[atlantaprog] Re: female guitarists

>Well, the only slide player that I can name is Steve Howe.  That shows you 
>how much I know about slide players!  But if Bonnie Raitt has won top spot 
>in more readers polls in the guitar mags than anyone in history, doesn't 
>that say that people DO think of her as a good guitarist, not just a chick 
>with a guitar?  Doesn't that say that she ISN'T forgotten just because she's 
>female?  I don't understand how that supports your theory.

I guess my point here is that besides the people who read/keep up with
guitar player mags, speaking of just your average person, would they
recognize Bonnie Raitt, etc.  My point was, no, probably not, because it's
one of those "in the know" things.  I'm glad other guitar players support
her, but it's kind of a shame that your average person probably doesn't,
because they are just not aware.  

>I think people ARE more likely to know a female guitarist then an equally 
>talented male guitarist.  What female guitar players are getting less 
>recognition than their equally accomplishing male counterparts?  I know who 
>Nancy Wilson is, but I don't know who played guitar for Foreigner or Boston 
>or Chicago.  I don't think Nancy Wilson was any more accomplished than those 
>guys, but I do know who she was and I can't even name one of them.  Wasn't 
>Jennifer Batten mostly a hired gun?  I can't name many of those at all - 
>male or female.

I guess it's also a matter of opinion as well as to what you think is
good/accomplished.  I'm saying that there's somewhat of a bias in place
favor of the males, for all the reasons everybody mentioned, and I think
that contributes to the way a musician is perceived.  I have gone to see
bands on the reputation of other people saying "so-and-so in this band is a
great singer/guitarist/drummer whatever and this band is great," only to be
disappointed because I never thought the so-and-so was that great, but a
lot of other people did.  If there are more male guitar players out there
(there are), then opinions of them will help generate future opionions of
new guitar players. I was pointing out part of the popular accepted
standard of guitar players: that it's a mostly male thing, and I believe
that's a hinderance.  Now, if I thought it was a really big deal, then I
would be a conspiracy theorist or something, which I'm not.  I hate to
sound PC believe me, but stereotypes are everywhere, and they just can't be
helped. It's the easiest and quickest way to form an opinion, and we all do
it at times unfortunately.

>There may well be female guitarists who can PLAY like the people above, but 
>weren't these guitarists famous for not only their playing, but their 
>inventiveness and influence?  I can't name a female guitarist who was as 
>innovative and influential as those guys (or Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen 
>or Steve Vai).  I'm not saying that female guitarists can't play like that 
>or that they aren't as inventive, but with fewer numbers for female 
>guitarists, percentage wise it is more likely that male guitarists will 
>stumble upon new things.  

Aack!  I hope that is not entirely true!  But then, it's a matter of
opinion once again about what and who is "innovative."  I have my opinions.
:-) Joni Mitchell is one of the most innovative guitarists around if you
ask me.  She has over 100 different tunings that she actually uses.  I
would say that women weren't/aren't going to be as influential partially
because they have one more boundary to cross than the males, the bias
thing, in addition to the fact there are just fewer of them to make
contributions.

>It has certainly been my experience that Holly (in 
>the case of McFly) is the most well known member of our band in spite of the 
>fact that I send out the emails each week and our singer Brent talks to more 
>people at the shows.  She is the center of attention (which is totally fine 
>with me) and people are always telling me how amazing she is on guitar.  It 
>sure seems to me that people are recognizing her talent.

A word to Holly:  Holly, I have complete repect for what you do in Cobweb
Strange (awesome music in the first place - all of you who don't have any
of Wade's cds yet, BUY one!) and I have complete respect for what you do in
McFly. My brain is too small to remember 200 songs let alone play them
convincingly they way McFly does, and you guys are really accomplished at
what you do.  You ROCK Holly, I have your picture on my wall with some
Cobweb Strange pics (I'm not a stalker though :-)  Before this sounds too
much like a "Grrrrl Power" rave, I want to recognize your point of view
Wade as being just as valid as the one I made, that a woman guitarist can
be the central point, as Holly obviously is!  You guys have a unique
situation, and it just works.

>By the end of the year, we will have played about 170 shows for 2003.  I've 
>never run into anyone who seemed threatened or offended by Holly playing 
>guitar.  As for being normal, I'm glad that it isn't normal because that 
>seems to have given us one hell of an advantage!

Over the last 3 years of playing out, there have been a handful of
situations where there was a guy who watched us play and then was rude to
me and acted pissed off right after we got off the stage.  (One guy, in
another band at a show at 9 Lives, even got right onto the stage while we
were playing and messed with his equipment, acting like we weren't even
there). That could happen any time for any reason, but there were a bunch
of coincidences that made me think these guys were not exactly happy at
watching me perform.  On the other hand, there are lots of guys who
obviously do like watching us, but there are both sides to it. Call me
paranoid, but it's just an observation.

Other related posts: