Interviews with Women In Punk Rock

This website

only

exists because courageous, intelligent and daring women

back

in the

1970's

decided to break the rules of society. They rallied together

under the

banner of the

punk

movement.

Many of them are no longer with us.

This page is dedicated to their memories.

Because many people have written to me to suggest other people to interview and

wondering

how I

choose the women I interview, I want to explain my criteria for inclusion

this section. They

are:

1) You must be a woman - or have been one at the time.

2) You must have been active in the L.A. punk scene before 1980. By active, I mean

actively participating

by frequently

going to shows, taking photos, writing, being in a

band,

supporting the scene in some way.

This section was never

intended to be a

"celebrities

only" section. It's an oral history of the early scene

from the female

perspective.

3) You must be able to send me your answers via email. I don't talk on the phone. I have

previously sent

interviews via

email to women who would seem to be obvious choices for

inclusion but they have either

not responded or have told me

they are working on it and

then they forget about it (you know who you

are). So if you know someone who belongs in

this

interview series, remind them to finish up their

interviews and send them in.

Everyone gets the same eight questions. No space or

time

limitations. Since I think that

women's

voices

have already been

excessively

edited

by others, I

reserve the right to refuse to

edit these

women's responses.

Kira Roessler is one of the most

accomplished

musicians to come out of

the

L.A.

punk

scene.

In her lengthy career she's played with several bands, including

Waxx, The Visitors, The Mommymen, The Monsters, Sexsick, Twisted Roots, Black

Flag and

dos

It always amazes me when I hear or read someone describe Kira

"one of the best female bassists." She is one of the best - period.

Kira modestly describes her contributions in her interview, but fans of hardcore

punk will know that Kira's bass playing with Black Flag during their

prolific

mid-

eighties tour

ing

and recording

period

helped sow the seeds of punk in every town

they

blasted through.

I can't recall the first time I met Kira. She used to frequent the Canterbury

Apartments

and the Masque.

recollection

of her is that she

was a

very pretty

tomboy

who rarely wore make up or dressed up.

I talked her into some make-up

and

had to persuade her to

put on Nickey Beat's jacket for

the photos I took of her

in the

hallway

at the Canterbury.

I'm glad she humored me.

In addition to her career in the film industry, Kira remains quite active in

music and performs with

dos

, her band

with ex-hubby

Mike Watt

Oh, and we both like Shakira better when she sings en espanol.

1. What was/is your contribution to the punk community?

I don't know if I made a contribution. I am/was a bass player, roadie, friend, cohort,

fan within that community. Being there doesn't mean I contributed. I mostly tried

to help bands by roadie-ing and stuff where they might need help. There was a selfish

interest though, since I couldn't really afford to pay to get into gigs. I would

show up early and help load gear and stuff. I wanted to get to know people who played

music so I could eventually play with them. All pretty self-motivated really.

2. Which artist, band concert and/or show had the most impact on your life?

In the early days, I loved the Avengers, Screamers, Germs and Weirdos.... I would

go to any gig but those were the ones that actually moved me a bit. The Germs were

my first live punk show, so that influenced me greatly as well as the trip to the

hospital with Bobby Pyn's bleeding foot. The Sex Pistols gig in SF with the Avengers

was also amazing.... The first time I saw Black Flag with Henry singing...

3. What was the role of women in the early punk scene?

It was twofold really: first of all many bands had women in them, which was somewhat

unusual, but even stranger to me was that some women seemed to have celebrity status

without being in a band. Or even dating someone in a band. Women influenced the

fashion heavily (as they always do), but also broke the mold of what tough was.

Although I was a tomboy, and understood that, there were these very feminine women

who were tough as all hell and nobody wanted to mess with them. It goes back to

what I always felt punk was, nonconformity. All traditional roles and norms were

out the window and women were very influential in that. Sure guys wrote unconventional

songs or dressed and played unconventionally, but women did it all....

4. What is the legacy of punk in your life?

Nonconformity is still the watchword for me. I abhor following the trend in any

sense of the word. I can't seem to conform even when I try. Sometimes I will dress

for work and think my outfit is pretty normal until someone sees me and says something

like: "I wish I had the nerve to wear something like that". I look down

and don't even get it. In music I just want people to express their raw emotions;

it doesn't matter what label the music gets put on it. If they feel it, then I do,

and if they don't, then I don't care.

5. What are you listening to now?

have always listened to Billie Holiday, she has been a mainstay as other things come

and go. Lately I listen to some Latin music: Albita is a Cuban Salsa type singer - she's

great; Shakira is cool when she sings in Spanish, I listen to Spanish radio in the car.... I

like the romantic ballads, believe it or not. Friends have kidded me that I would never

listen to that kind of stuff in English.... (which) may be true....

I really like

Mates of State

which is a more recent band.

Since I do sound for a living and try to do my own music I don't listen to as much music

as one might imagine....

6. Do you have

any funny or interesting stories to share?

When I was in Junior High, Michelle Bell (Gerber) and I had cooking class and she

baked a little bread in the shape of a dick and balls. When I was in twelfth grade, I

recruited hippie Maggie Ehrig (Twisted Roots) into punk rock during cooking class....

Me and Stiv Bators (Dead Boys) dropped acid and I swear he dosed the rest of the band

without their permission... they did figure it out....

The only woman I ever had sex with was Joan Jett because she was/is so amazing....

While roadie-ing for the Screamers on a trip to New York I got my entire pay docked for

spray painting the club they played....

Black Flag was my favorite band when I joined them....

I wanted a blue Rickenbacker because Charlotte (The Eyes) had one... I hated that she

switched to guitar in the Go Gos.

I hated women bass players with long nails....

Craig Lee (The Bags) once said I looked like I was going bald....

I got the crap kicked out of me in Long Beach right before a Black Flag show... still

played but felt like shit...

I studied Calculus and Applied Math at UCLA in between Black Flag tours, almost killed

When I first started UCLA I thought I might become a cop because I didn't know what to

do with myself and that I would be tough enough.

7. Are there any punk women from the early scene that you feel have not been

adequately

recognized?

Have you interviewed Hellin Killer or Michelle Bell (Gerber)??? What about Joan Jett???

8. What is something we should know about you that we probably don’t know?

ee funny/interesting stories

I still play bass and have had a band called

dos

for twenty years with Mike Watt. We are

currently trying to complete our fourth record. Watch

www.hootpage.com

for details...