Wow! How about that interview with Exene in the last Real Overdose? I've read, and reread it, a few times now, and every time I do, I find myself agreeing a little more with her opinions. Its not often a woman comes along and makes me want to admire her (oops, don't mean that in a sexist kinda way, cause not many blokes do either!), so when one does, like Exene, its a cool feeling to have - respect for another human being, never a bad thing! I haven't been into this punk rock malarkey for too long, about three years roughly, but what I've noticed about it so far is the strange lack of oestrogen circulating about the scene. I've been thinking about this a bit, since reading Jennie's article in the recent Tiny Flecks Of Spit, and trying to work out why this is, but I'm damned if I know. Thinking about it, the amount of girls I know who put on zines, run distros, play in bands, etc, can be counted on the fingers of both hands. Compared to the number of boys I know participating in the same activities, the boys outnumber us about, ooh, 500-1. Why is this? It doesn't make much sense to me, since it seems that punk rock is the only genre of music going that girls can take part in on an equal level with the boys, where our opinions and views are listened to, and where we are not just treated as wanking outlets for hormonally-charged males, or the obligatory Girl In A Band Probably Playing Bass. Punk rock is about change, right? About getting up and doing something. Considering that our gender is the more in need of active demonstration, shouldn't we be taking advantage of this fact? Or is it all about what people might think of us if we do?

Before any of us became punkers, we were all mainstream geeks into shite music, wearing shite clothes (don't even pretend that you didn't!). We had to break out of that in order to realise just how crap all of it is. It's harder for girls to do that, as they seem to be at more pressure to conform to the teen ideal of wearing the right clothes, listening to the right music, and all that gobshite baloney, than boys. For a girl to willingly alienate herself from her peer group to admit to liking something which is termed uncool, as opposed to liking what's in or trendy, she puts herself at risk of being unpopular, and c'mon, does anybody really want to be the one everyone hates and picks on? I remember when I was 13 or so, I was totally ostracised at school just for liking Nirvana ( who weren't exactly underground or anything) instead of whatever teeny schmuck band everyone else was listening to. I was like, the class freak, who everyone hated just because I wasn't fucking cool in their eyes. So it does take a brave girl to break out of that mould and do something different. Everyone hated me regardless of my music taste, so it wasn't so hard for me, and then doing the mailorder, and writing for zines was a natural progression, as the more I heard and read about punk, the more I wanted to become involved. I can't understand why other girls don't want to get off their arses and participate - do you think its got anything to do with the myth/fact (you choose) that boys don't like strong, intelligent women, who speak their mind and don't take shit? If it comes down to speaking out, and being labelled a bitch, or keeping schtum and having a date for the weekend, what are you going to choose? Again, popularity comes into it, what people think about you seems to matter so much. Some girls would rather be the cute accessory on her boyfriend's arm and be accepted and liked, than risk doing something that might make her opinionized, and maybe avoided. But isn't punk rock the place where we're all freaks and misfits, and no one really fits in anyway? The majority of males I've come across in the scene (of course, I'm open to exception) seem to hold pro-female sentiments close to their equality-wanting little hearts anyway, not that that makes a difference, as what should you care what everyone thinks of you?

For me, I've always been gladdened when a woman does come along, and isn't afraid to tell you what's she's thinking, and I hope that other girls saw that Exene interview, and maybe felt something positive about it. I've never really been one for the role models, but I think girls need someone to look up to, more so than boys, and if the Spice Girls are supposed to be our fucking leaders or something, phew, do we need a few more Exene's about the place!

Speaking of women whom I admire, I've been reading a book about another kinda heroine of mine, Shirley Pitts. I've had this kinda interest in villians for a while now, and when mom found out about this morbid little hobby of mine, she recommended this book, 'Shirley Pitts - Queen Of Thieves', and it's such an interesting book, and definitely I can count Shirley Pitts amongst the women I admire. She was this East End woman, who came from a horrible background and had the shittiest upbringing; her mom was an alcoholic who didn't care about her children to the point where Shirley was left to provide for her five siblings at an early age, by stealing, aged seven, bread and milk so they wouldn't starve. She graduated to nicking them clothes, and once she found that she was good at it, she began to work professionally, nicking goods to order, and selling them on at a knock down price. Why I admire Shirley so is that despite her shitty life, where she lost her brother, father and sister in horrific circumstances, was forced to give up her child for adoption, had an alcoholic mother and a husband who beat her, she came out the other side a stronger person. She had seven children, who she was determined to give a good life to, and went on to steal millions and millions of ppounds worth of stuff from places like Harvey Nicks and Harrods (the legend has it that she stole so much from the Harrods Fur Dept, that it was she, and not the animal rights groups, who shut it down), earning the title Queen Of Thieves. Anyway, there's much more to the book than that, so if you come across a copy, pick it up, because its really interesting, I promise!

tatty bye!

Before I go, congratulations to Rick and Sam on their expectancy! Now I will no longer be the only one at gigs with a little blob of baby spew resting on the shoulder of my tee. Oh, and my sister Kizzy is preggers too, so congratulations to her also. Goddamn, there's a baby invasion on! 'Til next time,

Laccie.