The Reign of Rebel Girl: How Bikini Kill Headlined the Riot Grrrl Revolution
Photo by Alice Wheeler
Emerging from Olympia, Washington and with ties to DC, in 1990, feminist punk band Bikini Kill fought to cause discomfort and uprising amongst the patriarchal society of their time. Hell-bent on female led resistance, Kathleen Hanna, William Karren (a.k.a. Billy Boredom), Tobi Vail, and Kathi Wilcox combined spunky, politically motivated lyrics with blistering guitar tones and aggressive rhythmic support to pioneer what would later become known as the Riot Grrrl movement. Citing the 1987 trio Babes in Toyland as their inspiration, these four aspiring musicians took to exciting a newer, younger female regime of punk rockers, misfits, and anything in between as a means to spark cultural resistance. Their live show antics, fan-zines, and blatant disdain for the world as it was known paved the way for an underground, informal network of female voices ready to be heard. Initially intended to be a zine, Kathleen Hanna, Tobi Vail, and Kathi Wilcox published what they dubbed Bikini Kill as students of Olympia’s Evergreen College in the late 80’s. The seemingly liberal community that surrounded the university failed to give this publication a running start leading the three ladies to take to more aggressive, in-your-face strategies. After enlisting William Karren as a guitarist, the lineup of youthful vigilantes took the name Bikini Kill and went full force into becoming a touring band. Hanna, a former stripper, used her provocative demeanor in combination with raw instrumentals to depict the harsh reality females so dearly wish to escape in the underground, punk-rock scene. It was not an uncommon occurrence to see a stark divide in the audience at a Bikini Kill show in the early to mid 90’s. Slam dancers and mosh pits broke out amongst the majority but could not touch the rows of women front and center. Each of these females being invited on stage throughout the show to share stories of domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape: the things that disgusted a white male to hear. That brought discomfort to his control. Time after time, awareness was raised by an army of rebel girls with the members of Bikini Kill at the forefront. More and more women joined new and existing bands inspired by Hanna, Karren, Vail, and Wilcox. For seven years, the Riot Grrrl Revolution raged with self-produced, gritty Bikini Kill cassettes blasting. Most notably, Rebel Girl off of the group's 1993 singles run became the battle cry of a generation. Joan Jett, another Riot Grrrl icon of the era, co-produced the track that echoed throughout the walls of DIY music venues across the planet. From Japan to Europe to Australia, there was no escaping the wrath of these riot grrrls. Bikini Kill unfortunately called it quits in 1997 but has nevertheless sent shockwaves embraced by feminist constructs that have been felt by generation after male dominated generation. These girls think they’re the queens of the neighbor, and I’ve got news for you… They are.
Written by Dannon Johnson
