Why aren't there more all-girl bands?

Subject: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,starcam03
Date: 07 May 03 - 05:24 PM

There's plenty of female singers, but how often do you see a really great band consisting of all women? And I'm not talking about girl 'groups' such as the Spice Girls. I'm talking about real songwriters who can play their own music! Why is that do you think? I can think of a few off the top of my head, but I'd be interested to see how many legendary 'girl groups' we can list here…

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 May 03 - 05:31 PM

Go back to the Coon Creek Girls, most incarnations of the Carter Family.....

Spaw

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 07 May 03 - 05:36 PM

Well, how about the Dixie Chicks ?

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 07 May 03 - 06:01 PM

Dont know wether they qualify as a 'Band' but Third Degree Burns are
worth a mention.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 May 03 - 06:04 PM

I think it's just a case of "monkey-see, monkey-do". There's a tradition out there for male bands, and the tradition keeps repeating itself, that's all. There isn't much of a tradition for female bands. It certainly isn't because the girls aren't capable of it.

You might ask the same question regarding: "Why aren't there more black hockey players?"

Same basic reason, I'd say. Tradition sets expectations.

- LH

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Ebbie
Date: 07 May 03 - 06:07 PM

There is/used to be a very good local band called 'Babes with Axes', (Laura Kemp, Debbie Diedrich, Katie Henry, and T.R. Kelley). Not sure whether they're still recording.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: michaelr
Date: 07 May 03 - 08:07 PM

The Poozies come to mind... what does that mean? Anyone know?

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 07 May 03 - 08:23 PM

or they just might like playing with guys? Barry

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 07 May 03 - 08:42 PM

people are always asking for more gurl bands- there's no demand!

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 May 03 - 09:36 PM

Because.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:23 PM

Because it's a sexist conception *no pun intended)
If a couple of girel musicians form a group. and hire the best musicians they can find, and it turns out that they are all women, that's ok.
But (no pun intnded) if they decide, before hand, that they'll only hire women, they might just be hiring musicians who are not the best available, and that's not only sexist, but stupid as well, and they deserve to be less than excellent.

And the same goes for men

So there

Jody Gibson.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 08 May 03 - 12:33 AM

The true question is - how many local all-women bands are there? Then and arguement might be able to be made that they aren't commecial enough, or that producers are biased against them. Or it might just be that there's not enough women who what to committ their lives to recording and touring, recording and touring,

Plus, can you imagine how skanky male groupies would be?

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: maire-aine
Date: 08 May 03 - 12:49 AM

Cherish the Ladies is the only group I can think of offhand.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: alanabit
Date: 08 May 03 - 02:56 AM

I have thought about this a bit lately. I am guilty of listening to the odd bit of rock and roll and I really liked The Bangles. I think it comes down to the old chestnut of childbearing. If you get a few young women together who are in their late twenties/early thirties, one or more of them is likely to want children. Even if the women only take the minimum time out, this is likely to prove a major disruption to the band's ability to rehearse, organise, perform, promote and record. I think The Bangles were a bloody good pop group, but they took a few years out - probably to raise children. Good luck to them. I hope they are successful again. Far fewer blokes are likely to give up those critical years to stay at home with their children - which gives male bands a huge advantage. Continuity is easier for male bands.
I certainly see more women playing instruments and performing music than I used to. Good luck to them. Bring 'em on.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Letty
Date: 08 May 03 - 04:56 AM

Another reason is that some instruments are more likely to be played by men. If you need a bass in your group, it's hard to find a woman,
for example (although I happen to know a woman who plays a 3/4 upright bass, and she's only 1.60m!).
But then again, you can ask: why don't more girls play the bass/electric guitar/drums/bagpipes, etc.?

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Georgina Boyes
Date: 08 May 03 - 05:00 AM

The truly wonderful dance band, Token Women, say the fact that not having a string bass player in their line-up is about as significant as the fact that they don't have a man in the band. They're just a collection of great musicians and they play together incredibly well.

But there are plenty of all women bands if you want to look at membership on a gender basis. What about Jo Freya's band, Freya Federation? And notable song and music groups like Grace Notes, acappella bands like Stravaig and Stairheid Gossip, to say nothing of duos like Taggart and Wright.

Perhaps you should get out more - and just enjoy the music.
Georgina Boyes

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Strupag
Date: 08 May 03 - 05:05 AM

There's a superb all-female traditional band in the Highlands these days called Dochas - Absolutely great stuff!

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 08 May 03 - 07:33 AM

I remember large all-girl orchestras from the 1940s. They got quite a bit of play back then. Don't shoot, girls! My language is from that time period as well.
Freddy Shafer(sp?) and his all-girl orchestra- yes, a man as leader. Then there was the Hour of Charm orchestra, don't remember the leader.
Ina Ray Hutton- a truly all-girl jazz band. The names are starting to come back-

They went out with the big band era, I think.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 08 May 03 - 07:45 AM

Sisters Unlimited, as well as other all female singing groups that I can't think of the names of at just this moment.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Rob Wright
Date: 08 May 03 - 07:48 AM

Well there is the tremendous TAGGART and WRIGHT. Now thats a duo with attitude, most of it bad.

