Original subtitles

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[ FILM PROJECTOR RUNNING ]

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[ BIRDS CHIRPING ]

I'M THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE

COME TO LIFE.

I'M A GIRL WHO CAN'T SHUT UP.

THERE'S NOT A GUY BIG ENOUGH CAN

HANDLE THIS MOUTH.

I'M GONNA TELL EVERYONE WHAT YOU

DID TO ME.

♪ IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

IN MY HOUSE ♪

♪ IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

IN MY HOUSE ♪

♪ IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

IN MY HOUSE ♪

♪ IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

IN MY HOUSE ♪

IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

IN MY HOUSE, ONLY I WASN'T

DREAMING.

I WASN'T DREAMING.

I DON'T REALLY THINK I WAS

DREAMING.

I REALLY THINK SOMETHING

HAPPENED IN THAT HOUSE.

♪ IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

IN MY HOUSE ♪

♪ IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

IN MY HOUSE ♪

♪ I AM YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE

COME TO LIFE,

AND I'M NOT GONNA SHUT UP ♪

♪ I'M GONNA TELL EVERYONE

♪ I'M GONNA TELL EVERYONE

I DISCOVERED KATHY ACKER, THE

AMERICAN WRITER, AND I WENT TO

THIS WORKSHOP THAT SHE DID, AND

SHE TOLD ME, "WHY DO YOU WANT TO

WRITE?"

AND I SAID, "BECAUSE NOBODY HAS

EVER LISTENED TO ME MY WHOLE

LIFE, AND I HAVE ALL THIS STUFF

THAT I WANT TO SAY. "

AND SHE SAID, "THEN, WHY ARE YOU

DOING SPOKEN WORD?

YOU SHOULD BE IN A BAND,

BECAUSE NOBODY GOES TO

SPOKEN WORD, BUT PEOPLE GO TO

SEE BANDS. "

SO, I WENT HOME, AND I STARTED A

BAND.

[ INTRODUCTION TO "REBEL GIRL"

PLAYS ]

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

♪ THAT GIRL THINKS SHE'S

THE QUEEN OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ♪

♪ SHE GOT THE HOTTEST DYKE

IN TOWN ♪

♪ THAT GIRL,

SHE HOLDS HER HEAD UP SO HIGH ♪

♪ I THINK I WANNA BE

HER BEST FRIEND, YEAH ♪

♪ REBEL GIRL

♪ REBEL GIRL

♪ REBEL GIRL, YOU ARE THE QUEEN

OF MY WORLD ♪

♪ REBEL GIRL

♪ REBEL GIRL

♪ I THINK

I WANT TO TAKE YOU HOME ♪

♪ I WANT

TO TRY ON YOUR CLOTHES ♪

BIKINI KILL WASN'T JUST THE

BEST GIRL BAND.

THEY WERE THE BEST BAND.

♪ WHEN SHE TALKS,

I HEAR THE REVOLUTIONS ♪

KATHLEEN'S VOICE WAS SO

STRONG AND SO POWERFUL AND SO

PUNK.

♪ THE REVOLUTION'S COMING

♪ IN HER KISS,

I TASTE THE EVOLUTION ♪

♪ REBEL GIRL

♪ REBEL GIRL

THIS WAS NOT A GIRL WHO WAS

GONNA FADE INTO THE BACKGROUND.

♪ REBEL GIRL

♪ REBEL GIRL

KATHLEEN WAS LIKE A BEAM OF

LIGHT THROUGH THE ENTIRE CROWD

THAT JUST, LIKE, INFUSED

EVERYONE WITH REVOLUTION.

IT'S ALL ABOUT SPEAKING

WHAT'S UNSPOKEN, SCREAMING

WHAT'S UNSPOKEN, AND THAT'S WHAT

KATHLEEN WAS NEVER AFRAID TO DO.

♪ THAT GIRL THINKS

SHE'S THE QUEEN. . ♪

KATHLEEN HANNA IS AN AMAZING

SINGER, ACTIVIST WHO I THINK

CHANGED A LOT OF GIRLS' LIVES

BECAUSE SHE CREATED A NEW ROLE

MODEL THAT WAS, LIKE, SEXY AND

TOUGH AND ANGRY AND FUNNY AND

ALL OF THOSE THINGS AT ONCE.

♪ YOU ARE THE QUEEN

OF MY WORLD ♪

KATHLEEN CAN SOUND

ARRESTINGLY YOUNG, BUT THEN IT

JUST MAKES THE WORDS, LIKE, HAVE

MORE OF AN IMPACT, ESPECIALLY

WHEN SHE'S SINGING ABOUT TOPICS

LIKE RAPE.

THE BIG QUESTION IS IN THE

LAST FEW YEARS, LIKE, WHY SHE

HASN'T BEEN DOING MORE.

♪ REBEL GIRL

WHAT HAPPENED?

WHY HAS SHE FORSAKEN US, YOU

KNOW?

LIKE, WHAT DID WE DO THAT WAS SO

BAD?

NO. UNH-UNH.

I DON'T, ACTUALLY.

WELL, IT'S SO

ALL-ENCOMPASSING, THE QUESTION.

THERE'S SO MUCH TO ASK.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

THAT'S KATHLEEN HANNA.

SHE USED TO BE WITH A PUNK BAND

CALLED BIKINI KILL AND FOLLOWED

THAT WITH A POPULAR BAND,

LE TIGRE.

KATHLEEN ALSO COFOUNDED THE

FEMINIST MOVEMENT CALLED

RIOT GRRRL.

SHE'S BEEN DESCRIBED AS AN

UNSTOPPABLE FORCE.

AS PART OF OUR SERIES TITLED

"MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS WHO MAKE

A DIFFERENCE," KATHLEEN TALKS

ABOUT HER BEGINNINGS AND WHY,

IN 2005, SHE STOPPED

PERFORMING.

[ STATIC CRACKLES ]

THESE ARE MY ORIGIN STORIES.

I HAVE A FEW I CAN FLIP THROUGH

BECAUSE THINGS NEVER REALLY

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING.

I WAS BORN IN PORTLAND, OREGON.

MY MOM WAS A NURSE.

MY DAD WAS A PIPE FITTER.

MY SISTER'S FOUR YEARS OLDER

THAN ME.

I ALREADY KNEW I WAS GONNA BE

SOME KIND OF ARTIST.

I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT KIND.

MY MOM AND I HAD A REALLY

SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIP.

SHE'S TOTALLY SADISTIC AND

FUNNY, AND I SAY THAT WITH,

LIKE, LOVE AND GENEROSITY

TOWARDS HER IN MY HEART.

ONE OF MY FIRST BIG MEMORIES WAS

MY MOM HEARD ABOUT THIS THING,

THE TRUST GAME.

IT'S LIKE A TRUST-BUILDING

EXERCISE, AND SHE'S LIKE, "I'M

GONNA GET ON MY KNEES, AND I'M

GONNA FALL BACKWARDS, AND YOU

CATCH ME.

AND THEN YOU STAND UP, AND YOU

FALL BACKWARDS, AND I'LL CATCH

YOU. "

SO, SHE FALLS BACKWARDS, AND,

LIKE, I CATCH HER.

AND THEN, I FALL BACK, AND MY

MOM STEPS OUT OF THE WAY AND

LETS ME FALL.

AND I LOOK UP FROM THE CARPET,

AND MY MOM'S STANDING OVER ME,

LAUGHING AT ME, AND SHE SAYS,

"LET THAT BE A LESSON TO YOU.

DON'T TRUST ANYONE, NOT EVEN

YOUR OWN MOTHER. "

♪ UH-OH

I MOVED A LOT AS A KID.

WE MOVED EVERY THREE YEARS, AND

WHEN I WAS 14, WE MOVED ALL THE

WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FROM

MARYLAND TO THE

PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

I WENT TO COLLEGE AT

EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE IN

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

AND I STUDIED PHOTOGRAPHY.

THAT'S WHEN I FIRST MET

KATHLEEN HANNA.

SHE LITERALLY MADE AN ENTRANCE,

'CAUSE I REMEMBER SHE WAS LATE

FOR A CLASS.

I GUESS MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

WERE, SHE REMINDED ME OF A YOUNG

ELIZABETH TAYLOR.

TAMMY RAE WAS JUST THE

PUNKEST THING I'D EVER SEEN AND

HAD ALL THESE IDEAS AND, LIKE,

TAUGHT ME ABOUT SONIC YOUTH AND

PIXIES, STUFF I DIDN'T KNOW

ABOUT.

WE WERE ALL TRYING TO MAKE

FEMINIST WORK THAT WAS KIND OF

INSPIRED BY JENNY HOLZER AND

BARBARA KRUGER.

WE WERE TAKING THESE PHOTO

CLASSES, AND WHEN WE WOULD BRING

IN OUR WORK, WE WERE TREATED

LIKE WE WERE CRAZY.

I MADE WORK ABOUT SEXISM.

I TOOK PICTURES FROM BOOKS I

FOUND IN THE LIBRARY.

SO, I DID THIS THING THAT

JUXTAPOSED THE IMAGES OF THE

WOMEN AND THEN THIS PICTURE OF

THE LITTLE GIRL IN THIS, LIKE,

PORTRAIT, AND IT SAID, "PRETEND

YOU LIKE IT" ON HER, AND THEN IT

SAID, "BELIEVE YOU LIKE IT" ON

THE HOUSEWIVES.

BECAUSE MY WORK WAS CENSORED

FROM THE COLLEGE, WE STARTED AN

ART GALLERY IN, LIKE, AN OLD

GARAGE, AND IT WAS CALLED

REKO MUSE, AND IT WAS, LIKE, A

FEMINIST ART SPACE THAT ME AND

MY FRIENDS STARTED.

I THINK WE WERE COMING INTO A

REALLY HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF

AWARENESS, IN TERMS OF FEMINISM

AND SEXIST REPRESENTATION OF

WOMEN.

A REALLY VERY CLEAR MEMORY I

HAVE OF KATHLEEN SHOWING ME A

COPY OF A COPY OF AN ARTICLE

FROM TIME MAGAZINE . "IS

FEMINISM DEAD?"

WE BOTH GOT REALLY EMOTIONAL,

LIKE IT COULDN'T BE DEAD BECAUSE

WE WERE LIVING IT.

WE WERE DOING IT AND THINKING IT

AND FEELING IT.

YOU KNOW, HOW COULD IT BE DEAD?

I WAS WORKING ON A PROJECT,

FASHION SHOW, WHERE I MADE ALL

THE CLOTHES FOR A FASHION SHOW,

AND I SILK-SCREENED ALL THESE

FABRICS AND STUFF, USING

PHOTOGRAPHY.

AND I WAS WORKING LATE AT NIGHT

IN THE LAB, AND WHILE I WAS AT

WORK, MY BEST FRIEND, SHE WAS

ASSAULTED AT OUR HOUSE.

SHE WENT IN HER ROOM AND FELL

ASLEEP, AND SHE WOKE UP, AND HE

WAS STANDING IN HER DOORWAY.

HE GRABBED HER BY THE NECK, AND

HE STARTED DRAGGING HER UP THE

STAIRS.

AND HE WAS SAYING SHIT LIKE,

"I'M GONNA RAPE YOU, THEN I'M

GONNA KILL YOU. "

AND SHE WAS ACTUALLY A MUSIC

MAJOR.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE WAS

WRITING HER OWN SYMPHONY.

AND SHE TOLD ME THAT WHEN SHE

WAS ON THE STAIRS, SHE THOUGHT,

"I'M GONNA FINISH MY FUCKING

SYMPHONY," AND SHE JUST FLIPPED

OUT AND JUST, LIKE, PUNCHED HIM

AND GOT LOOSE AND GOT AWAY.

AND I CAME HOME, AND SHE WAS,

LIKE, ALL BEAT UP.

I WAS LIKE, "I HAVE TO MAKE SURE

THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. "

I MADE A DRESS THAT SAID, "AS HE

DRUG HER UPSTAIRS BY HER NECK. "

I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO FINISH,

BUT SHE WAS LIKE, "YOU HAVE TO

FINISH IT. "

SO, I ENDED UP MAKING . THAT

PROJECT WAS JUST ABOUT ME BEING

ABLE TO FINISH SOMETHING.

AND THEN I REALIZED IN THE

MIDDLE OF IT, IT WASN'T JUST

ABOUT THAT.

