June has been – and continues to be – a weird month for shows. The pre-festival season lull where there’s a handful of stadium shows and near enough nothing else while the other bands get some rest in before hitting the muddy fields.
One of the very few medium sized shows this month is the return of legendary riot grrrl act Bikini Kill to the O2 Academy tonight, though! The reunited force of nature – who had to literally fight their way through the 90s – to become the band who any parent worth their salt would expose their daughters to.
The support for tonight is R.Aggs (or Ray Aggs to their friends) who you may know better as one half of Sacred Paws. It’s a one person show with a table full of gizmos that do bleeps, bloops, beats and loops. If you were to invite me to any show of this persuasion, there’s every chance I’d politely decline as I favour drum kits and loud guitars. This act, however, is pure sunshine.
Ray beams and dances as they create fun-sounding songs which includes live violin and guitar. A crazy dance that reminds me of the flailing, inflatable guys outside car showrooms – which an impressive patch of the crowd imitate – is undeniably joyful. You can’t watch this act and not find yourself smiling.
The best thing about tonight is how young the majority of the audience are. Most of these fans wouldn’t have been born when Bikini Kill were trailblazing and I absolutely love that. That’s how you know a band are worthy of the overused ‘legend’ status… They’re influencing multiple generations. And that young generation go mental when the lights go down.
Frontwoman Ms Kathleen Hanna begins by saying that it must have been twenty years since they were last in Glasgow. This absence explains the excitement of the crowd as a lot of them wouldn’t have been born back then and this is the first chance to see the band who are undoubtedly idols. They then launch into ‘New Radio’ and the party begins.
The band may have aged with the rest of us, but that’s not affected the energy which Hanna puts out. A performance full of authentic punk mannerisms and quirks coupled with impressive vocals easily puts her up with Biafra and Lydon. It’s not long into the set that you’re reminded of how criminal it is that Bikini Kill aren’t frequently mentioned alongside their male-led counterparts. The performance goes a long way to expose the scene as being as patriarchal as any other, where you have to dig deep to find other acts past Siouxsie Sioux or X Ray Spex.
When people speak about Bikini Kill it’s often how Tobi Vail dated Kurt Cobain or how Kathleen Hanna came up with the phrase “Smells Like Teen Spirit” when playfully slagging him off via graffiti… regardless of the achievements or talents of women, we somehow feel the need to make it about the men they sleep with. The fact that we’re stood in the O2 Academy in 2024 watching this band, as opposed to the likes of The Cathouse or Classic Grand proves that Bikini Kill deserve to be on the Mount Rushmore of influential punk.
Most of the stage presence comes from the frontwoman as guitarist Erica and bassist Kathi are mostly static, but the musical contribution is tight and sounds ferocious. The band aren’t only playing a supporting role to their main singer, however as a shuffling of roles allows drummer Tobi Vail to take the spotlight and perform lead vocals. There’s no flashy light show or pyro, no confetti cannons, and no lasers – and there’s no need for them, either.
All eyes are on the band tonight as no one wants to miss a second of this show. Yeah, I could list what songs were played, how ‘Carnival’ is my favourite, or how ‘Rebel Girl’ was the encore – but it’s almost as if what songs were played doesn’t matter. What mattered was being in the room at the time and just embracing the spirit being put out from the stage. Between the music, the chat between songs which is affirming without being preachy, or the freeing energy that’s put out by this band, tonight has been special. Being able to say that you were there should be considered a righteous brag and if nothing else, should make you hope they come back very soon.
Photos by Catching Light Photography
Catching Light Photography
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