FEATURE:
Hands Off!
IN THIS PHOTO: Lauren Tate of Hands Off Gretel wrote an open letter to men (it was published in Kerrang!) who attend the band’s gigs, making them aware of some of the abuse/inappropriateness she and her bass player, Becky Baldwin, have faced/PHOTO CREDIT: Hands Off Gretel
Continuing Cases of Sexual Assault and Inappropriateness in the Music Industry
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THERE are a couple of different stories…
IN THIS PHOTO: Hands Off Gretel/PHOTO CREDIT: Neil Chapman — with Becky Baldwin.
that have got me thinking about the darker side of the music industry. It seems, in an age of social media where everyone can be aware of dangers and some of the worst sides of music, we are still seeing too many disturbing cases when women are being assaulted. It seems like the perpetrators have this ignorance like they will not be shamed or caught; maybe there is this age-old problem with certain men assuming they are above the law and immune to judgement. Not only is their widespread sexism in music but, more and more, male fans and those in the industry are crossing the line. Hands Off Gretel’s lead, Lauren Tate, recently wrote an open letter, addressed to the men who come to her shows. It was published in Kerrang! and makes for some upsetting reading:
“If you listen to UK punks Hands Off Gretel, you know that they don’t take anyone’s shit. Not only are they a part of the Riot Grrrl movement, but their songs showcase a vivid and emotional portrayal of the experience of being a woman. So, when lead vocalist/guitarist Lauren Tate and bassist Becky Baldwin are disrespected at their own shows by predatory men, they are going to speak up.
“Dear guys that come to my shows. Please stop kissing my cheek. Please stop sexualising myself and my bass player. Please let girls stand at the front more. Please be more aware that I really don’t want to be touched or told I am sexy. I am a MUSICIAN and I get messages and comments all day from men about myself and my female bass player being sexy or eye candy or some bullshit and it honestly kills my soul and makes my eyes roll into the dirt. I’ve seen ‘band’ posters cropped with just myself and Becky in them used to promote shows! Can you imagine how it feels to be the guys? It’s shite! SOOOO…
To all the guys that respect personal space, genuinely love my band for my music and let young girls stand up at the front I really really thank you. You have no idea how much it means to myself and many female musicians when we are valued for our skills and seen as equal to the guys in bands on the same bill. Please note that a lot of girls stand politely and smile when they’re skin is crawling in so many situations it’s mental.
We just want to be valued and respected. AND WE REALLY REALLY NEVEREVER EVER EVER WANT TO BE KISSED or touched all over believe me! … In this photo here I’m locking eyes with the girls I requested come forward in the crowd. I’m holding the guitar that I wrote every song on for the new album, the guitar a guy told me after the show to ‘put down and stop playing’!!! See… us women are fierce. I’ve heard so many girls in other bands talking about these issues with men at shows and how we tackle them. It’s starts with the good guys. Look out for the girls in the crowd. If you see someone being a dick or a general creep… Call them out. Make them aware. We need more amazing guys like you in the world to stop these shitty men ruining it all for everyone. Massive respect to all those guys that do this… gigs should be for everyone to be themselves and have fun. I shouldn’t be worrying about anything while I’m up there on the mic playing my music for my fans #handsoffgretel #discuss #talk #girlband#girlstothefront #feminism#equality #respect#laurentate #femalemusician #rant”
I am not keen on the way Kerrang! sort of ended that piece by suggesting that, if this letter makes you angry, you can listen to some of Hands Off Gretel’s feminist jams. I get what they mean by it: there is anger in the music and it can provide catharsis. I do feel like there is a genuine attitude that, maybe, if we ignore these incidents then they will go away. I have written about sexual assault and inappropriateness in music before but, more and more, incidents like the ones Tate describes are coming up. I know not all men who attend gigs are the same but I have read so many cases where female musicians are either sexualised and objectified or, worse, they are touched and molested at the stage. Whether a woman is stage-diving, getting sweaty in the audience or close to a fan, that does not give the right to a man to assault her or touch her. I am going to bring in a new of articles and cases where, from musicians through to cases at festivals, sexual abuse and predatory behaviour is still alive and well. Whilst the likes of Lauren Tate are asking for anger and change, I wonder how much the industry as a whole is doing to ensure women are protected and feel safe at gigs and on the stage. It does not just end there, of course. In the social media age, abuse, harassment and assault can manifest itself in the form of photos, tweets and posts.