IT WAS, I HAD TO TAKE THIS THING

THAT HAD HAPPENED TO MY

FRIEND . IT HAD AFFECTED ME .

AND PUT IT INTO MY WORK.

I COULDN'T KEEP IT OUT.

LIKE, IT WAS JUST TOTALLY

IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO KEEP IT

OUT.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

I MEAN, I REMEMBER THE FIRST

TIME I SAW HER, IT WAS LIKE,

"WHO IS THIS PERSON THAT SHE

JUST HAS, LIKE, THIS COMMANDING

PRESENCE?"

SHE'S JUST LIKE, "YES, I'M DOING

A FASHION SHOW IN THE LIBRARY

BUILDING. "

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

IT WAS LIKE, "WE'RE ONLY 18,"

LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

[ Laughing ] WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

KATHLEEN AND I, WE WERE BOTH

GOING TO

EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE.

OUR FRIENDS HAD THIS IDEA

THAT WAS, LIKE, CALLED "THE

REVOLUTION GIRL STYLE NOW. "

THAT WAS SORT OF LIKE OUR IDEA.

LIKE, "LET'S GET ALL THESE GIRLS

SOMEHOW TO PLAY INSTRUMENTS. "

I'D READ JIGSAW, TOBI'S

FANZINE.

AND SHE WAS ONE OF THE ONLY

GIRLS I KNEW AROUND WHO WAS

TALKING ABOUT FEMINISM AND

PUNK ROCK KIND OF IN THE SAME

SENTENCE.

TOBI WAS LIKE, "KATHI, DO YOU

KNOW HOW TO PLAY GUITAR OR

SOMETHING?"

I WAS LIKE, "NO. "

"DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY BASS?"

"NO. "

SHE'S LIKE, "DO YOU WANT TO

START A BAND?"

[ LAUGHS ]

I WAS LIKE, "OKAY. "

TOBI WAS LIKE, "I THINK WE

SHOULD ASK THIS GIRL KATHLEEN TO

BE THE SINGER. "

I WAS LIKE, "YEAH, WE SHOULD,"

'CAUSE SHE'S PERFECT TO BE A

SINGER.

YOU COULDN'T GET A BETTER

SINGER.

YOU COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER

FRONT PERSON.

AND WE ALL GOT TOGETHER AND

STARTED PLAYING AT TOBI'S

PARENTS' HOUSE.

IT WAS JUST THE THREE OF US FOR,

LIKE, MONTHS AND MONTHS.

WE WANTED A GIRL GUITAR PLAYER,

BUT WE JUST COULDN'T DO IT.

WE WOULD HAVE PEOPLE COME AND

PLAY WITH US.

BUT IT JUST DIDN'T WORK.

AND THEN TOBI WAS KIND OF LIKE,

"I THINK WE SHOULD ASK MY FRIEND

BILL. "

AND I'M LIKE, "OH, I GUESS WE

CAN TRY IT. "

AND THEN THAT WAS IT.

WE'RE BIKINI KILL.

WE'RE BIKINI KILL, AND WE

WANT REVOLUTION.

GIRL STYLE NOW!

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

HEY, GIRLFRIEND, I GOT A

PROPOSITION.

GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

♪ DARE YA TO DO

WHAT YOU WANT ♪

♪ DARE YA TO BE WHO YOU WILL

♪ DARE YA TO CRY

RIGHT OUT LOUD ♪

♪ YOU GET SO EMOTIONAL, BABY

♪ DOUBLE DARE YA

♪ DOUBLE DARE YA

♪ DOUBLE DARE YA

WHAT EVERYBODY SAID ABOUT US

WAS THAT WE COULDN'T PLAY OUR

INSTRUMENTS, AND WE SAID, "AND?"

WE WERE A YOUNG BAND GETTING A

TON OF ATTENTION IN A SCENE

WHERE THERE WERE A TON OF BANDS,

AND EVERYBODY WANTED ATTENTION.

AND WE DIDN'T REALIZE IT AT THE

TIME BECAUSE WE WEREN'T REALLY

THAT CAREERIST.

WE DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT.

WE WEREN'T MAKING MONEY.

WE KNEW WE WERE NEVER GONNA MAKE

MONEY, AND IT WAS REALLY

IMPORTANT THAT WE MADE OUR

MUSIC.

WE WERE ON A MISSION, AND WE

WERE GONNA DO WHAT WE DID,

WHETHER WE GOT ATTENTION OR NOT.

WE WERE SPREADING THE MESSAGE ON

THE ROAD AT OUR SHOWS, HANDING

OUT FLIERS, TELLING PEOPLE WHAT

WE WERE DOING.

OUR FANZINES WERE ALL ABOUT

FEMINISM AND POLITICAL ISSUES.

WE JUST TRIED TO TAKE FEMINIST

STUFF THAT WE READ IN BOOKS AND

THEN FILTER IT THROUGH A

PUNK ROCK LENS.

JUST WAIT.

ZOOM IN ON THAT.

IN A HUNDRED YEARS, THIS

FOOTAGE WILL BE WORTH QUITE A

BIT OF MONEY . NOT.

FANZINE BY ME, BY ME.

3-D COVER.

GONNA BE RED.

IT'S GONNA BE RED.

OOH!

GIVING ME A FLIER AT A SHOW,

HANDING IT TO ME AND SMILING AT

ME, THAT'S AS MUCH OF THE WAY

KATHLEEN COMMUNICATES AS WHEN

SHE'S ON STAGE, SINGING REALLY

POWERFUL LYRICS.

IT WAS SO GREAT, YOU KNOW?

SHE JUST PRESENTED ALL OF THAT,

LIKE, "KAPOW!

HERE I AM, AND I'M GONNA TALK

LIKE THIS, AND I'M GONNA SOUND

LIKE A VALLEY GIRL, AND WHAT I'M

GONNA SAY IS ACTUALLY TOTALLY

BRILLIANT, AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE

ME SERIOUSLY. "

I GOT A VALLEY GIRL ACCENT

FROM "THE VALLEY GIRL HANDBOOK,"

AND ME AND MY BEST FRIEND,

ANGELA CHEEVER, WE LIVED IN

MARYLAND, AND WE DESPERATELY

WANTED TO BE THE KIND OF GIRLS

WHO HAD CREDIT CARDS.

I THINK WE THOUGHT IT MADE US

SOUND LIKE WE WERE, LIKE, RICH.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A POSH

ACCENT.

IT GOES TO SHOW THAT YOU CAN

BE JUST, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T

KNOW, SOME VALLEY GIRL, AND YOU

STILL CAN BE SMART AND HAVE

FEMINIST IDEAS, AND YOU STILL

SHOULD BE LISTENED TO.

[ PUNK ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ]

IT WAS AN EXCITING MOMENT FOR

A LOT OF YOUNG WOMEN,

ESPECIALLY.

IT WAS SPEAKING TO WOMEN AND

WANTING TO CONNECT WITH WOMEN.

AND THAT I THINK IS WHY THE

INTERVENTION OF BIKINI KILL WAS

REALLY NECESSARY.

IT WAS, LIKE, BASICALLY ME

AND TOBI AND KATHI.

WE'RE LIKE, "WE'RE GONNA TAKE

OVER THE PUNK ROCK SCENE FOR

FEMINISTS. "

♪ YOU

HOLD

ME

DOWN ♪

♪ YOU

HOLD

ME

DOWN LIKE A MAGNET ♪

SHE WAS, LIKE, BY, FOR, AND

ABOUT WOMEN . HER THING, THEIR

THING.

BUT THEY HAD BILLY.

HE WAS A BOY.

BUT HE WAS LIKE . ALL BOYS

AROUND HER WERE KIND OF JUST .

"WE KIND OF NEED YOU TO DO SOME

SHIT.

SO, WILL YOU JUST DO THE SHIT,

'CAUSE WE ARE DOING THE TOP. "

♪ I'VE GOT THE LOVE

THAT'S STRONG AND NOT WEAK ♪

♪ I'VE GOT THE LOVE

THAT'S STRONG AND NOT WEAK ♪

♪ I'VE GOT THE LOVE

THAT'S STRONG AND NOT WEAK ♪

♪ I'VE GOT THE LOVE

THAT'S STRONG AND NOT WEAK ♪

KATHLEEN WAS VERY CLEAR AND

DIDN'T HOLD BACK.

THIS IS FOR ALL THE FUCKERS.

SHE WAS JUST SCREAMING AT THE

TOP OF HER LUNGS.

THERE WERE VEINS STICKING OUT OF

HER NECK.

♪ DON'T YOU NEED YOU

TO SAY WE'RE GOOD ♪

♪ DON'T NEED YOU

TO SAY WE SUCK ♪

♪ DON'T NEED YOUR PROTECTION

♪ DON'T NEED YOUR DICK TO FUCK

♪ WHAA

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D

SEN A WOMAN ON STAGE COMPLETELY

ANGRY, AGGRESSIVE, DOING STUFF

THAT YOU KIND OF SEE GUYS DO,

AND IT WAS AMAZING.

SOMEBODY HAD TO BE

BIKINI KILL.

LIKE, IT HAD TO HAPPEN, OR ELSE

WE'D HAVE ALL STARVED TO DEATH

CULTURALLY.

IT HAD TO HAPPEN, AND THERE THEY

WERE.

GIRLS TO THE FRONT . THAT IS

THE THING THAT NEVER HAPPENED

BEFORE.

MEN COULD BE IN THE ROOM, BUT

MEN COULD NEVER DOMINATE THE

ROOM.

IT WAS A FLIP OF THE SCRIPT THAT

BLEW PEOPLE'S MINDS.

ALL OF THAT INCREDIBLY RICH

STUFF THAT MADE PUNK WHAT IT WAS

HAD JUST BEEN TAMPED DOWN BY THE

BOY MOSH PIT, YOU KNOW?

RIGHT WHEN BIKINI KILL

STARTED, RIGHT WHEN GRUNGE WAS,

LIKE, GOING OFF THE HOOK, RIGHT

WHEN NIRVANA WAS EXPLODING, IT

WAS A WILD SCENE.

AND IT WAS VERY PHYSICAL,

VIOLENT, LIKE, ALL THE MOSHING,

ALL THAT STUFF.

THESE YOUNG WOMEN, WHO WANTED TO

BE A PART OF THE SCENE, LIKE

PHYSICALLY WANTED TO GO TO THE

SHOWS, WANTED TO GET INTO THIS

PUNK ROCK SCENE, WE PHYSICALLY

WERE GETTING SHOVED.

THE PROBLEM WITH OUR SHOWS A

LOT OF TIMES, A LOT OF GUYS

WOULD GET REALLY OUT OF CONTROL

AND START, LIKE, BEATING

EVERYBODY UP.

THE MORE GIRLS UP FRONT, THE

BETTER, AND IF ANYBODY IS

FUCKING WITH YOU AT THIS SHOW

BECAUSE OF CERTAIN REASONS AND

YOU NEED TO COME UP FRONT, COME

UP FRONT AND SIT ON THE STAGE

AND GET AWAY FROM THEM AND LET

US KNOW, BECAUSE IT SHOULDN'T

JUST BE ONE PERSON IN THE

CROWD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DEAL

WITH FUCKERS.

EVERY SHOW WE PLAYED WAS LIKE

A WAR.

GUYS WOULD TRY TO BEAT US UP AND

STUFF, YOU KNOW?

IT WAS REALLY VIOLENT, AND WE

JUST PLAYED THESE CRAZY PLACES,

LIKE BOWLING ALLEYS, AND THEY'D

CRAM, LIKE, 600 PEOPLE IN THERE

AND STUFF.

YOU KNOW, NO SECURITY.

WE WANTED GIRLS TO STAND AT

THE FRONT OF OUR SHOWS A LOT OF

TIMES JUST BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO

BE PROTECTED, AND I FELT LIKE IF

THERE WAS A ROW OF GIRLS IN

FRONT OF THEM, I WOULD BE SAFE.

THERE PHYSICALLY WAS NOT THE

SPACE FOR YOUNG WOMEN TO BE SAFE

AT THESE SHOWS.

AND THAT WAS A HUGE PART OF WHAT

KATHLEEN DID, WAS TO SAY THAT'S

UNACCEPTABLE.

"FUCK YOU.

YOU'RE GONNA CHANGE NOW.