The do have the strongest roadie in the folk world...twice World Champion Powerlifter? So if they girls dont get the hecklers the roadie will.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Rob Wright
Date: 08 May 03 - 07:50 AM

forgot to give their web site www.sky-web.net/taggartandwright/ where you can see and hear for yourself.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 08 May 03 - 09:18 AM

Well, of course I'm old enough to remember Ivy Benson and her All-girl Orchestra, which went on, though often reduced in size, until Ivy passed on.
Today in Jazz there are groups led by Annie Whitehead and Deidre Cartwright.

RtS

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 08 May 03 - 03:45 PM

Check out this American/Canadian folk trio, named in honor of Malvina Reynolds:

www.themalvinas.com

(Sorry -- can't make a proper hyperlink that reaches outside modcat.org.)

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,starcam03
Date: 08 May 03 - 04:37 PM

Hmmm... blackcat has a good point... those male groupies would be awfully skanky!! lol... Well, I guess it's not as though there aren't plenty of solo female artists - Sarah MacLachlan, Jewell, Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Bjork, Tracy Chapman, and on and on. And, as Les B. pointed out, there's always the Dixie Chicks. But the only new all-girl band, as of late, that I have heard of on the scene is Lillix
and fortunately, they are pretty tight. It's bad enough that all-girl bands like the Go-Gos, The Bangles or Bananarama only seem to come around once every decade, but if the ones that did come out weren't any good, I just don't think I could stand it.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 May 03 - 05:16 PM

A very talented all-girl band called 'The Glacial Erratics' does a bit of touring, in the Yukon and on the East Coast of the US. Each of the four (Betsy Sims, Martha Scott Stey, Kim Barlow and Andrea McColeman) is a wonderful musician in her own right, and they have some great CDs out together too. Two of them are from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and two live in Juneau.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Fay
Date: 08 May 03 - 05:24 PM

The Witches of Elswick like to think of themselves as an all girl band, even if some of their habits are a little, shall we say, manly.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: BanjoRay
Date: 08 May 03 - 06:55 PM

The B Good Tanyas?(sp?)
Ray

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 09 May 03 - 03:21 AM

....and didn't Rick Fielding's mother play in one of those wartime all-women orchestras, formed when many male musos had been drafted?

RtS

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: breezy
Date: 09 May 03 - 09:36 AM

Dangerous curves

there I said it

st Albans Fri5th december

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: open mike
Date: 09 May 03 - 02:58 PM

rob wright, are you any relation to www.sky-web.net/taggartandwright/
the wright in this duo? Is that how you know about their attitudes?

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 May 03 - 03:28 PM

There's a GREAT band out there these days called "Painting Dasies"

Check 'em Out!

;-)

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 09 May 03 - 03:42 PM

Of course there were the BOSOM BUDDIES out of Lansing, Michigan a couple o' decades ago.

But to answer the question that titles this thread:-----Some might say that there are so few all-girl bands because there are so few all-girls these days.   ((((((((((HUGE SMILE PLUS A GIGANTIC GUFFAW)))))))))))))).

Just a little joke !!!!!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: LesB
Date: 09 May 03 - 04:25 PM

I saw The Witches of Elswick last week at Moor & Coast, & as Vin Garbutt would say 'I think their great'.
Les (not to be confused with Guest LesB)

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 09 May 03 - 09:20 PM

One of the great sea music groups out there is the 5-member all-women The Johnson Girls, based in New York. Great singing and very interesting and unusual repertoire. The Windlasses also come to mind. Time will tell if they inspire other women to form their own sea music bands. Maybe they have already.

In U.S. celtic fiddling, the duo of Athena Tergis (now Athena O'Lochlainn) and Laura Risk have been a direct influence on other young women fidlers. The Boston fiddle band Halali point to Athena and Laura as their inspiration (fiddlers Hanneke Cassel, Laura Cortese, and Lissa Schneckenburger - ok, their guitar accompanist is a guy). Times are changing, and these groups example will no doubt influence and encourage others.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Strollin' Johnny
Date: 10 May 03 - 07:22 AM

How odd that no-one picked up on michaelr's mention of The Poozies! Best in their early incarnation with Sally Barker (what a singer! What a writer! what a woman!!) but still great through later ones with the delicious Kate Rusby (one of the three best voices in the UK, the others being Kathryn Roberts and Miranda Sykes) and the Scottish lady fiddle-player whose name I've forgotten (Eilidh? Sorry, it's my advancing years killing off most of my grey cells!). Patsy and Mary, two excellent harpers and, of course, Karen Tweed the Guv'nor (Guv'ness?) of accordion players. Absolute Stars - more please ladies!
JB

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 03 - 09:07 AM

Add to that the Pointer Sisters, Four Bitchin' Babes, Silly Sisters, Indigo Girls and a bizillion other women duos.

