in the punk/hc scene. Riot grrrls also wrote songs and zines about other socio-political and environmental issues. Art and activism were equally important. Riot grrrl bands like Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear encouraged grrrls to stand in the frontrow and sometimes organised girl-only concerts. But not only grrrls participated in the movement. There were also riot BOIZ. These riot boiz were feminist boiz who wanted to support their sisters and proved being a boi ànd being a feminist is NO contradiction.
Because of all the trouble with the mainstream press, a media blackout had been declared in 1992. Riot grrrls and boiz refused to talk to the press, instead they would be their own independent media. In the short term though, it didn’t do any good. The press could spread even more lies now and a few years later they declared the movement dead. The hype was over for the big business men, and the feminist message was replaced by empty girlie looks that would sell more.
But in the long term, the media blackout was probably one of the reasons riot grrrl survived. The grrrls had control over their own art & activism now. Back underground it could continue to grow and become stronger.
Angry grrrls invade Europe
In the beginning of the Riot Grrrl Movement only the UK seemed to take part in the European grrrl revolution. Bands like Voodoo Queens, Mambo Taxi and the Huggy Bear (who released a split LP with Bikini Kill) encouraged other grrrls to participate in this new brand of feminism. Nothing much seemed to happen in the rest of Europe...
But a few years ago two very dedicated European riot grrrls started the website "Riot Grrrl Europe", to spread the riot grrrl ‘message’ in Europe and build networks on & off the Internet. The site is quite a success now, counting lots of ‘members’ in several countries and listing riot grrrl chapters from all over the world.
Riot grrrl meetings, concerts and even picnics are being organised in and outside the UK. More and more grrrls play in bands, write grrrlzines and start other projects. The interest in female underground music/art keeps growing (even if it’s slowly).
Meanwhile in the Benelux...
In the summer of 2000, after a Sleater-Kinney concert in Amsterdam, riot grrrl started to grow very fast in the Benelux (especially in the Netherlands). Riot grrrls met and/or stay in touch on the messageboards of Bunnies On Strike, the Dutch Riot Grrl Club and Riot Grrrl Netherlands. In Holland, events like "Heksennacht" and "the Bunnies On Strike feest" are being organised and zines like "Eye-Scream" and "Bunnies On Strike" have been written by several active Dutch grrrls. The amount of grrrlbands has really grown a lot the last few years; I think you can really call it a "grrrl scene" now.
Ladyfest (see below) and the increasing number of riot grrrl websites and mailing lists has really helped a lot to make Riot Grrrl more well-known, even in Belgium. In august 2000 I started the website Riot Grrrl Belgium (http://riotgrrrlbelgium.cjb.net) with the help of a Dutch grrrl. New riot grrrls and boiz still keep contacting me. Now I’m working on a zine "Flapper Gathering" that’s mainly focussing on riot grrrl but also including other topics. I want to reach people without access to the internet as well and flyers and zines are good tools to help achieve that. The past year there were numerous riot grrrl-related projects/events in Belgium and the Benenlux: a riot grrrl picnic in Hasselt, a Riot Grrrl Weekend in Holland, several feminist art exhibitions, meetings at gigs, Scum Grrrls zine, Trut O2 festival, grrrl-run labels,...
Ballad of the Ladyfest
In the same year the Sleater-Kinney concert took place, the first Ladyfest was organised in riot grrrl’s hometown Olympia. Ladyfest 2000 was organised by women only but men were also welcome to visit the festival (except for a few grrrl-only workshops). Grrrlbands, female spoken-word performers, feminist workshops, art, distros, films and activism were all part of it. The next year 5 different Ladyfests were organised, four in the USA (Ladyfest Mideast in Chicago, Ladyfest East in NYC, Ladyfest East Hampton and Ladyfest Indiana in Bloomington) and one in Europe (Ladyfest Glasgow). I’ve heard/read only positive comments/reviews of Ladyfest Glasgow and I assume the other festivals were just as good. Last year a complete ‘Ladyfest tour’ was planned: several Ladyfests in the USA, Canada, Ladyfest London and several little Ladyfests all over Europe so bands could travel from festival to festival with some smaller gigs in between. There was even a mini-Ladyfest in Belgium (Leuven) which I helped to organise. It was a really great experience to be part of it and very inspiring. I think events like Ladyfest are really important to meet and connect feminist & anti-capitalist minds, especially because the Riot Grrrl Movement (in Europe) sometimes seems too much an internet-only thing. This year again several Ladyfests are planned in the world: in Australia, Canada, Indonesia, USA, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Holland, Italy, Belgium, etc. So I hope 2003 will also be a Ladyfest/Riot Grrrl year.
"True punk rock feminism will never die!" ~ Niki, Huggy Bear
written by Nina Nijsten
JUST ANOTHER ZINE: Stijn Deschacht
PS. This article only represents my opinion, my point of view. Remember there is more than one truth, more than one interpretation of Riot Grrrl. What I think/know about Riot Grrrl is determined by what I’ve read/heard about it and by my experiences. The amount of information about Riot Grrrl (in zines, books or on the Internet) is endless. I can’t include EVERTHING. So please if you have any questions, ask me! And don’t forget to check out the links and books!
information & inspiration:
-links:
-books:
Riot Grrrl Directory
Riot Grrrl Europe
Riot Grrrl Belgium, made by me and 2 other grrrls
Ladyfest Belgium
Ladyfest
Ladyfest Europe
Grrl Bands in the Netherlands
grrrl bands and female musicians
Riot Grrrl information on the Experience Music Project site
more information about Riot Grrrl
* "Never Mind The Bollocks: Women Rewrite Rock" written by Amy Raphael; virago press
* "Courtney Love" written by Melissa Rossi, Uitgeverij BZZTôH
* "A Girl’s Guide To Taking Over The World: Writings From The Girl Zine Revolution" edited by Tristan Taormino & Karen Green; St. Martin’s Griffin