AND IF YOU DON'T FUCKING PICK UP

THE GENTLE HINT, WE'RE GONNA

FUCKING VERY CLEARLY DIRECT YOU

AS TO WHAT TO DO. "

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

IT WAS SHOCKING.

THEY JUST WEREN'T EXPECTING

THOSE KIND OF ORDERS TO COME

FROM THAT SIZE OF A PERSON, THAT

GENDER OF A PERSON, IN A FUCKING

DRESS.

WHEN I STARTED WRITING THE

BOOK, THE MORE THAT I

RESEARCHED, THE MORE RESPECT I

GOT FOR KIND OF WHAT A GOOD

THINKER KATHLEEN IS AND HOW GOOD

SHE WAS AT, LIKE, CRYSTALLIZING

A WIDELY HELD FEELING INTO A

REALLY IRRESISTIBLE ARTISTIC

FORMAT.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

SHE WOULD INSTRUCT PEOPLE.

"HERE'S A LITTLE SNIPPET FROM

OUR FANZINE.

MAYBE IF YOU COULD MOVE TO THE

BACK. "

LIKE, IT WAS THIS VERY . IT WAS

KIND OF AN EMPOWERING AND

SURREAL EXPERIENCE, 'CAUSE YOU

WEREN'T REALLY USED TO BEING

TALKED TO FROM THE STAGE.

HI.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

IT WAS LIKE, "OH, MUSIC IS

SUPPOSED TO BE ESCAPIST," AND IT

WASN'T.

IT WAS GROUNDING IT.

IT WAS MAKING MUSIC A VOICE FOR

A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HADN'T BEEN

HEARD BEFORE.

I REMEMBER THE SONG

"FEELS BLIND. "

"ALL THE DOVES THAT PASS THROUGH

MY EYES HAVE A STICKINESS TO

THEIR WINGS.

HOW DOES IT FEEL?

FEELS BLIND.

WHAT HAVE YOU TAUGHT ME?

THIS WORLD HAS TAUGHT ME

NOTHING. "

I MEAN, LIKE, I'M STILL, LIKE,

GETTING SHIVERS WHEN I THINK

ABOUT THOSE WORDS.

♪ ALL THE DOVES

THAT FLY PAST MY EYES

HAVE A STICKINESS

TO THEIR WINGS ♪

♪ IN THE DOORWAY OF MY DEMISE

I STAND,

ENCASED IN THE WHISPER

YOU TAUGHT ME ♪

♪ HOW DOES IT FEEL?

♪ IT FEELS BLIND

♪ HOW DOES IT FEEL?

♪ WELL, IT FEELS FUCKING BLIND

THE WAY THAT KATHLEEN

DELIVERED THAT LINE WAS SO

ANGRY.

IT WAS SO OUTSIDE THE REALM OF

HOW A YOUNG WOMAN IS SUPPOSED TO

ACT.

IT WAS REALLY RAW.

♪ I EAT YOUR FUCKING HATE

UP LIKE LOVE ♪

STORIES OF ABUSE, EMOTIONAL

VIOLENCE, SEXISM THAT WERE JUST

BUBBLING AROUND.

THEY BROUGHT THAT OUT IN THE

OPEN.

SHE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS

STUFF.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE OBJECTIFYING

WOMEN.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WHAT DOES THAT DO TO MY BODY?

YOU'RE CELEBRATING A CERTAIN

KIND OF WOMAN.

WHAT DOES THAT DO IF I DON'T FIT

INTO THAT MOLD?

YOU KNOW, BREAKING DOWN THE

RULES OF WHAT A GIRL HAS TO BE.

OR NOT, YOU KNOW?

I MEAN, EVEN SHE HAS IT IN THE

SONGS, YOU KNOW, THE DIRTY NAILS

AND NOT BEING THE PERFECT,

BIG-TITTED GIRL.

I MEAN, I REMEMBER THINKING

THAT EACH PERSON IN THE BAND WAS

INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND

INTERESTING TO WATCH.

AND WE WERE DOING SOME DATES

WITH NIRVANA.

I THINK TOBI WAS STILL INVOLVED

WITH KURT.

KURT HAS A HISTORY WITH

BIKINI KILL.

HE'S VERY CONNECTED TO KATHLEEN

AND WHAT SHE WAS DOING.

ANY GOOD BIOGRAPHY OF

KURT COBAIN NOW ACKNOWLEDGES

THAT HE DIDN'T COME OUT OF

HESHER ROCK IN THE

PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

HE CAME OUT OF FEMINIST

ART-PUNK, YOU KNOW?

AND HE SAID IT HIMSELF AT THAT

TIME.

KURT WAS A VERY CHARISMATIC

PERSON.

I KIND OF STARTED HANGING OUT

WITH HIM BECAUSE I HAD A

BOYFRIEND WHO BECAME A

CRACKHEAD, AND THEN HE STARTED,

LIKE, STALKING ME.

AND I WAS KNOWN AS A FEMINIST,

AND I FELT LIKE I COULDN'T ASK

FOR HELP FROM PEOPLE BECAUSE I

THOUGHT THAT THEY'D THINK,

"SHE'S MAKING TOO BIG OF A DEAL

OUT OF IT BECAUSE SHE'S A

FEMINIST. "

AND THE ONLY PERSON WHO BELIEVED

ME WAS MY FRIEND KURT.

I WAS HIS FRIEND FOR LIFE AT

THAT MOMENT.

HE STUCK UP FOR ME.

HE WAS, LIKE, THE ONLY PERSON

THAT STUCK UP FOR ME.

I WROTE, "KURT SMELLS LIKE TEEN

SPIRIT" ON THE WALL OF HIS

APARTMENT AFTER WE SPRAY-PAINTED

IT ON THE SIDE OF A FAKE

ABORTION CLINIC.

KURT SPRAY-PAINTED, "GOD IS

GAY. "

WE WERE SO WASTED, SO WASTED,

SUPER FUCKING WASTED.

AND THE NEXT DAY, I SWORE OFF

ALCOHOL, AND I DIDN'T DRINK FOR

SIX YEARS.

OLYMPIA'S A REALLY GREAT SCENE

IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY.

BUT IN TERMS OF POLITICS, IT WAS

KIND OF DIFFICULT FOR US.

WE THOUGHT IT'D BE COOL IF WE

MOVED TO D. C. , WHERE THERE

ALREADY WAS A PRECEDENT FOR

BANDS LIKE US . NOT REALLY

FEMINIST BANDS, BUT AT LEAST

BANDS THAT WERE INTERESTED IN

WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE WORLD.

SO, WE MOVED WITH OUR FRIENDS

FROM THE BAND BRATMOBILE, AND

THAT'S WHERE THE WHOLE

RIOT GRRRL THING REALLY STARTED.

THERE WERE ALL THESE THINGS

IN THE LATE '80s AND EARLY '90s,

LIKE ANITA HILL/CLARENCE THOMAS,

THE WILLIAM KENNEDY SMITH RAPE

TRIAL.

THERE WERE THINGS THAT HAPPENED

ALL IN A REALLY QUICK SUCCESSION

THAT OUR GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE,

WHO WERE, LIKE, 18 AND 19 IN THE

LATE '80s, EXPERIENCED IT, AND

WE KNEW THAT THEY WERE WRONG.

THERE WAS UTTER PANDEMONIUM

OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY BUILDING,

AS AMBULANCES CARTED AWAY THE

INJURED.

POLICE HAVE NOW CONFIRMED

14 STUDENTS DEAD, ALL WOMEN.

ANOTHER DOZEN PEOPLE WERE HURT,

CAUGHT IN A RAMPAGE THAT

WITNESSES CALLED A HUMAN HUNT,

WITH THE GUNMAN YELLING, "I WANT

WOMEN. "

OUR FRIEND JEN SMITH SAID,

"YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED?

WE NEED A GIRL RIOT. "

TOBI HAD TALKED ABOUT

"ANGRY GIRL" WITH MANY R's.

THE COMBINATION OF WHAT

JEN SMITH AND TOBI SAID BECAME

"RIOT GRRRL. "

SO, WE MADE A 'ZINE CALLED

RIOT GRRRL.

THE ORIGINAL RIOT GRRRL

ZINE, IT WAS MOSTLY

KATHLEEN HANNA, ALLISON WOLFE,

AND MOLLY NEWMAN FROM

BRATMOBILE, JEN SMITH AND

TOBI VAIL, THE DRUMMER OF

BIKINI KILL.

ALLISON AND I WENT TO A PUNK

SHOW WITH A CLIPBOARD, AND WE

JUST WALKED UP TO GIRLS, AND WE

WERE LIKE, "WE WANT TO HAVE AN

ALL-GIRL MEETING WHERE WE JUST

TALK MAYBE ABOUT STARTING A

MAGAZINE OR DOING PROJECTS,

PLAYING PUNK MUSIC AND STARTING

A SCENE AND KIND OF TAKING

OVER. "

WE GOT TO DO THE FIRST

RIOT GRRRL MEETING AT

POSITIVE FORCE HOUSE.

OUR FIRST MEETING WAS, LIKE, IT

WAS PRETTY INTENSE, AND, AS IT

TURNED OUT, THEY JUST WANTED TO

HANG OUT AND TALK WITHOUT MEN

BEING THERE.

THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SEXUAL

ABUSE.

THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT COMING

OUT AND GET INFORMATION AND

SHARE INFORMATION WITH EACH

OTHER.

I ACTUALLY WROTE A RIOT GRRRL

MANIFESTO IN THE BIKINI KILL

FANZINE CALLED "GRRRL POWER. "

AND I WROTE WHAT I DREAMED

RIOT GRRRL COULD BE AND

ENCOURAGED OTHER GIRLS AND WOMEN

TO WRITE THEIR MANIFESTOS OF

WHAT THEY WANTED RIOT GRRRL TO

BE.

THE IDEA WAS THAT ANY WOMAN

ANYWHERE COULD TAKE THAT NAME

AND USE IT AND CREATE ANYTHING

SHE WANTED.

WE DIDN'T BRAND IT OR COPYRIGHT

IT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT BELONGED TO EVERYBODY.

ALL OF US FELT LIKE, "LOOK.

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS.

TAKE IT AND RUN WITH IT. "

OTHER GIRLS STARTED

RIOT GRRRLS ALL AROUND THE

COUNTRY.

♪ ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS

FEMINISM HAD BEEN KIND OF

SCARED OF POP-CULTURE MUSIC.

IT WAS REALLY GOOD AT PROTESTING

IT AND NOT GOOD AT MAKING IT.

AND SO RIOT GRRRL WAS MAKING IT.

IT WAS MAKING 'ZINES, AND IT WAS

MAKING ROCK BANDS, AND IT WAS

SPEAKING TO PEOPLE.

AND KATHLEEN WAS A MAJOR

MOTIVATOR OF THAT.

FIRST WAVE OF FEMINISM BEGAN IN

1848, THE SENECA FALLS

CONFERENCE.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WOMEN

ORGANIZED ON BEHALF OF

THEMSELVES.

THEY ALL HAPPENED TO BE

ABOLITIONISTS.

THEY WERE OPPOSING SLAVERY.

IT WAS A MOVEMENT FOR HUMAN

RIGHTS, BUT THEY WEREN'T EQUAL

MEMBERS OF THIS MOVEMENT.

SO, THEY TURNED THEIR RAISED

CONSCIOUSNESS ON THEMSELVES AND

THEIR ORGANIZING SKILLS ON

THEMSELVES AND SAID, "WE NEED

OUR OWN INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT FOR

OUR OWN RIGHTS. "

SO, THAT FIRST WAVE OF THE

WOMEN'S MOVEMENT FOCUSED ITSELF

ON CITIZENSHIP, AND THAT'S MOST

SYMBOLIZED BY THE VOTE.

THERE WAS A SWELL OF ACTIVISM

AGAIN, COMING OUT OF THE

CIVIL RIGHTS' MOVEMENT AND THE

PEACE MOVEMENT AND THE

FREE-SPEECH MOVEMENT.

SO, THE WOMEN WHO WERE PART OF

THESE MOVEMENTS EVENTUALLY

TURNED THEIR RAISED

CONSCIOUSNESS ON THEMSELVES AND

SAID, "WE NEED TO HAVE OUR OWN

INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT FOR OUR

RIGHTS, FOR EQUALITY, TO BE

TREATED AS FULL HUMAN BEINGS. "

THE BIGGEST GOAL OF THE SECOND

WAVE WAS EQUALITY.

