Women and Rock.

Submitted by rottonpear on Sun, 2003-03-23 01:16

CAUTION: following post contains ranting.

Is the rock scene just as bad as pop when it comes to image and woman performers?

I've been trying to think of any chicks that you could honestly call
ugly, and I really can't think of any.

I'm the only girl in my band and I've been getting some shocker comments from the guys like:
"You should loss some weight so you can fit into skanky clothes and we'll score more points at the rockquest."
"Don't use that bass, use this one, it doesn't sound as good, but it makes you look better."

Gezz, get the fuck off it.

So, Is the rock industry really just as image obsessed as the pop industry? and where have all the ugly chicks got to?

[ http://www.rottonpear.tk ]

Comments

Submitted by Saul_Hudson on Sun, 2003-03-23 02:47.

wow, another female bass player

Submitted by rottonpear on Sun, 2003-03-23 02:50.

Yeah how predictible of me.

Submitted by Jon Jr. on Sun, 2003-03-23 03:11.

nahhhh thats partly ur band band aye rots

i won't go into my big rant about my veiws on the whole //lose weight, dress like a skank//
cause its all bullshit...
ur goin to have to make a stand somewhere, before you end up in a bikini aye!!!...

fucking image, good question, is the rock industry image orientated...

my say is yes, the whole //we're not skanks, garage rock look// hmmmm much food for thought

Submitted by bj on Sun, 2003-03-23 04:51.

id die rather than skinny down to hot-pants-size for publicity. i go with the theory that if you rock, noone gives a shit. this is not gender specific.

Submitted by NiceGuyEddie on Sun, 2003-03-23 19:05.

too right.

Submitted by lena o on Sun, 2003-03-23 15:33.

always handy to remember that the 2 best electric bass players in the history of the instrument are women

Submitted by chronickiwi on Sun, 2003-03-23 21:41.

but Jaco and paul were very manly looking woman then?

Submitted by chronickiwi on Sun, 2003-03-23 21:41.

but Jaco and paul were very manly looking woman then? :P

Submitted by AchillesHeel on Sun, 2003-03-23 21:55.

//"You should loss some weight so you can fit into skanky clothes and we'll score more points at the rockquest."
"Don't use that bass, use this one, it doesn't sound as good, but it makes you look better."

It doesn't only happen to girls. Image should be the last thing you focus on. Yeah I've been told to switch guitars and amps too because it makes you a "better" player.

Submitted by floppy on Mon, 2003-03-24 00:32.

girls should wear/play/look how they want, as long as they are comfortable.
i cant speak on behalf of girls but if you're worried about rockquest my band made the national finals and we are some of the ugliest dude around (especially our drummer)

Submitted by Acidess on Tue, 2003-03-25 00:18.

geeze, I hope he isn't reading this! :)

Submitted by moosus on Mon, 2003-03-24 01:30.

unfortunatly any music scene whether its rock, hip hop, pop, that dance shit... wut ever it is. if u start making it a career then of course your going to do as much as possible to sell because thats your income and ur job. so depending how p[opular u get ur imageis going to get more and more dominant. it is a very sad thing that it works like this but unfortunatly it does. i think very few people go through any music scene without changing their image to sell. u gotta be quite bold and know how to put your foot down to make it with your own image.

Submitted by y on Mon, 2003-03-24 02:45.

the famous music industry days plauged with image, is makes them more money. sad but true

Submitted by lena o on Mon, 2003-03-24 16:50.

but Jaco and paul were very manly looking woman then?- chronickiwi

don't get me wrong- i rate jaco & ¿paul? (¿john paul?) really highly- but i'm talking about the women who's playing made these two what they are- c kaye & l otterman

Submitted by chronickiwi on Mon, 2003-03-24 21:18.

although john paul jones was wicked, I was talking about Paul McCartney :P, really backing him on his melody writting, not just been a technically good musician.

I'll have to read about both these players, I know nothing about them, so yeah.

Submitted by SaidInJest on Mon, 2003-03-24 21:23.

Are you the best the best bass player in history?
Thats very interesting... So which one were you?
Were you one of those 'ugly' ones or were you one of those skanky-hoe bass between you legs bass player?
You have to wear one of those white belts with all those holes in them, because only then can you be a complete slut...

Onya for playing bass Lena

Submitted by robyn on Mon, 2003-03-24 17:18.

Image is important, but often things like talent and personality have more weight with an audience.

At this year's Big Day Out PJ Harvey was wearing hot-hot-hot pants, a rhinestone-studded top and had her hair all teased up. While technically she was dressed like a ho, somehow seeing her standing there with a guitar strapped on, totally commanding the stage with her wild rock, she didn't have a ho vibe at all.

At the Breeders concert last month Kim and Kelley Deal, both in their early 40s, were both wearing plain old jeans and t-shirts, they had stringy hair and were both chain-smoking, but that didn't stop various guys in the audience from yelling out "I love you, Kim/Kelley!"

