Patriarchy is defined as a system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women.
It’s not the first time, but it seems these past few months, all I hear is men voicing their opinions. Whether it’s lying in Parliament, so-called ‘shock jocks’ being paid to deliver bile to lift ratings or a bias Murdoch-backed media. I’ve had a gutful.
I love music and community radio stations such as 3RRR and 3PBS. Both have been a lifeline for me especially throughout the past couple of years and have sent me down many a musical foxhole over the past three decades.
Given the level of testosterone floating around the airwaves and social media, I’ve found myself revisiting some of my all-time favourite female artists and a couple of ‘newbies’.
Marianne Faithfull – After a tumultuous career in the 60s as a model and singer, Marianne has overcome serious drug addiction to become a mentor for female artists around the world. Her distinctive raspy vocals have appeared in 22 albums ranging from alternative rock to Broadway. In 2009 she was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Women’s World Awards and given the Order of the Arts and Letters by the Government of France. This track “Guilt” is taken from her seminal 1979 album, Broken English:
Rickie Lee Jones – RLJ burst onto the scene in 1979 with her self-titled album but it’s her second album Pirates which is in my personal top 10 of all time. I have been fortunate to see her play live a few times and she always delights. Fourteen albums later, she continues to challenge herself and has no fear crossing musical genres. This is “Living it Up” from Pirates:
Patti Smith – I finally got to see Patti and her band perform Horses a few years ago and it was truly an incredible show. She is back in 2022 and not to be missed. A force of nature on stage, her award-winning book Just Kids is the definitive insight into the early 70s punk/arts scene in New York. Here she is singing “People Have the Power” with a New York community choir a couple of years ago:
Deborah Harry – Hard to believe all these women are in their 70s, but then it reminds me just how old I was when I first played their records. Blondie always takes me back to a series of parties as a 16-year-old when Parallel Lines was on constant rotation. “Picture This” is still my favourite from that record and the perfect pop song.
Poly Styrene – Poly formed X-Ray Spex at the ripe old age of 15 and smashed through every female stereotype in a short but memorable career. Her fantastic documentary was released this year and is reviewed here.
This is “Oh Bondage Up Yours” from the classic 1978 album Germ Free Adolescents:
Lucinda Williams – I would probably nominate her as my favourite female artist if a gun was put to my head. I first saw her play in Melbourne in 1990 and a further four times since. A heartfelt, tough and beautiful singer/songwriter from Louisiana, Lucinda has paved an amazing career in ‘alt-country’, and is a giant in Americana music circles. Recently inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, this is Lucinda in the 90s with a song that’s become an anti-domestic violence anthem, “I Changed the Locks”:
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Chrissie Amphlett – The Divinyls ‘best of’ CD is always in my car for long trips. Chrissie was so unique on stage and her voice was recognised by many of her peers in rock to be the best. She is sadly missed. This is the hit “Pleasure and Pain”, still so relevant in Australia today:
Amy Taylor – I’m sure Chrissie Amphlett would love Amyl and the Sniffers. Amy Taylor and her boys take me back to a time when Aussie pub rock was the greatest experience you could have as a pubescent teen! Channelling an era when Lobby Lloyd and Billy Thorpe ruled Melbourne, Amy is ‘in your face’ and has an Iggy Pop-like presence on stage. A festival favourite overseas, Amyl and the Sniffers are one to watch. Here’s a track which I’ve listened to a lot simply based on the title, “Some Mutts (Can’t be Muzzled)”:
Kim Deal – The former bass player of The Pixies hasn’t been overly prolific due to her battles with alcohol but I’ve always loved her attitude. The fact she turned up to her first rehearsal with The Pixies with no instrument, and never having played one, would have driven the front man Black Francis mad! She continued to frustrate the ‘anal’ Francis throughout The Pixies’ successful seven-year tenure and their reunion documentary Loud, Quiet, Loud is a cracker if you’re a fan of music documentaries. Kim went on to form The Breeders with her twin sister Kelley and former Slint drummer Britt Walford. They are still active today and this is their classic single “Cannonball”:
Courtney Barnett – The quietly spoken singer/songwriter from Melbourne is well established and highly respected worldwide. I have only seen her live once at the Melbourne Town Hall. It was a 50th anniversary concert for Patti Smith’s Horses in conjunction with The Drones’ Gareth Liddiard and other guests. A phenomenal show and highlighted just what a powerhouse she is. Courtney spends a lot of time working here and overseas collaborating with great artists such as Kurt Vile, Mick Harvey and many others. Still only 34, the world is her oyster. This is a version of the classic Died Pretty song “Everybody Moves” she duetted with The Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner on a 2013 Rockwiz episode.
As a father of two girls in their 20s, I think I overcompensated in terms of educating them on inspirational female writers, musicians, artists and sportswomen. In hindsight, I now realise this was some form of defence mechanism I forced upon them knowing that patriarchal Australia was waiting around the corner in adulthood.
Ultimately, they’ve managed to work that out for themselves. My formative working life started with the military and continued for 20 years in testosterone-filled footy clubs. The 80s were a cesspit of patriarchy in Australia and 40 years on, little has changed.
The only female PM we have had, Julia Gillard, was the most productive in terms of legislation in our nation’s history, driven from politics by deep-seated misogyny. Our current PM needed to consult his wife as to what sexual assault actually means. We have a long way to go.
Fortunately, women in the sporting media such as Mel Jones and Daisy Pearce have brought an intelligent and articulate voice to what has traditionally been a ‘blokey’, name-dropping hell.
Additionally, the astronomical growth of AFLW, women’s soccer and the Australian women’s cricket team being the ‘winningest’ national team, are a step forward.
We need more high-achieving women from all walks of life receiving the level of acknowledgment and airtime that male participants have historically been accustomed to. Easier said than done but change must come. More mutts must be muzzled!
*You can read more of Ian Wilson’s work at WWW.ISOWILSON.COM