THAT WAS THE SURGE OF ACTIVISM

THAT WAS THE SECOND WAVE.

REBECCA WALKER'S ARTICLE

"BECOMING A THIRD WAVE" . SO,

SHE USED THAT TERM, AND THAT'S

BECAUSE SHE, HER MOTHER WAS

ALICE WALKER, AND SHE WAS A

DAUGHTER OF THE SECOND WAVE, AND

SHE WAS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO

SAY, "WE'RE DIFFERENT, BUT WE'RE

PART OF THIS HISTORY. "

THIRD WAVE WAS FOUNDED IN

RESPONSE TO A FEELING ON COLLEGE

CAMPUSES IN 1992 THAT FEMINISM

WAS IN SOME WAYS DEAD,

IRRELEVANT, THAT WOMEN OF MY

GENERATION WERE APATHETIC, NOT

DESIROUS OF WORKING ON BEHALF

OF WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT.

YOU CAN'T OVERSTATE HER

IMPORTANCE TO THIRD-WAVE

FEMINISM.

SHE WAS INCREDIBLY INSPIRING.

SHE WAS KIND OF THE FIRST PERSON

TO COME FORTH AND SAY, "THIS IS

WHAT FEMINISM IS GONNA LOOK

LIKE, AND WE DON'T TAKE YOUR

BULLSHIT, PATRIARCHS AND

RAPISTS. "

AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY EXCITING.

♪ OH, BABY, I WANT YOU

♪ YOU'RE SO FUCKING BIG

♪ YOU'RE SO BIG AND HARD

♪ YOU'VE GOT SUCH A BIG COCK

♪ PUSH IT IN DEEPER NOW

♪ OH, DEEPER, HARDER

♪ I'M ALMOST COMING

I MEAN, MORE THAN ANY OTHER

PERSON I'VE EVER MET, KATHLEEN

WAS A LEADER.

♪ SUGAR

♪ I CAN ALMOST REACH MINE NOW

♪ NOW, NOW

♪ SUGAR

I MEAN, A LOT OF WHAT WE SAW

RIOT GRRRLS DOING WAS, LIKE,

GIRLS GOING BACK TO, LIKE, THEIR

GIRLHOOD AND RECLAIMING

GIRLHOOD THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN

AWAY FROM THEM, THAT HAS BEEN

DIRECTED DOWN SOME BULLSHIT

PATH, WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, "I'M

ACTUALLY GONNA BE A LITTLE GIRL

THAT HAS POWER NOW.

I'M GONNA RELIVE THAT PART SO

THAT I CAN THEN DIRECT MY WHOLE

GROWING-UP EXPERIENCE FROM

THERE, FROM POINT 'A. '"

THE THIRD WAVE IS LIKE A HOT

BUT ANGRY BISEXUAL GIRL WHO IS

WEARING A MINIDRESS WITH COMBAT

BOOTS.

THERE'S LIKE A LOT OF ATTEMPTING

TO RECONCILE A LOT OF EXTREMES

THAT ARE IN ALL OF US.

YES, SHE TOTALLY USED HER

SEXUALITY.

I LOVE THAT.

USE IT . WHATEVER WE GOT.

YOU GONNA GIVE ME SOME SHIT?

YOU GONNA DEFINE ME?

YOU GONNA TELL ME WHAT I AM?

OKAY, GREAT, I'M THAT.

BEING A STRIPPER IS WHAT LET

ME BE IN BIKINI KILL.

DO I WISH THAT THERE WAS A JOB

THAT PAID ME THAT AMOUNT OF

MONEY AND THAT GAVE ME THAT

FLEXIBILITY, WHERE I DIDN'T HAVE

TO TAKE MY CLOTHES OFF?

SURE, OF COURSE I DO.

BUT IT DIDN'T EXIST, AND I

WANTED TO MAKE MUSIC.

I WORKED AT McDONALD'S, AND I

WAS A VEGETARIAN.

AND I JUST FELT LIKE IT WAS THE

SAME THING.

I WAS A FEMINIST, AND I WORKED

AT THE STRIP BAR.

♪ SUGAR

AND WE'RE BIKINI KILL.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT TO DO.

I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU.

WE PLAYED AT THE CAPITOL WITH

FUGAZI.

IT WAS AROUND THE TIME OF THE

ABORTION MARCH, AND SO, IT WAS

LIKE ABORTION WITHOUT APOLOGY.

A LOT OF THE D. C. MUSIC HAS THAT

MONUMENTAL SOUND THAT MAYBE DOES

COME FROM LIVING IN THE CAPITAL.

IT'S LIKE THIS BIG FEELING THAT

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WHAT

WE'RE DOING IS SUPER-IMPORTANT.

WE'RE SO CLOSE TO THE SEAT OF

POWER.

AND THEN THESE BANDS ARE MAKING

THIS HUGE-SOUNDING MUSIC BUT

ABOUT STUFF THAT'S TOTALLY

DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE

POLITICIANS ARE DOING.

♪ YOU THINK

THAT I DON'T KNOW ♪

♪ I'M HERE TO TELL YOU I DO

♪ YOU THINK US SLUTS

DON'T KNOW ♪

♪ WE KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU

NOW ♪

♪ JIGSAW, JIGSAW YOUTH

♪ I KNOW THERE'S NOT ONE WAY,

ONE LIGHT, ONE LAME TRUTH ♪

♪ WON'T FIT YOUR DEFINITIONS

♪ WON'T MEET YOUR LAME DEMANDS

♪ NOT INTO WIN-LOSE REALITY

♪ WON'T FIT INTO YOUR PLANS

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

A USA TODAY REPORTER CAME AND

THEN WROTE THIS REALLY

CONDESCENDING THING ABOUT WHAT

WE WERE DOING AND FOCUSED ON

WHAT OUR CLOTHES LOOKED LIKE AND

WHAT OUR BODIES LOOKED LIKE.

WE MUST ALL BE SEXUAL-ABUSE

SURVIVORS BECAUSE WE'RE SINGING

ABOUT RAPE, AND, THEREFORE,

NOBODY HAS ANY IMAGINATION OR

KNOWS ANYBODY WHO'S HAD THINGS

WHO'S HAD THINGS HAPPEN TO THEM.

SO, WE MUST ALL HAVE HAD THESE

TRAGIC HISTORIES.

IT WAS REALLY FRUSTRATING TO A

LOT OF US, ESPECIALLY THAT

ANOTHER WOMAN WOULD WRITE

SOMETHING THAT WE THOUGHT WAS SO

STUPID.

SO, WE JUST DECIDED TO STOP

THINKING ABOUT IT AND TALKING

ABOUT IT AND JUST NOT ANSWERING

THE PHONE WHEN JOURNALISTS

CALLED.

AND THAT WAS WHAT EVERYBODY

CALLED A PRESS BLACKOUT.

THEY'RE LIKE, "NO, ACTUALLY,

YOU'RE NOT GONNA FUCKING CO-OP

THIS FUCKING REVOLUTION.

FUCK YOU.

IT'S ACTUALLY NOT GONNA BE

TELEVISED.

THAT WAS GENIUS.

IT WAS VERY SAVVY, AND IT WAS

SOMETHING THAT WAS THINKING MUCH

BIGGER THAN A LOT OF US DID.

PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH

RIOT GRRRL WERE RELUCTANT TO DO

INTERVIEWS WITH MAINSTREAM

PRESS OR ROLLING STONE OR PEOPLE

WHO GOT INTERESTED IN AND GOT

WIND OF THE MOVEMENT.

IT'S HARD TO SEE YOURSELF

WRITTEN ABOUT OR TALKED ABOUT IN

A THIRD-PERSON OR SOME REMOVED

CONTEXT.

IT'S ALWAYS JUST GONNA SEEM

WRONG SOMEHOW.

THE FACTS ARE WRONG.

SOMETHING'S WRONG.

IT'S ALWAYS WRONG.

IT WAS ALSO FOR HER OWN

SELF-PRESERVATION AND

PROTECTION, 'CAUSE PEOPLE WERE

JUST TEARING HER APART PUBLICLY

AND REVEALING A LOT OF PERSONAL

THINGS ABOUT HER THAT SHE HADN'T

CHOSEN TO REVEAL.

HOW THINGS BECOME JUST SO

DISTORTED AND TAKEN OUT OF THEIR

HANDS.

[ DRUM PLAYING ]

THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN

THE WASHINGTON POST, AND IT

SAID THAT MY FATHER RAPED ME.

AND I NEVER SPOKE TO A REPORTER.

I'VE NEVER ASSERTED THAT.

AND I WILL SAY RIGHT NOW ON

CAMERA MY FATHER DID NOT RAPE

ME.

MY FATHER WAS SEXUALLY

INAPPROPRIATE.

HE WASN'T A GREAT FATHER.

HE WAS PHYSICALLY AND VERBALLY

ABUSIVE AT TIMES.

BUT HE DID NOT PHYSICALLY RAPE

ME.

[ DRUM PLAYING ]

I MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN

SEXUAL INAPPROPRIATENESS AND

ABUSE IN MY MIND BECAUSE I KNOW

OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES THAT ARE

SUPER-HORRIFIC, AND, LIKE, WAY

MORE HORRIFIC THAN MINE.

AND THAT JUST ISN'T MY STORY.

AND I WAS REALLY UPSET WHEN IT

SAID THAT.

AND IT TAUGHT ME A BIG LESSON

ABOUT HOW A LOT OF REPORTERS

DON'T FACT-CHECK ANYTHING.

INSTEAD OF BEING, LIKE, SITTING

AROUND, BEING UPSET ABOUT IT, I

THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT

THAT I KEPT MAKING MUSIC AND

THAT I WENT ON TOUR AND THAT

OTHER GIRLS GOT TO HEAR WHAT WE

WERE MAKING.

[ "NEW RADIO" PLAYS ]

♪ I'M A LITTLE GIRL

AT THE PICNIC

WHO WON'T STOP PULLING

HER DRESS UP ♪

♪ IT DOESN'T MATTER

WHO'S IN CONTROL NOW ♪

♪ IT DOESN'T MATTER

'CAUSE THIS IS NEW RADIO ♪

♪ WHAT THE FUCK IS WRITTEN

ALL OVER YOUR PRETTY FACE? ♪

♪ THE GAPS IN TEETH,

THE DIRTY NAILS ♪

♪ BABY BOY, YOU CAN'T KILL

WHAT'S FUCKING REAL ♪

♪ TURN THAT SONG DOWN

♪ TURN THE STATIC UP

♪ COME HERE, BABY

♪ LET ME KISS YOU

LIKE A BOY DOES ♪

♪ OH-WHOA

♪ OH-WHOA

♪ OH-WHOA

♪ WHOA-OH

♪ YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH

♪ YEAH, YEAH

♪ YEAH, YEAH

♪ YEAH, YEAH

♪ YEAH, YEAH

♪ LET'S WIPE OUR CUM

ON MY PARENTS' BED ♪

I HAD NEVER SEEN BIKINI KILL

PLAY UNTIL "SUMMERSAULT" TOUR.

MIKE FROM MY BAND, HE HAD A

BIKINI KILL 7-INCH, AND IT WAS

ONE OF THOSE THINGS LIKE, "OH,

SHOOT, YOU GOT TO HEAR THIS

RECORD. "

AND THEN, HIS WIFE, TAMRA,

WHO'S A FILMMAKER, INTERVIEWED

KATHLEEN.

WE WERE WATCHING THIS THING THAT

SHE MADE, AND IT WAS FUCKING

KATHLEEN BEING INTERVIEWED

WEARING A SKI MASK IN, LIKE, A

STAIRWELL SOMEWHERE, AND I WAS

LIKE, "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING

ON?

THIS IS SOME SERIOUS SHIT. "

AND SO I WAS VERY INTERESTED.

I DID A VIDEO CALLED

"NO ALTERNATIVE GIRLS," AND

KATHLEEN HANNA WAS IN IT, AND

SHE WAS DOING A MEDIA BLACKOUT

AT THE TIME.

SO, SHE SAID SHE WOULD APPEAR IN

THE VIDEO, BUT SHE WOULDN'T LET

HER FACE BE IN IT.

SO, SHE WORE THIS SKI MASK.

