Fight The Man

April Brehm wrote a great article on up and coming female musicians in Houston in this month's Free Press! Pick one up at your local dive or click HERE to check it out!

"In all aspects and all capacities, women are essential to the awesome directions the Houston music scene has been taking as of late. From the roles of musicians to photographers, to promoters, to producers, the ladies of Houston enrich and nourish the community at large and without them, I hate to think of the sorry state we’d still be in."

"Asli, of The Tontons expressed a reoccurring sentiment, “Probably the most common experience I have had being a female in a band is people assuming that I am a band member’s girlfriend, I get asked who I’m with a lot.”

"Artist/Promoter Kam had the same tale to tell, having been told by security at her own show "band girlfriends aren't allowed in the green rooms”.

"Melissa from Sharks and Sailors shared a similar experience, “Occasionally venue employees (in Houston and elsewhere) would think I was lying when my band was loading equipment into a club and I'd have to repeat ‘Yes, I'm IN the band. I play an actual instrument in the band. No, I'm not trying to get in free and I'm not someone's girlfriend, so please let me load my gear.’ Though, she admits situations like this are becoming fewer and farther between. It seems that the farther from Houston you go, the more problems you encounter."

"Dominique, vocalist/bassist of The Delta Block, has been literally beaten up for having the gall to ask for her band’s cut of the door."

"Sometimes it’s the audience, as evidence by an experience of Ema Kid vocalist/bassist of punk outfit Penny Arcade who was once told “Wow, I thought you were great and I was surprised too cause I wasn’t expecting you to be good because well…you know, you’re a girl.”
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"Rosa of Ditchwater took an opposing approach. “I want to be more Mae West about things than trying to go in and bulldoze my way through anything”. When describing her dealings with less than level-headed hard rockers, “That’s what boys are used to.”
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"I would like to thank all of the wonderful ladies who contributed to this and future articles in this series. When I first started contacting women in the scene, the responses came fast and frequent. If I missed you in my initial call, please feel free to contact me at april5k[at]gmail.com, your insights are enthusiastically welcome."