“Sticky Business”: An Examination of Female Musicians in the Context of Perth’s Metal Community

ABSTRACT

This study investigates and elaborates on the experiences of female musicians in the Perth metal music community, which has traditionally been identified as a male-dominated environment and even a hypermasculine space. This study serves to inform the growing research emerging from metal music studies and to contribute to the wider conversation about women’s experiences in male-dominated fields. To undertake this research, I used a mixed-methods approach that includes a survey questionnaire of thirteen women who have all identified as musicians interacting within the Perth metal community and one extended interview with a veteran metal guitarist.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender
• grindcore
• metal
• musicianship
• feeling

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Simone Dow is also one of the survey respondents, which serves to inform the analysis of women in Perth metal as a group answering standardized questions.

2. It should be noted that Kylie plays in Legs Electric, who themselves are a hard rock outfit. They have been included in this survey because Legs Electric often play side-by-side on bills with heavier acts emerging from the metal scene, and the two scenes have much crossover of both audience and musicianship.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laura Glitsos

Laura Glitsos is an early-career researcher who has published in popular music studies and popular music histories. She lectures in communications and cultural studies across several institutions and has also worked as a music journalist and professional vocalist in Perth, Western Australia. Her forthcoming book, Somatechnics and Popular Music in Digital Contexts, will be published through Palgrave MacMillan.