AND THEN, I WORKED WITH HER

AGAIN WITH SONIC YOUTH, WHEN WE

DID THE VIDEO FOR

"BULL IN THE HEATHER. "

AND SO, WHEN BIKINI KILL WAS ON

TOUR, KATHLEEN WAS THERE, AND

ADAM WAS GOING THROUGH THIS

TERRIBLE BREAKUP.

I WAS TOTALLY TRYING TO GET THEM

TOGETHER, 'CAUSE I THOUGHT THEY

WOULD BE FRIENDS, AT LEAST, BUT

ALSO, THEY HAD SO MUCH IN

COMMON, IT SEEMED TO ME.

AND I THOUGHT KATHLEEN WOULD BE

SOMEBODY REALLY GOOD FOR ADAM TO

TALK TO.

SO. .

YEAH, THAT WAS INTERESTING.

I WANTED TO BE ENCOURAGING, BUT

I WAS ALSO AFRAID.

BIKINI KILL WAS SUPER

PUNK ROCK, AND THEN IT REMINDED

ME OF, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I

WAS IN A HARDCORE BAND WHEN I

WAS A KID, THAT FEELING OF JUST,

LIKE, "WE'LL JUST DO WHATEVER WE

FEEL LIKE DOING," AND THAT WAS

AWESOME TO SEE.

TO SEE THIS PUNK GROUP, AND IT

WAS ALL GIRLS IN FRONT, AND ALL

JUST GIRLS JUST ALL ON THE

STAGE.

AND, YOU KNOW, FOR GUYS' SHOWS,

IT'S LIKE, "GET THE FUCK OFF MY

STAGE. "

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

AND THEN, KATHLEEN WAS JUST A

FORCE, LIKE A FULL-ON FORCE.

[ Laughing ] LIKE A CAR

ACCIDENT . YOU CAN'T LOOK AWAY.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I MEAN A GOOD CAR ACCIDENT.

I DIDN'T MEAN IT.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST LIKE,

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

WE WENT SKATEBOARDING ONE NIGHT

AT ADELAIDE.

I DIDN'T REALIZE . SHE WAS VERY

SNEAKY, I GUESS.

AND SHE WAS LIKE, "HEY, WHO

WANTS TO GO SKATEBOARDING?"

AND I WAS LIKE, "UH, I'LL GO

SKATEBOARDING. "

HEY, KATHLEEN.

HMM?

COME ON.

I CAN DRY MYSELF.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

I'M NOT TELLING YOU.

DRY YOURSELF.

GET . WOULD YOU GET OUT OF

HERE?!

DRY YOURSELF.

INITIALLY, IT WAS REALLY

DIFFICULT WEAVING THEIR WORLDS

TOGETHER, BUT NOT BECAUSE THEY

DIDN'T HAVE STUFF IN COMMON, BUT

JUST BECAUSE OF THE . WHAT WILL

MY FRIENDS THINK OR MY COMMUNITY

OR SOMETHING?

I WAS DATING SOMEBODY WHO,

LIKE, WROTE "GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS

DO MY LAUNDRY" AND SHIT LIKE

THAT IN THE '80s.

SO, I WAS, LIKE, "WHAT DOES THIS

MEAN THAT I'M A FEMINIST ARTIST,

AND I'M DATING THIS PERSON, AND

I'M SO IN LOVE WITH HIM?"

AND IT WAS LIKE I REALIZED THAT

YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE KIND OF WHO

YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH.

LIKE, I WAS TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH

HIM, AND THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS

NOT GONNA HANG OUT WITH HIM.

I'M SURE IT MADE IT A LITTLE

EXCITING AND, LIKE,

RISKY-FEELING, BUT ALSO IT JUST

REALLY OPENED MY EYES THAT YOU

KIND OF FALL IN LOVE WITH WHO

YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH.

AND I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT

IT.

BUT I FREAKED OUT.

♪ 'CAUSE I LIKE YOU

♪ BABY, IT'S ALL WRONG

♪ BABY, BABY, IT'S SO WRONG

♪ OH, BABY, IT'S SO WRONG

♪ IT FEELS SO GOOD

♪ IT'S ALL WRONG

AFTER THE WHOLE TOUR

HAPPENED, THEY HAD THIS

LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP,

WHERE THEY WERE ONLY

COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE PHONE

OR WRITING EACH OTHER.

THERE WAS A TIME PERIOD

WHERE WE WEREN'T, LIKE . WE

DIDN'T DO STUFF IN PUBLIC, AND

WE WERE REALLY PRIVATE.

BUT THAT WAS KIND OF BOTH OF OUR

CHOICES.

SO, IT WASN'T REALLY LIKE WE

WERE HIDING, BUT I COULD SEE HOW

IT APPEARED THAT WAY.

THE THING IS ABOUT

BIKINI KILL . THEY WERE LOOKED

AT AND SCRUTINIZED SO CLOSELY

AND HAD THIS CERTAIN LEVEL OF

CELEBRITY.

BUT THEY WERE STILL BARELY

MAKING RENT.

THEY WERE STILL IN A CRAPPY VAN

THAT COULD EASILY BREAK DOWN.

THEY WERE STILL SLEEPING ON

STRANGERS' FLOORS.

BIKINI KILL WAS JUST, LIKE,

IN THIS WEIRD DISARRAY, AND

THERE WAS A LOT OF TENSION

BETWEEN US.

YOU KNOW, WE'D ALL GOTTEN INTO,

LIKE, WEIRD ROLES OF WHO WE WERE

IN THAT BAND, AND IT WAS KIND OF

JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF

THEM.

WHAT IS BIKINI KILL?

BIKINI KILL IS FOREVER IN FLUX,

AND IT'S COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE

FOR US TO DISCUSS IT, BECAUSE

IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY HARD

FOR US TO DO INTERVIEWS, AND

ALSO BECAUSE ALL FOUR OF US

DON'T AGREE ON ANYTHING EVER.

AND IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO

SORT OUT WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY

SAY ABOUT IT.

OUR RELATIONSHIPS AS FOUR

PEOPLE DISINTEGRATED BECAUSE WE

WEREN'T EVER LOOKING AT EACH

OTHER AND DEALING WITH THE

PROBLEMS THAT EACH OF US HAD.

I WAS IN BIKINI KILL FOR,

LIKE, EIGHT YEARS.

IT'S A LONG TIME FOR A GIRL

BAND.

AND TO BE UNDER THE MAGNIFYING

GLASS AND KIND OF PINNED TO WAX

HOW WE WERE, IT'S A REALLY,

REALLY LONG TIME.

HER WORK SEEMED TO MAKE HER

FEEL ISOLATED MORE, AND, LIKE,

REACTION TO HER BAND SEEMED TO

MAKE HER FEEL LIKE SHE WAS SET

APART FROM HER BANDMATES AND SET

APART FROM THE GIRLS IN

RIOT GRRRL AND SET APART FROM

OTHER PEOPLE IN THE PUNK SCENE,

WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, HER

MUSIC AND HER ART WAS BRINGING

PEOPLE TOGETHER SO MUCH.

I THINK KATHLEEN STRUGGLED

WITH THE LEADERSHIP ROLE AT

TIMES.

SHE HAD A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY

THAT CAME WITH THAT.

SHE DEFINITELY STRUGGLED WITH

THIS, THE KIND OF IMPLICATIONS

THAT THAT MUCH FAME HAS FOR A

PERSON.

[ TELEPHONE RINGING ]

CAN YOU. .

LOUDER. I'M HAVING TROUBLE.

I DIDN'T WANT TO BE THE

LEADER OR SINGLED OUT.

AND, I MEAN, I'M SURE THAT

GLORIA CAN COMMISERATE WITH THE

POSITION OF BEING, GETTING A

REALLY NEGATIVE ATTENTION FROM

THE MEDIA.

IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE KIND OF

GETTING KICKED IN THE FACE BY

BOTH SIDES.

ON THE ONE HAND, I WAS

WORKING IN THE MEDIA.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I WAS TRYING

TO AVOID BEING SINGLED OUT.

IT WASN'T ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS UNDER YOUR

CONTROL, BUT I THINK THE

CHALLENGE IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW

TO USE IT TO CONVEY COME

MESSAGE.

I'M NOT WILING TO DEAL WITH

THE MAINSTREAM ANYMORE, WHEN

THEY'RE CONSTANTLY ASKING ME

QUESTIONS ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE,

ABOUT IF I'VE BEEN A STRIPPER,

IF I HAVEN'T BEEN A STRIPPER,

CONSTANTLY JUST COMPLETELY

SEXIST SHIT, WHERE THEY'RE

TRYING TO TURN ON THE BAND THAT

I'M IN OR THE PROJECTS I'M

INVOLVED WITH AGAINST OTHER

WOMEN WHO I RESPECT IN THE

COMMUNITY, COMING UP, YOU KNOW,

SAYING, "SO-AND-SO SAID

SO-AND-SO ABOUT YOU" TO GET YOU

TO SLAG OFF ANOTHER WOMAN SO

THAT THEY CAN PRINT,

"KATHLEEN HANNA DOESN'T LIKE

PJ HARVEY. "

YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHATEVER, AND

CREATING ALL THESE SCHISMS

BECAUSE IT SELLS PAPERS.

THIS IS THE THING THAT'S

HAPPENED EVER SINCE THE

BEGINNING OF TIME.

YOU ASK A WOMAN ABOUT ANOTHER

WOMAN AND TRY TO GET HER TO SAY

SOMETHING BAD, AND THEN YOU MAKE

THE ARTICLE ALL ABOUT A

CATFIGHT.

LOLLAPALOOZA NEWS, MEANWHILE,

COURTNEY LOVE, ONE OF THE TOUR'S

HEADLINERS THIS YEAR, WITH HER

BAND HOLE, WAS OFFICIALLY

CHARGED WITH FOURTH-DEGREE

ASSAULT THIS WEEK FOR, AS SHE

ACKNOWLEDGED IN A RECENT ONLINE

RANT, PUNCHING OUT BIKINI KILL

SINGER KATHLEEN HANNA BACKSTAGE

AT A LOLLAPALOOZA SHOW ON

JULY 4th, AN INCIDENT FIRST

REPORTED ALSO ONLINE BY

THURSTON MOORE OF THE

BILL-TOPPING SONIC YOUTH.

WE DID LOLLAPALOOZA.

KATHLEEN WAS THERE, AND SHE WAS

STANDING ON THE STAGE, WATCHING

US, AND COURTNEY LOVE BASICALLY

JUST PUNCHED HER IN THE FACE.

AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF

OUR TOUR.

[ LAUGHS ]

I MEAN, THERE'S THE WHOLE

LOLLAPALOOZA PUNCHING

COURTNEY LOVE THING.

NO, COURTNEY LOVE PUNCHED HER.

SEE, I DON'T . I. .

I CAN'T TRUST THE INTERNET.

THAT'S THE WHOLE THING THAT

PISSED ME OFF IS THAT LATER,

PEOPLE WERE LIKE, "THEY FOUGHT!

THERE WAS THIS RIVALRY, AND THEY

FOUGHT. "

IT'S LIKE, "DUDE, I WAS STANDING

THERE WATCHING A BAND, AND

COURTNEY WALKED UP AND ATTACKED

ME. "

I THINK PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE

THAT KATHLEEN AND COURTNEY

DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER.

IT'S A REAL BUMMER TO BE

ASSAULTED.

IT SUCKS. IT'S NOT COOL.

IT'S A REAL BUMMER IF YOU'RE A

FEMINIST, AND YOU'RE ASSAULTED

BY ANOTHER WOMAN, BECAUSE IT'S

JUST KIND OF HEARTBREAKING,

ESPECIALLY A WOMAN WHO YOU'RE

KIND OF HOPING YOU GUYS COULD BE

SOME KIND OF ALLIES.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO

AR CLOSE TO KATHLEEN HAVE

WORRIED ABOUT HER SAFETY FOR A

VARIETY OF REASONS.

YOU KNOW, SHE'S EXPERIENCED

VIOLENCE TOWARDS HER IN REALLY

AGGRESSIVE WAYS THAT NOBODY

SHOULD HAVE TO EXPERIENCE.

HATRED FOR BIKINI KILL AND

SPECIFICALLY KATHLEEN.

SHE WOULD GET LETTERS FROM

GUYS THAT WERE LIKE, "YOU NEED

TO DIE. "

THEY JUST WANTED TO, LIKE, STAMP

HER OUT.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHY.

I REMEMBER THINGS LIKE THAT

WOULD HAPPEN, AND IT WOULD FEEL

TOTALLY SHITTY.