The real answer is that music is no different from any other industry in terms of the face lift that has occurred as a result of women coming in to the field. Professional music was once a predominately male profession. That has changed, all for the better, with women coming into their own. There isn't anything even remotely reaching parity of numbers between the genders of professional musicians. But considering the list we have accumulated here, we can see that we're off to a great start.

I think the more important question, really, than 'all female' groups, is how many groups are led by women, where the female musician is the one calling all the shots, not the male members. My guess is, there are many fewer of those than there are all female groups. Sexism and gender discrimination is still very prevalent in the music industry.

Musicians like Sharon Shannon, Alison Kraus, Emmylou, etc. are all individual musicians who have back up bands, justg as a male 'star' would. Not a single group with female members to mind where the comes to mind where the female musician in the band is 'in charge'.

Can anyone come up with one?

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: John P
Date: 10 May 03 - 10:14 AM

Maybe one reason is that most female musicians are, thank god, more interested in making good music in a non-sex-specific way than they are in being in a girl group.

All of the women I am close to are feminists and most are musicians. Everyone knows that, like with most professions, there are more men professionals than women, but the situation is a little better with folk music than with other genres, and no one gives a damn about any of that when it comes to choosing one's band mates.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 03 - 11:04 AM

Actually, I disagree that people don't give a damn about gender in the choice of bandmates. The choice of bandmates rarely is just about who the best musician is--it has to do with compatability, with their commitment to the type of music the band plays, with their availability, and sometimes, the musician's gender. I personally know of several circumstances where women musicians have been overlooked because male musicians in the band assumed they would quit the band or slow them down because of child bearing/rearing.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: John P
Date: 10 May 03 - 11:52 AM

Strange how different people have different experiences. I've never heard of such a thing.

"Several circumstances"?? Really? Folk bands?

John

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 03 - 12:23 PM

One was a folk duo, two were jazz bands.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 03:41 AM

...back on the jazz kick, I see that despite her MS, Gail Thompson (sax)has formed a new all-woman, all-black band called Noir Femmes.

RtS

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: sweetfire
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:12 AM

What about the Donnas? Anyone heard of them? Play their own intrumets etc, and actually have thier own style...

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Lidy
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:23 AM

The Donnas? On here? I thought i was the only one...
also, about girl groups. girl group dynamics are very difficult to get right, there's usually some sort of bitching/rivalry/jealousy. i know, i went to an all girls school. they'll often drag a lad in just to keep the daggers at bay! rehearsals often descend into "i'll just put the kettle on and we'll have a break" and chatting. Maybe my girl groups were just never really committed enough...

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Davetnova
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:51 AM

Shine - they are all female and brilliant

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 08:57 AM

They do more than kids' records; they do lots more. And their concerts are great.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:00 AM

I'm taking Applications for My All-Girl Topless Marching Accordion Band!!!!

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: GUEST,Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 03:48 PM

The Buffalo Gals are 4/5 female, which is probably more unusual than 100%. They play mostly western swing. Doug Lohman, the only male, is NOT the leader. I don't know if the band has an official leader, but Mary DuShane seems like one. She used to be a member of the Powdermilk Biscuit Band on the Prairie Home Companion radio show.

The Tsatskelehs (Boy, did I have a tough time figuring out how to spell that!) are an "all-grrrl" klezmer band based in Minneapolis.

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Michael S
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 05:58 PM

Working Northern California in the early '90s, one of the best named bluegrass bands ever--100% female-- "The All Girl Boys."

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 06:39 PM

"...All-Girl Topless Marching Accordion Band!!!!"

Wow! I'll have to see that!! Topless marching accordions!! Not something you see everyday. ("All-Girl" is some sort of award, no?)

Subject: RE: Why aren't there more all-girl bands?
From: Ely
Date: 06 Jun 03 - 11:47 PM

From what I've seen, girls don't get the same encouragement that boys do. There are several "older" (older than I am) male guitarists in my usual music circle and they have offered me advice on occasion, but they seem to feel more comfortable with the boys than they do with me. Younger men either ignore me completely or raise their eyebrows when I set aside my dainty little lap dulcimer for the guitar. There are only a handful of guys who know me really well and have played with me for years that just treat me like any other musician.

I'm not a great guitarist but I still get the occasional "you're good for a girl". One music-store salesclerk asked me once if the strings I was buying were for my boyfriend (I shop elsewhere now). My guitar teacher always used to tell me to "stop playing like a girl" and get some VOLUME out of the guitar. I think I was his only female student at the time.

I don't usually seek out female musicians--I like the train songs, traveling songs, etc. that appear to be the domain mostly of male performers. This isn't to say I don't think females are as good--nobody beats Etta Baker--I just haven't found ones that "grab" me. I never liked the Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, etc.; I like Kate Wolf but some of her songs are just too . . . girly for me.