IN THIS PHOTO: Jonny Fox/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
I do wonder whether music is a safe space for women. In a piece I am writing for next week, I am exploring the groupie culture and how that has been a bit of music for decades. There are cases of famous musicians years ago abusing their young fans; taking advantage of their status and perpetrating awful and disgusting acts. Before I look at some research and statistics, there is another case in the music news where rapper Jonny Fox is in hot water. The Guardian reported the news – Fox claims he is being harassed by women who claim that he is a sexual predator and sends bad messages through his music:
“Five women who raised concerns online alleging that the singer/rapper Jonny Fox is a “sexual predator” and emotionally abusive are facing a multiple libel claim of up to £60,000, court documents show.
The case, which has reached the high court, is an example of the clash between Britain’s defamation laws and the MeToo movement.
Fox, lead vocalist and founding member of the punk-rock band the King Blues, who is commonly known by the stage name “Itch”, alleges that the women have individually, and as a group, engaged in a “persistent campaign of harassment” spreading lies about him in a series of online articles published in 2016. He denies all the accusations.
According to court claims seen by the Guardian, the women he is suing variously sent him a “menacing photograph and message”, contacted his current partner about the claims, staged a protest at the band’s performance and encouraged “militant” action against Fox.
IN THIS PHOTO: Petrol Girls (their lead) is one of the five women being sued by Fox. (You can support Solidarity Not Silence here)/PHOTO CREDIT: Martyna Wisniewska
In the articles Fox was described as a “sexual predator”, “domestic abuser” and someone who turned “the feminism he raps about into a joke”.
“The women felt it was in the public interest for them to speak out to warn vulnerable young women. That’s why they have called their fundraising campaign ‘Solidarity not Silence’. They feel this claim is an attempt to silence them.”
The court claims say that, at one concert, a group of 10 protesters hoisted banners declaring: “Itch: Stop your abuse of women” and “Call it out”. They were eventually escorted out by security guards”.
I do worry about artists who have to face sexual assault, sexualisation and abuse. Unfortunately, the music industry has seen too many cases where men in groups have assaulted and abused their fans. This BBC article makes for illuminating and shocking reading – I have selected a couple of rather upsetting cases:
"I started a friendship with him back when I was like 14," Rachel says about the man. She doesn't know exactly how old he was, but says there were "rumours" he was older than 30.
He would use his position to get her into shows for free and introduce her to bands she liked. But then, after a night at the pub, they went back to his flat.
"I basically remember waking up laying on the side of his bed with him having sex with me. I remember pushing him off. I'm crying at this point and he just kept going and kept going."
She has no doubt that the way the music industry works contributed to what happened to her.
IN THIS PHOTO: Moose Blood
"It's an easy preying ground for these people to find fans that want that little bit more - they want that backstage pass, they want to meet the band, they want to get in for free.
In 2017, Zoe accused the lead singer of pop-punk band Moose Blood of stealing nude photos from her phone and sharing them in the band's WhatsApp group.
Moose Blood have always denied this and last year announced they were taking a break from music, blaming "serious false accusations" against them.
Regardless of whether it's true or not, Zoe told us the situation only came about because she was such a big fan.
"I didn't realise it was a bad thing because they were my favourite band and I was a bit flattered by the attention.
"I was just thinking: 'Oh my God, my favourite band are here in my house', so I just didn't react to it the way I probably should have.
"I think bands need to take full responsibility and realise their status and the effect they can have on their fans".
These might seem like isolated incidents but there are many cases going unreported. From young female fans to artists and those behind the scenes, what is the solution? It might seem improbable to eradicate all cases of sexual abuse and inappropriateness but we need to get to a stage where music is not being dragged through the mud and women feel safer.
PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Hogan/Getty Images
This interesting article asked whether, like Hollywood, music was facing its #MeToo moment – in light of allegations against artists like R. Kelly and Ryan Adams:
“Stories of powerful players offering access in exchange for sex are rife in an industry where the #MeToo movement has so far had less visible impact than in film, TV, and media. That may be changing. In recent weeks, iconic artists R. Kelly, Ryan Adams, and the late Michael Jackson have finally faced a reckoning for alleged sexual abuse. Credit a rise in the power of female musicians and shifts in public opinion about sexual abuse. Change-makers are pressing their advantage at a time when old music-business institutions are waning in power, forcing the industry to reckon with a tradition of sexual exploitation that’s as deeply ingrained as the grooves of a vinyl record.
Ms. Powers says that one reason why this sort of sexual misconduct has historically been difficult to expose is that, unlike Hollywood, the music industry isn’t a centralized entity. Its male-dominated silos – including record labels, the concert-tour sectors, and media promotion – often protect abusers by enforcing omertà.
“In a society in which people are uncomfortable talking about sex, music was a realm where we could experience sexuality,” she says of an industry where ”groupies” were regarded as job perks and female singers and musicians were encouraged to play up their sexuality to advance their careers. “Because of that there’s been a kind of permissiveness around the music-makers’ sexual lives that we are now having to reckon with”
It is good that there is a call for change and there are areas of the industry where improvement is happening. I do think that there are far too many cases where women have to speak out and get angry about things that have happened at gigs; occasions when they have been taken advantage of and objectified. One of the most positive aspects of sexual harassment and assault in music is alternations occurring at some festivals. Teen Vogue reported a couple of months ago:
“Offset from the crowd, Kim Warnick, the executive director of Calling All Crows, has set up a table with information so fans, too, can learn how to help prevent sexual violence. It’s part of the #HereForTheMusic campaign, launched two years ago, working to end abuse and harassment in live music. Warnick, who has worked in sexual violence prevention for more than a decade, conducts most of the sliding-scale trainings. To date, the campaign has trained over 1,000 people.
The goal of the campaign is to give as many people as possible the tools to address this long-overlooked issue. It’s hard to have exact numbers on the pervasiveness of sexual violence in live music, given how few people report sexual assault. Yet some data does exist: A 2018 survey conducted by YouGov, a data analytics firm, involving 1,188 music festival attendees in the U.K. found that 22% of them had experienced assault or harassment.
In many cases, Warnick has found that venues and musicians had no process in place to respond to sexual violence. Even major players in the industry have been slow to address this. “I don't know that we ever actually laid out an official protocol prior to last year,” said Laura Sohn, the director of sustainability at Bonnaroo. “I think that was new for a lot of us in the industry.” For the second year, Bonnaroo will work with Calling All Crows in the days leading up to the festival to hold trainings for fans, staff, and volunteers. The festival's website also includes information on consent and sexual assault prevention.
Last year, Teen Vogue journalist Vera Papisova interviewed 54 women who said they were harassed at Coachella. While it doesn't work with Calling All Crows, the festival launched its own initiative called “Every One,” rolling out a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and assault, and providing spaces with trained volunteers for people to seek out should they experience it”.
It is clear that things are moving in the right direction but I was appalled hearing what Hands Off Gretel’s Lauren Tate had to say and what her experiences are. I know her case is not unique: there are women all across the music world that are facing the constant threat of assault, inappropriateness and attack. There needs to be stricter penalties for men who step too far. If anyone at festivals are seen assaulting a woman or make them feel unsafe then they should be given a man; a ban also needs to go to men at gigs who are culpable of incidents. There is a long way to go and we should not have to hear of these horrible cases where women are being taken advantage of and touched. It is harrowing and disappointing to see but, with more action from the industry; the affected speaking up and shaming those who go too far and calling for change then, gradually, we can see some genuine evolution. Most male fans and artists are respectful and nice but they are being let down too. Women should not have to feel unsafe at festivals, on the stage or anywhere, really, so we need to take action. These cases of assault and inappropriateness might be in the minority but we should not have to live in an age where women are made to feel…
PHOTO CREDIT: @cristian_newman/Unsplash
UNSAFE and vulnerable.