AND I WAS JUST LIKE, I HAD KIDS

WRITING ME, SAYING, LIKE, YOU

KNOW, "I WAS GONNA KILL MYSELF,

AND I GOT YOUR RECORD, AND YOU

SAVED MY LIFE. "

AND ALL I COULD SAY BACK IS,

LIKE, "YOU SAVED MY LIFE, TOO,

BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET THROUGH

ALL OF THE . NOT CRITICISM, BUT

ALL THE HATE THAT GOT THROWN MY

WAY. "

I MADE A RECORD CALLED

"JULIE RUIN" THAT WAS A SOLO

RECORD, AND I MADE IT KIND OF TO

ESCAPE WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO ME.

AND SO I MADE IT UNDER AN

ASSUMED NAME.

IN BIKINI KILL, I WAS SINGING TO

AN ELUSIVE ASSHOLE MALE THAT WAS

FUCKING THE WORLD OVER, AND I

WAS ALLOWING OTHER WOMEN TO

WATCH ME DO THAT.

AND I REALLY WANTED TO START

DIRECTLY SINGING TO OTHER WOMEN.

FOR KATHLEEN'S MUSIC TO GROW

IN DIRECTIONS TOWARD ELECTRONIC

MUSIC COMPLETELY MAKES SENSE TO

ME.

WHEN YOU'VE DISCONNECTED FROM

YOUR COMMUNITY OR LOST YOUR

COMMUNITY, IT'S AMAZING IF YOU

CAN SEIZE THE MEANS OF

TECHNOLOGY YOURSELF.

I WENT TO VISIT KATHLEEN, AND

WE WENT TO SOME MUSIC SHOP.

THEY HAD A DRUMATICS DRUM

MACHINE.

KATHLEEN BOUGHT THIS DRUM

MACHINE FOR 40 BUCKS.

THEN, SHE RECORDED, LIKE, THE

WHOLE FUCKING "JULIE RUIN"

RECORD.

THAT RECORD IS A FUCKING

MASTERPIECE.

IT WAS THIS WHOLE, NEW SIDE

OF KATHLEEN HANNA.

IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW SOMEONE.

THEY'RE YOUR FRIEND BUT HAD

NEVER OPENED UP THEIR SCRAPBOOK

AND SHOWED YOU WHAT REALLY MADE

THEM WHO THEY ARE.

THAT'S WHAT "JULIE RUIN" STARTED

TO DO FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE

INTERESTED IN KATHLEEN HANNA.

I FELT LIKE A LOT OF MY

GRAPHIC SENSIBILITY CAME OUT IN

IT BECAUSE USING SAMPLES, IT'S

VERY CUT-AND-PASTE.

MAKING IT FANCY FOR ME WAS

ALWAYS BEING IN MY ROOM BY

MYSELF AND CUTTING STUFF AND

HAVING THIS REALLY SPECIFIC

RELATIONSHIP TO MY MATERIALS

THAT WAS NOT MEDIATED BY ANYBODY

ELSE.

SHE WAS FIGURING EVERYTHING

OUT FOR HERSELF.

IT SOUNDED LO-FI AND ON

PURPOSE LO-FI AND JUST REALLY

SMART.

SOUNDS LIKE YOU COULD HEAR A

HUMAN BEING'S FINGERS ALL OVER

IT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE BEDROOM CULTURE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING A GIRL

MADE IN HER BEDROOM.

A GIRL'S BEDROOM SOMETIMES CAN

BE THIS SPACE OF REAL

CREATIVITY.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THESE

BEDROOMS ARE ALL CUT OFF FROM

EACH OTHER.

SO, HOW DO YOU TAKE THAT BEDROOM

THAT YOU'RE CUT OFF FROM ALL THE

OTHER GIRLS WHO ARE SECRETLY IN

THEIR BEDROOM WRITING SECRET

THINGS OR MAKING SECRET SONGS?

I WANTED THE "JULIE RUIN" RECORD

TO SOUND LIKE A GIRL FROM HER

BEDROOM MADE THIS RECORD BUT

THEN DIDN'T JUST THROW IT AWAY,

OR IT WASN'T JUST IN HER DIARY.

BUT SHE TOOK IT OUT AND SHARED

IT WITH PEOPLE.

♪ . HOW MANY TIMES

I MADE YOU CRY ♪

♪ YOU CAN TELL ANYONE

ANYTHING YOU WANT ♪

♪ BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT

HOW I DESERVE WHAT YOU DID,

YOU CAN LOOK NOW

'CAUSE I'M GONE ♪

TO ME, THE "JULIE RUIN"

RECORD IS WHAT REALLY CHANGED

KATHLEEN, IN TERMS OF HER, LIKE,

SHE WAS IN A BAND.

SHE WAS IN THIS BAND

BIKINI KILL, AND THEY DID ALL

THIS FUCKING STUFF.

AND SHE MADE THIS RECORD

"JULIE RUIN," AND SHE'S, LIKE,

NOW A MUSICIAN.

FUCK IT.

"JULIE RUIN" WAS KIND OF THE

TEMPLATE, THE FOUNDATION STONE.

AND THEN LE TIGRE WAS THE

BEGINNING OF A WHOLE NEW WORLD.

I DECIDED I WANTED TO MOVE TO

PORTLAND 'CAUSE I HAD TO GET OUT

OF OLYMPIA 'CAUSE IT WAS DRIVING

ME CRAZY.

I GAVE KATHLEEN MY 'ZINE.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D

CALL THAT, LIKE, MEETING HER.

I JUST, LIKE, SAID HI AND GAVE

IT TO HER AT A SHOW AT THE

X-RAY CAFé IN PORTLAND.

I READ JO'S FANZINE, AND I

WAS LIKE, "THIS IS THE BEST

FANZINE I'VE READ EVER.

SHE HAS TO BE MY NEW BEST

FRIEND. "

BASICALLY, I SPENT A WHOLE DAY,

LIKE, JUST DRIVING AROUND,

LOOKING FOR HER.

SHE WAS LIKE, "YOU'RE GONNA

BE MY FRIEND.

WE'RE GONNA BE IN A BAND.

AND THAT'S THAT. "

AND I WAS LIKE, "OKAY. "

MY ORIGINAL IDEA WAS TO TRY

AND MAKE THE "JULIE RUIN" RECORD

INTO A STAGE SHOW.

I NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A

BAND AGAIN IN MY WHOLE LIFE, I'M

CONVINCED OF IT, IF IT WASN'T

FOR MY FRIENDSHIP WITH JOHANNA,

'CAUSE I WAS REALLY BURNT OUT

AND SAD.

I WAS REALLY DEPRESSED.

I REMEMBER SITTING IN MY CAR,

AND IT WAS RAINING, WITH JO.

AND I JUST, LIKE, LOOKED AT HER

AND STARTED CRYING.

AND I JUST TOLD HER EVERYTHING.

♪ I WANT YOU TO STAY

I STARTED REALIZING THAT I

SHOULD MOVE TO NEW YORK.

WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A PLACE

TO STAY, EXACTLY.

WE WERE BOTH REALLY BROKE.

I MEAN, REALLY BROKE.

I JUST MOVED TO NEW YORK WITH

$400.

THERE'S NO WAY I COULD HAVE

AFFORDED RENT, SO I WAS REALLY

FORTUNATE THAT I HAD A BOYFRIEND

WHO HAD AN APARTMENT AND WOULD

LET ME STAY WITH HIM.

YOU KNOW, I WAS PSYCHED ABOUT

EVERYTHING . PSYCHED ABOUT

RIDING THE SUBWAY, GOING TO

MUSEUMS, BEING NEAR JOHANNA,

BEING WITH ADAM.

EVERYTHING WAS GOOD AGAIN FOR

ME.

AND THEN THE WOODSTOCK THING

HAPPENED.

WOODSTOCK '99.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS

SITUATION.

IT WAS DISGUSTING.

I WAS MOLESTED.

I WAS STOMPING AROUND THE

APARTMENT, PISSED OFF.

AND HE WAS STOMPING AROUND THE

APARTMENT, PISSED OFF.

EIGHT RAPES AND SEXUAL

ASSAULTS DURING THE FESTIVAL

REPORTED.

I WAS, LIKE, "WHY DON'T YOU

SAY SOMETHING AT YOUR ACCEPTANCE

SPEECH?"

AND THEN WE SAT DOWN, AND WE

WORKED ON WRITING SOMETHING, AND

THEN HE DID IT.

♪ ALSO KNOWN

FOR THE FLINTSTONE FLOP ♪

♪ TAMMY "D" GETS BIZ

ON THE CROPS ♪

♪ BEASTIE BOYS

KNOW TO LET THE BEAT

MMM. . DROP ♪

♪ NOW WHEN I WROTE GRAFFITI,

MY NAME WAS SLOP ♪

♪ IF I RAP SOUP,

MY BEATS IS STOCK ♪

I READ IN THE NEWS AND HEARD

FROM MY FRIENDS ALL ABOUT THE

SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND THE RAPES

THAT WENT DOWN AT WOODSTOCK '99.

IT MADE ME FEEL REALLY SAD AND

ANGRY, OKAY?

WHEN HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT

SOMETHING REAL AMONGST ALL OF

THIS COMPLETELY SUPERFICIAL

BULLSHIT, THE ROOM JUST . IT

WAS LIKE. .

LIKE, EVERYTHING CHANGED.

THE WHOLE ROOM, IT FELT SO "WHO

FARTED?"

LIKE, BEYOND "WHO FARTED?"

ARE YOU ALL THERE?

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

OKAY.

Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT, WOODSTOCK?

IT DEFINITELY SUCKED THE PARTY

OUT OF THE ROOM, THAT'S FOR

SURE, FOR A MINUTE.

BUT I'M SURE SOMEBODY GOT UP.

I'M SURE UNCLE CRACKER GOT UP

AND PLAYED SOME AWESOME SONG,

AND THE AUDIENCE WAS BACK.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

♪ WHO TOOK THE BOMP?

KATHLEEN HAD A BASS, AND SHE

REALLY WANTED TO PLAY DRUMS.

I HAD BOUGHT A SAMPLER.

I WAS INTERESTED IN MAKING

SAMPLE-BASED ELECTRONIC MUSIC.

JO BELIEVED IN ME, SO MUCH

THAT SHE WENT DOWN IN THIS DINGY

BASEMENT AND WROTE WITH ME EVERY

SINGLE DAY.

THINGS SHIFTED WITH J. D.

JOINING LE TIGRE.

I REMEMBER GETTING A CALL

FROM KATHLEEN.

SHE WAS LIKE, "WE'RE PRACTICING,

AND WE WANT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT

TO DO OUR SLIDES. "

WE WENT ON, LIKE, A TWO-WEEK

TOUR OF THE EAST COAST, AND SHE

WAS, LIKE, "YOU'RE A PERFORMER.

YOU REALLY NEED TO BE ON STAGE. "

DURING THAT TOUR, KATHLEEN WAS

LIKE, "WILL YOU BE IN OUR BAND?"

AND I WAS LIKE, "YEAH. "

THE SECOND SHE WAS ON STAGE,

SHE JUST HAD SUCH A GREAT STAGE

PRESENCE.

WE WERE, LIKE, THE FEMINIST

PARTY BAND.

OUR WHOLE ETHIC WAS ABOUT MAKING

SOMETHING THAT HAD POLITICALLY

RADICAL CONTENT THAT YOU COULD

DANCE TO.

KATHLEEN'S VOICE WAS

BEAUTIFUL.

SHE'S, LIKE, AT THAT PERFECT AGE

AT THAT POINT TO HAVE, LIKE,

THIS FULL, RESONANT, AMAZING,

POWERFUL VOICE.

LE TIGRE SEEMED LIKE IT WAS MUCH

MORE SOPHISTICATED AND MATURE.

IT UNDERSTOOD WHAT PEOPLE NEEDED

AT THAT TIME, IN TERMS OF

DANCEABILITY, STILL MAINTAINING

A REALLY INTERESTING MESSAGE, A

MESSAGE OF NONCOMPETITION, OF A

CULTURE OF PRAISE, BUT

SOPHISTICATED AND UNDERSTANDING

WHAT A GOOD POP SONG IS.

BIKINI KILL UNDERSTOOD SONG

STRUCTURE, TOO, BUT LE TIGRE

JUST, LIKE, FUCKING NAILED IT.