Submitted by SoldierBoy on Sat, 2003-03-29 02:35.

//Kim and Kelley Deal, both in their early 40s, were both wearing plain old jeans and t-shirts, they had stringy hair and were both chain-smoking, but that didn't stop various guys in the audience from yelling out "I love you, Kim/Kelley!"

The Deal sisters have this natural, earthy beauty about them. I think they are both gorgeous.

Submitted by postman on Mon, 2003-03-24 22:36.

it has been a while since I have had a decent rant so here go.

the reason why you don't see "ugly" girls playing in famous bands is because once someone becomes famous the take on an apparent air of beauty associated with there new found status an example of this is courtney love she looks like the perenial car crash buts everyone seems to think she is beautiful and in the same breath she doesn't appear to care what anyone thinks.

Some of the bangles are not stereotypically beautiful but you never hear anyone saying anything about them. same goes for a lot of other bands but I am not going to drag them into this

don't worry about image just have a crack at doing things your own damned way, if you are comfortable with and people like your music that is all that really matters.

this is going to sound really cliched but hey it late in the day.
"the most attractive people are those who comfortable with themselves!!" you can quote me on that

Submitted by iluvtheclean on Mon, 2003-03-24 22:46.

yeah, on the money there postman ... charisma as vaseline over the lens ... which is cool because something of the person inside comes out perhaps.

Submitted by lena o on Tue, 2003-03-25 04:01.

I was talking about Paul McCartney- chronickiwi
hmm- forgot about paul m- i remember a time when people in all seriousness claimed that the beatles were all mediocre musicians to a man- people got real angry when i disagreed- hmm- dejavoo- ¿do you know (of course you don't) i first met paul very recently after his sex change- so he's (she's) on my side of the argument

yes- satinvest- i am one of the best in history- haven't dressed like a slut in a while- give me your email address- i'm sure we can arrange something

goodonya postman

Submitted by Zebragirl on Fri, 2003-03-28 21:45.

Musicians in general are gorgeous sexy people... no matter what you look like, man or woman, short or tall, skinny or fat... It doesn't matter - cos it's the fact you are talented and play your instruments with attitude and passion - that's what make you sexy. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a stupid little shit who has probably never scored in his fuckin life and is just down on you cos you can play an instrument and he can't. Don't let this fickle image-crazy industry change you- just rock hard and do what you do...

Submitted by iluvtheclean on Fri, 2003-03-28 21:58.

//short or tall

hear hear Zebragirl. but isn't it weirdly outta proportion how many NZ musicians are actual short-arses when you finally meet them in the flesh ... Shayne Carter, Andrew Brough, Chris Matthews, Peter Gutteridge, Graeme Downs, Peter Jefferies, Bob Scott come to mind immediately. they don't look short cos everything is in proportion, but they're all-over smallish ... Chris Knox ... i can't think of many overly tall people .. unless you think of the Kilgours, perhaps ...

Submitted by iluvtheclean on Fri, 2003-03-28 22:00.

forgot Anika Moa - women in general are smallish, especially in a mixed gender band, but Anika's gorgeously diminuitive ... mmmmmmmmmmmm :)

Submitted by lena o on Fri, 2003-03-28 22:01.

¡¡¡GOGIRL!!!

Submitted by lena o on Fri, 2003-03-28 22:05.

err- that was to zgirls initial comment- to iluvthecures comment on short musos-
1- CHRIS FRIKKIN MATHEWS- giz a break

2- ¿have you seen the bass player from voom?- he's a freakin MONSTER- but sexy- like reeeal sexy- hmmmmmmm

Submitted by limegreen on Fri, 2003-03-28 22:42.

//i can't think of many overly tall people
the one which immediately springs to mind is the guitarist from hasselhoff experiment.

Submitted by iluvtheclean on Fri, 2003-03-28 23:03.

//Graeme Downs

geez. what the hell am i on today ... Graeme Downes is a total Big Friendly Giant. probably one of the tallest NZ musicians ever. i hear his height helps in his cricket bowling.

more shorties - Don McGlashan, Dave Dobbyn. perhaps i was thinking of Graeme Humphries instead of Downes ...

Submitted by lena o on Fri, 2003-03-28 23:23.

hey- see- i like the hasselhofs- pity the drummer shafted the guitarist & they broke up- bloody souls are a bit naff- & king loser i like- only live tho- pity cris & celis lived up to the name

Submitted by limegreen on Sat, 2003-03-29 01:00.

I'd also heard that debris and cinematic have very tall, handsome and modest people on bass....

Submitted by SoldierBoy on Sat, 2003-03-29 02:30.

//Musicians in general are gorgeous sexy people...

That's the best news I've heard all day!!! I do play guitar y'know ;).