Epoxy, R. (2012) We are not men: Women in punk [Versión para lector digital]. Razorcrake/Gorsky Press

music. I sing and write for a band called the Epoxies. We’ve been together about six years and it is pretty much my first band. And, oh yeah, I am the only female in the band.

know! Let’s talk about the reality of a DIY tour. Contrary to what some people think about the Epoxies, we are not raking in the money. There are no tour busses to be had,

We sleep in cars. We sleep in chairs. We deal with carrying our own gear. All traditional roles melt away and we just work on pulling our own weight. We just work on getting to the good part: the show itself.

It might not be the case for all performers, but stage performance can be very theatrical. Music expresses ideas through its lyrics and its music and, in many cases, the potential theatre behind it can be left behind. Many a band decides to not participate in this aspect. That’s fine.

I find it very interesting that so many people interested in music choose to take the theatre of it and push it aside as a novelty. I think many a time the self-expression available through music is misunderstood. In the case of any performer in music, not only are our voices and instruments our tools, but our bodies are as well. (pag 20)

There is such strength in women’s bodies and minds and there shouldn’t be shame in either. I think women’s bodies are spectacular. Women’s minds are spectacular. Women’s expression is spectacular and we should be able to adorn and enjoy these things.

Now is the time to make art, music, and express in the face of all that is fed to us and in the face of everything that is in danger of being taken away. Fuck the assumptions. Fuck the pigeonholes. All we want to do is something we love. We’ve made our sacrifices and it is certainly not all glamorous. We want to be angry when we want to be. We want to smile when we want to. We want to make you think and we want to make you laugh. We want to make you dance and we want to dance with you.

We don’t really care if you don’t like what we’ve created if you honestly have an open mind and give us a chance. Not everyone likes everything and that’s the way it should be. Isn’t creativity and art being stifled enough these days without superficial attitudes getting in the way? We need all the boundary pushing we can get from all sides.

Now, isn’t that really why you got into punk rock in the first place? (pag 23)