♪ COME ON

♪ OH, OH, OH, OH

WE DID, LIKE, A REALLY LONG

TOUR AFTER "THIS ISLAND" WAS

RELEASED, AND IT WAS LIKE A

WORLD TOUR, A YEAR AND A HALF.

WE WENT TO AUSTRALIA.

WE WENT TO JAPAN.

WE DID THE U. S. AND EUROPE AND

EVERYTHING.

♪ TAKE A GOOD LOOK

♪ TAKE A PHOTO

♪ WRITE ABOUT IT

IN YOUR TINY NOTEBOOK ♪

♪ DON'T YOU KNOW?

♪ YOU'RE OUT CO-O-LD

♪ DON'T YOU KNOW?

♪ IT'S OUR DANCE FLOOR

♪ T. K. O.

♪ HEAR IT ON THE RADIO

♪ T. K. O.

♪ PLAY IT ON THE STEREO

♪ T. K. O.

♪ WATCH A LIVE VIDEO

♪ T. K. O.

♪ HEAR IT ON THE RADIO

♪ T. K. O.

♪ PLAY IT ON THE STEREO

♪ T. K. O.

♪ WATCH A LIVE VIDEO

♪ T. K. O.

♪ T. K. O. O.

LE TIGRE MOVED OUT INTO,

LIKE, BIGGER AND BIGGER CIRCLES,

EMBRACED MORE AND MORE OF

HUMANITY AND ALL THE ISSUES.

AND WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO

BE A FEMINIST?

IT MEANS THAT YOU PAY ATTENTION

TO ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF

OPPRESSION, AND YOU STAND UP FOR

ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE

A VOICE, WHETHER THEY'RE TRANS

OR PEOPLE OF COLOR OR CLASS,

RACE, GENDER, SEXUALITY,

EVERYTHING.

SHE DID THAT.

AND THEN, THE NEXT CHALLENGE IS,

LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO THAT ON A

PERSONAL LEVEL?

♪ THE OCEAN CALLS US

AWAY FROM. . ♪

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

ALL THE SUDDEN, IN

NORTH CAROLINA, I LOST MY VOICE,

AND AT SOUND CHECK, I LOST

PITCH.

I ALWAYS THINK OF IT AS A

BULLET, KIND OF, LIKE, MY VOICE

IS A BULLET.

AND THERE'S, LIKE, A NOTE THAT I

WANT TO HIT THAT'S HERE OR

THAT'S HERE OR HERE OR WHATEVER,

AND THEN THE BREATH IS LIKE THE

BULLET COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH.

AND IT'S GOING TO HIT THE

TARGET?

WELL, I WAS LIKE . I COULD GET

THE BREATH, BUT THEN THE BULLET

WOULD JUST GO "WAAHHH. "

LIKE, I COULDN'T HIT THE TARGET.

I WAS TERRIFIED.

I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

SO, WE CANCELED THE SHOW IN

NORTH CAROLINA, AND I WENT BACK

TO NEW YORK AND FOUND A THROAT

SPECIALIST.

IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY TRAUMATIC

WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE

IT WAS LIKE SINGING IS MY LIFE,

LIKE, IT'S EVERYTHING TO ME.

♪ . IF I WOULD SAY THAT,

TOO ♪

♪ I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT

WHEN YOU HAVE A SORE THROAT, YOU

HAVE A SORE THROAT, BUT ONCE THE

ADRENALINE WOULD KICK IN FOR A

SHOW, I DIDN'T EVER FEEL ANY

PAIN.

I NEVER FELT PAIN ONSTAGE,

EVER.

NO MATTER HOW BAD I FELT, ONCE I

WAS ONSTAGE AND THE LIGHTS HIT

ME, I WAS FINE.

WHEN I'M PLAYING MUSIC, I DON'T

FEEL ANYTHING BAD.

♪ I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT

♪ I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT

♪ YOU ARE. .

WE WERE SO ENMESHED IN OUR BAND

THAT THAT'S ALL WE DID.

IT WAS ALL BAND, BAND, BAND,

BAND, BAND, AND I'D BEEN IN THAT

MODE OF EVERY BAND I'D DONE WAS

JUST A COMPLETE IMMERSION, WHERE

MY IDENTITY WAS SO WRAPPED UP IN

MY BANDS THAT IT WASN'T REALLY

HEALTHY.

♪ YOU GOT TO KEEP ON

♪ KEEP ON LIVIN'

♪ YOU GOT TO KEEP ON

♪ KEEP ON LIVIN'

♪ YOU GOT TO KEEP ON

KATHLEEN STARTED GETTING SICK

ON TOUR A LOT, WHICH HAPPENS.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

I GET SICK EVERY TOUR, FIRST DAY

OF THE TOUR.

IT JUST HAPPENS.

♪ DISPROPORTIONATE REACTIONS

JUST WON'T FADE ♪

I NOTICED HER FEELING

DEPRESSED MORE THAN ANYTHING,

AND I THINK I NOTICED HER HAVING

MORE AND MORE SICKNESS, IN TERMS

OF, LIKE, LOSING HER VOICE,

GETTING STREP THROAT, WHATEVER.

AND SHE WAS TAKING ANTIBIOTICS A

LOT.

SO, I THINK THAT I DID HAVE SOME

SORT OF SENSE OF, LIKE, THE FACT

THAT SHE WASN'T WELL.

♪ KEEP ON LIVIN'

♪ YOU GOT TO KEEP ON

♪ KEEP ON LIVIN'

I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING

WRONG, FOR SURE.

I WAS REALLY WORRIED.

♪ KEEP ON LIVIN'

♪ KEEP ON LIVIN'

♪ KEEP ON LIVIN'

♪ YOU GOT TO KEEP ON LIVIN'

♪ KEEP ON LIVIN'

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

I STRUGGLED THROUGH THE

LE TIGRE TOUR DATES THAT WE HAD

AND EVERYTHING WE HAD PLANNED

AND FINISHED IT.

WHOO!

THANK YOU, GUYS!

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I SAT DOWN WITH JO AND J. D. AND

SAID, "I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE. "

WE ALL HAD LUNCH ONE DAY, AND

IT WAS KIND OF JUST, LIKE, WE

ALL KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS

GONNA HAPPEN, BUT WE WEREN'T

SURE WHAT.

AND KATHLEEN WAS LIKE, "I DON'T

WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE. "

I KIND OF FELT, LIKE, SPENT

IN TERMS OF WRITING SONGS.

I FELT LIKE I HAD SAID

EVERYTHING I HAD TO SAY UP TO

THAT POINT.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

OUR LAST REAL HEADLINING SHOW

WAS AT WEBSTER HALL IN NEW YORK.

[ CHEERING CONTINUES ]

I LIED WHEN I SAID I WAS

DONE.

I KNEW I WASN'T DONE.

I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO FACE THE

FACT THAT I WAS REALLY SICK.

I WANTED TO HAVE CONTROL OVER

IT.

I WANTED TO TELL EVERYBODY I

CHOSE TO STOP.

[ Voice breaking ] BUT I

DIDN'T . I DIDN'T . I DIDN'T

CHOOSE.

I WAS TOLD BY MY BODY I HAD TO

STOP.

BUT THAT WAS REALLY PAINFUL FOR

ME TO BE TOLD BY ANYBODY OR

ANYTHING WHAT I COULD AND

COULDN'T DO.

SO, I TOLD MYSELF AND TOLD MY

BANDMATES AND TOLD MY HUSBAND

AND TOLD THE WORLD THAT I CHOSE

TO STOP PLAYING MUSIC BECAUSE I

HAD NOTHING ELSE TO SAY. .

BECAUSE THAT FELT BETTER TO ME

THAN BEING IN TOUCH WITH THE

FACT THAT I MIGHT NOT EVER BE

ABLE TO DO THE THING I LOVE MORE

THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD.

[ INSECTS CHIRPING ]

WE WERE SEEING JUST, LIKE,

ALL THESE DIFFERENT DOCTORS,

TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.

AND THEY WERE TELLING HER ALL

THIS DIFFERENT STUFF, AND THEY

WERE DOING ALL KINDS OF

FUCKED-UP, CRAZY TESTS.

THEY WERE LIKE . SHE HAD SOME

WEIRD EYE THING, AND THE

DOCTOR'S LIKE, "OH, YEAH, IT'S

PROBABLY LUPUS, OR IT COULD BE

M. S. "

JUST LIKE ALL THIS FUCKING CRAZY

SHIT, AND YOU'RE LIKE, "WHAT?!"

2008, THE ILLNESSES TOOK A

REALLY WEIRD TURN.

SEX EDUCATION THROUGH. .

I WENT TO THE

PLANNED PARENTHOOD MARCH.

I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE.

I WAS HAVING LANGUAGE PROBLEMS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WAS THE LEAD

SINGER FOR BIKINI KILL.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

I FEEL LIKE I DON'T HAVE TO SAY

ANYTHING ELSE.

AND LE TIGRE AND THE CO-FOUNDER

OF THE RIOT GRRRL MOVEMENT.

[ CHEERING CONTINUES ]

I COULDN'T HEAR OUT OF THE

ONE EAR, AND I WAS, LIKE, REALLY

STRUGGLING.

ALL THE SUDDEN, THE SOUND

CHANGES IN YOUR HEAD.

I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A STROKE.

I COULDN'T TALK.

I COULDN'T COMMUNICATE.

AND I WAS SLURRING, LIKE I WAS

DRUNK.

ONE SIDE OF MY BODY FELT NUMB.

THE PARAMEDICS THOUGHT THAT I

HAD A MINOR HEART ATTACK.

WHEN I GOT TO THE HOSPITAL, THE

DOCTOR ASKED ME FOR ALL MY

SYMPTOMS, AND AT THAT POINT, I

WAS LIKE, "I'M NOT GONNA LIE. "

I JUST WAS LIKE, "FUCK IT.

I'M IN THE HOSPITAL.

I'M JUST GONNA TELL THIS WOMAN

EVERYTHING. "

SHE WAS JUST LIKE, "YEAH, YOU'RE

JUST HAVING A PANIC ATTACK,

BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY THAT YOU

COULD BE HAVING NEUROLOGICAL

STUFF AND BREATHING DIFFICULTIES

AND THE STOMACH STUFF. "

SHE WAS LIKE, "THERE'S TOO MANY

BODY SYSTEMS TO BE INVOLVED, AND

THERE'S NO ILLNESS THAT HAS ALL

THOSE BODY SYSTEMS INVOLVED. "

[ BIRDS CHIRPING ]

TO BE LIVING WITH SOMETHING AND

NOT KNOWING WHAT IT IS, IS

REALLY TERRIFYING.

I HAVE LATE-STAGE LYME DISEASE,

WHICH MEANS I'VE HAD

LYME DISEASE FOR . NOW FOR

ABOUT SIX YEARS.

WHEN SHE CAME TO SEE ME, SHE

HAD BEEN ILL FOR ABOUT FIVE

YEARS.

SHE ACTUALLY RECALLED THAT SHE

HAD BEEN BITTEN BY A TICK BACK

IN 2005.

AND, IN FACT, GOING THROUGH HER

HISTORY, SHE HAD BEEN TREATED

FOR LYME DISEASE.

I TOOK ANTIBIOTICS FOR THREE

WEEKS AFTERWARDS.

SO, WHEN I GOT SICK LATER, I

NEVER ASSOCIATED IT WITH

LYME DISEASE.

AND WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT UP TO ME

BY DIFFERENT SPECIALISTS, I

SAID, "I ALREADY TOOK THE TEST. "

YOU KNOW, I WOULD PULL OUT MY

SHITTY ELISA TEST THAT'S, LIKE,

THE $20 TEST THAT THE INSURANCE

COMPANY WANTS YOU TO TAKE, SHOW

IT TO DOCTORS, AND NOBODY SAID,

"OH, THAT'S ACTUALLY A CRAPPY,

TOTALLY UNRELIABLE TEST. "

BUT EVENTUALLY I GOT A TEST

CALLED THE WESTERN BLOT TEST,

AND IT LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS

TREE.

IT'S LIKE IF YOU WERE

SUPERMAN, AND YOU MET

KRYPTONITE.

THAT'S WHAT LYME DISEASE IS

LIKE.

I GOT TO TAKE MY PILLS.

WHEN YOU START TREATING

SOMEONE WITH LYME DISEASE, THAT

PERSON MIGHT GET WORSE BEFORE

THEY GET BETTER.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU WAKE THE

SLEEPING GIANT WHEN YOU USE THE

ANTIBIOTIC, AND THE INFECTION

KICKS BACK EVEN HARDER.

I JUST TOOK MY MEDICATION AN

HOUR AGO.

AND. .

I GUESS I'M HAVING A REACTION

NOW TO THE. .

INFECTION AND THE MEDICATION

MEETING UP OR SOMETHING.

I'M FILMING THIS KIND OF BECAUSE

IN MY MOVIE, IN THE MOVIE ABOUT

ME, I TALK ABOUT HAVING THIS

DISEASE AND, UM, HOW IT MAKES IT

SO I CAN'T DO THINGS.

AND, OBVIOUSLY, I CAN'T BE ON

STAGE WHEN I'M LIKE THIS, AND

THIS IS ME WHEN IT'S BAD AS IT

GETS.

DO I LOOK NORMAL?

NO.

'CAUSE IT DOESN'T FEEL NORMAL

RIGHT NOW.

BUT. .

I WANT TO SHOW WHAT IT'S LIKE,

BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE GET

MISDIAGNOSED.

LIKE, I WAS MISDIAGNOSED FOR

FIVE YEARS.

IT INVADES, LIKE, EVERY PART OF

YOUR BODY, AND THEN, WHEN YOU

TRY TO GET RID OF IT, YOU HAVE

THESE REALLY FUCKED-UP

REACTIONS, AND YOU CAN'T CONTROL

YOUR BODY OR YOUR SPEECH, AND

IT'S REAL UNCOMFORTABLE.

SO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT. .

[ CRYING ]

THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR NOW.

WE'LL GET A SEIZURE LATER.

I'M SURE I'LL GET A SEIZURE

LATER.

I THINK WE SHOULD DO A FEW

MORE TAKES.

[ LAUGHS ]

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALLY

SAW HER AT HER SICKEST.

YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST HER AND

ADAM.

MORE STRESSED OUT THAN I'VE

BEEN IN A LONG TIME.

SHIT IS CRAZY.

WHEN YOU HAVE AN ILLNESS LIKE

THIS, IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN IT TO

OTHER PEOPLE.

THE EXPECTATION OUT THERE IS,

"OKAY, SO, YOU HAD LYME DISEASE.

YOU TOOK ANTIBIOTICS.

YOU SHOULD BE BETTER. "

WHEN YOU'VE HAD IT FOR FIVE

YEARS, AND IT HASN'T BEEN

TREATED, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE THE

WAY THAT IT WORKS.

SHE NEVER TALKED ABOUT HER

HEALTH OR THE PAIN SHE WAS IN OR

ANYTHING.

I DIDN'T KNOW FOR A LONG

TIME.

PEOPLE WHO RUN AROUND BEING

HEROES ACT LIKE THEY DON'T NEED

HELP.

THAT'S THE NATURE OF BEING A

HERO IS YOU DON'T NEED HELP.

YOU'RE THE HELPER.

THERE ARE MOMENTS WHERE SHE

KNOWS THAT SHE CAN ASK FOR HELP.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S

NECESSARILY AN ORGANIC THING FOR

HER.

I REALIZED I WANTED TO WRITE

A RECORD WHEN I STARTED GETTING

SICKER AND SICKER AND SICKER,

'CAUSE ONCE, LIKE, I REALLY WAS

PRETTY SURE I COULDN'T DO IT, I

REALLY WANTED IT.

THE THING THAT MADE ME CHANGE OR

FACE IT WAS THAT MY ILLNESS WAS

NOT ONLY AFFECTING ME.

IT WAS AFFECTING THE PEOPLE THAT

I LOVE.

I WORKED AT A DOMESTIC-VIOLENT

SHELTER, AND I REMEMBER WOMEN

ALL THE TIME SAYING, "I COULD

TAKE IT, BUT WHEN HE STARTED

ABUSING THE KIDS, I PICKED THEM

UP AND LEFT. "

THEY WERE, LIKE, TOTALLY

PROTECTIVE OF THEIR CHILDREN,

BUT THEY WEREN'T PROTECTIVE OF

THEMSELVES.

WHEN I SAW IT AFFECTING JO, HOW

BAD IT AFFECTED JO AND J. D. AND

ADAM, AND I WAS LIKE, "IT'S NOT

HELPING THEM THAT I'M MINIMIZING

THIS. "

IT WAS JUST SO MUCH EASIER ON

EVERYBODY IF I JUST FACED WHAT

WAS HAPPENING, STOPPED BLAMING

MYSELF, AND FUCKING DEALT WITH

IT.

I CALL MY NEW BAND

THE JULIE RUIN BECAUSE IT'S KIND

OF AN OUTGROWTH OF THE SOLO

PROJECT I DID IN '99.

IT'S REALLY JUST DIFFERENT IN

THAT I'M NOT TRYING TO WRITE

ANTHEMS OR ANYTHING.

I'M JUST WRITING SONGS AND

LETTING THEM BE WHAT THEY WANT

TO BE.

[ BELLS JINGLING ]

♪ DON'T GO AWAY

♪ DON'T GO AWAY

I FEEL EMBARRASSED WHEN

PEOPLE COME UP AND TELL ME THAT

I MATTER TO THEM OR SOMETHING

LIKE THAT AND SORT OF LIKE HAVE

ALL THESE PEOPLE PUT ON THIS

SHOW AND, LIKE, DO COVERS OF

SONGS THAT I'VE SUNG.

IT FEELS, LIKE, OVERWHELMING AND

HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN ABLE TO

GRASP IT.

JUST ALL I'VE BEEN THROUGH OVER

THE PAST FEW YEARS IN GETTING MY

DIAGNOSIS SO CLOSE TO THE SHOW.

IT'S JUST WHEN I WAS REALLY

SICK, I WOULD SIT AROUND AND BE,

LIKE, IMAGINE PEOPLE BEING

SUPPORTIVE AND LOVING, 'CAUSE I

NEVER LET THAT IN BEFORE.

AND I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO DO

THAT BECAUSE I WAS SO SICK FOR

FIVE YEARS.

AND NOW IT'S, LIKE, GONNA BE

PHYSICAL, LIKE, I'M ACTUALLY

GONNA GO TO THIS PLACE, AND ALL

THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST GONNA BE

TOTALLY LOVING AND SUPPORTING

ME.

AND IT'S. .

[ SNIFFLES ]

IT'S OVERWHELMING.

WITH THE ILLNESS STUFF, IT MEANS

THIS EXTRA THING THAT ONLY MY

FRIENDS KNOW ABOUT.

SO, IT'S WEIRD TO BE GOING TO

THIS PUBLIC EVENT, WHERE, LIKE,

PEOPLE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT

I'VE BEEN THROUGH.

YEAH.

IS EVERYTHING TURNED OFF THAT

NOTHING'S GONNA BLOW UP?

♪ IS IT SOMETHING INESSENTIAL

WHEN I CANNOT HEAR YOU TALK? ♪

♪ IS IT SOMETHING SENTIMENTAL?

OVER HERE, OVER HERE.

[ ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ]

♪ DOUBLE DARE YA

♪ DOUBLE DARE YA

♪ DOUBLE, TRIPLE

FUCKING DARE YA, GIRLFRIEND ♪

♪ DOUBLE DARE YA

♪ DOUBLE DARE YA

♪ DOUBLE DARE YA, GIRL

I JUST WANT TO READ THIS VERY

SPECIAL TEXT BY KATHLEEN.

THIS IS CALLED "RIOT GRRRL

MANIFESTO. "

"BECAUSE US GIRLS CRAVE RECORDS

AND BOOKS AND FANZINES THAT

SPEAK TO US, THAT WE FEEL

INCLUDED IN AND CAN UNDERSTAND

IN OUR OWN WAYS, BECAUSE I

BELIEVE WITH MY WHOLE HEART,

MIND, BODY THAT GRRRLS

CONSTITUTE A REVOLUTIONARY SOUL

FORCE THAT CAN AND WILL CHANGE

THE WORLD FOR REAL. "

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

THANK YOU, KATHLEEN HANNA!

ALL RIGHT, KIDS, ARE YOU

READY?!

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE

JULIE RUIN!

[ CHEERING CONTINUES ]

HEY, EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

THIS IS A REALLY SPECIAL NIGHT

FOR ME.

SO, WE'RE THE JULIE RUIN, AND

WE'RE WRITING A NEW ALBUM.

ARE YOU GUYS READY?

YEAH.

[ UP-TEMPO INTRODUCTION PLAYS ]

WHAT IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE?

I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA.

I JUST THINK THERE'S THIS

CERTAIN ASSUMPTION THAT WHEN A

MAN TELLS THE TRUTH, IT'S THE

TRUTH.

AND WHEN AS A WOMAN I GO TO TELL

THE TRUTH, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO

NEGOTIATE THE WAY I'LL BE

PERCEIVED.

LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S ALWAYS

THE SUSPICION AROUND A WOMEN'S

TRUTH, THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE

EXAGGERATING.

I DON'T JUST SIT THERE AND BE

LIKE, "THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS,

THIS. "

THERE'S THIS WHOLE FEAR THAT I'M

GONNA HAVE FINALLY FUCKING

STEPPED TO THE PLATE AND TOLD

THE TRUTH, AND SOMEONE'S GONNA

SAY, "EH, I DON'T THINK SO. "

♪ AR-AR-AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON

IF I WOULDN'T HAVE ADMITTED TO

MYSELF THAT, LIKE, THE

SEXUAL-ABUSE STUFF THAT HAPPENED

IN MY LIFE, IT WASN'T JUST,

LIKE, ONE THING THAT HAPPENED

WHEN I WAS LITTLE AND ALSO HOW

MY DAD TREATED ME AND BLAH,

BLAH, BLAH.

IT WAS LIKE ALL OF THESE

DIFFERENT THINGS.

LIKE, I WOULD NEVER WANT TO TELL

EVERYBODY THE WHOLE, ENTIRE

STORY, BECAUSE IT SOUNDED CRAZY.

IT SOUNDED JUST LIKE TOO BIG OF

A CAN OF WORMS, LIKE, WHO WOULD

BELIEVE ME?

AND THEN I WAS LIKE, "OTHER

WOMEN WOULD BELIEVE ME. "

I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT PEOPLE

THINK.

I KNOW WHAT'S REAL.

I DON'T CARE IF PEOPLE DON'T

THINK FEMINISM IS IMPORTANT,

BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS.

AND I DON'T CARE IF PEOPLE DON'T

THINK LATE-STAGE LYME DISEASE

EXISTS BECAUSE I HAVE IT, AND

OTHER PEOPLE HAVE IT, AND WE

HELP EACH OTHER, AND WE KNOW IT

EXISTS.

AND OTHER PEOPLE CAN THINK

WHATEVER THEY WANT.

MY PROBLEM IS WHEN PEOPLE GET

IN THE WAY OF FEMINISM OR PEOPLE

GET IN THE WAY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE

SICK GETTING BETTER, BECAUSE

THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

AND IF THEY DON'T WANT TO

BELIEVE IN IT, OR THEY DON'T

WANT TO CARE ABOUT IT, THAT'S

TOTALLY FINE, BUT THEY SHOULD

HAVE TO STAY OUT OF MY WAY.

♪ I HEAR YOU TALK, TALK

♪ BUT I CAN TELL

YOU'RE MORE HISTRIONIC

THAN HISTORICAL ♪

♪ YOU'RE JUST A FAKE WELL-READ,

SUPER-MEAN GIRL ♪

♪ I DON'T WANT ANYWHERE

NEAR MY WORLD ♪

♪ AND IF ANTI-YOU

MEANS ANTI-US

I GUESS WE JUST BIT THE DUST

'CAUSE IN REVERSE

IT'S STILL A FUCKING PAGEANT ♪

♪ OH, SO CURSED,

NOT REAL MAGIC ♪

♪ AR-AR-AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON

♪ AR-AR-AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON

♪ AR-AR-AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON

♪ AR-AR-AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON

♪ AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON

♪ AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON

♪ AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON

♪ AR-AR-ARMAGEDDON ♪

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO

♪ THIS IS ALL IN RUSSIAN, BOY,

NO NEED TO STEAL ♪

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO-DO

♪ DO-DO-DO-DO DO-DO-DO