Incubator escapee wiki

Bikini Kill

Article Discussion

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group originally consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail.

The band pioneered the riot grrrl movement, with feminist lyrics and fiery performances. Their music is characteristically abrasive and hardcore-influenced.

After two full-length albums, several EPs and two compilations, they disbanded in 1997. The band reunited for tours in 2019 and 2022, with Erica Dawn Lyle on guitar in place of Karren.

HistoryEdit

1990 – 1997: Formation and careerEdit

File:Bikini Kill in 1991.jpg
Performing in 1991

Bikini Kill formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990, by Kathleen Hanna (vocals), Billy Karren (guitar), Kathi Wilcox (bass), and Tobi Vail (drums). Hanna, Vail, and Wilcox met while attending The Evergreen State College in Washington.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Hanna also published a fanzine called Bikini Kill for their first tours in 1991.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The band wrote songs together and encouraged a female-centric environment at their shows, urging women to come to the front of the stage and handing out lyric sheets to them. Hanna would also dive into the crowd to personally remove male hecklers.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Such male concertgoers would often verbally and physically assault Hanna during shows when the tickets were still inexpensive and easily procured.<ref name=":0" /> However, the band's reach included large male audiences as well as young women.<ref name=":0" />

Fellow riot grrrl musician Lois Maffeo originally adopted Bikini Kill as a band name, inspired by the 1967 B-movie The Million Eyes of Sumuru. She and her friend Margaret Doherty used the name for a one-off performance in the late 1980s where they donned faux fur punk cave girl costumes. Vail liked the name and appropriated it after Maffeo settled on the band name Cradle Robbers.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

File:Khanna2.jpg
Kathleen Hanna performing with Bikini Kill in Sydney, Australia, in 1996

After an independent demo cassette, Revolution Girl Style Now, Bikini Kill released the Bikini Kill EP on the indie label Kill Rock Stars. Produced by Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi, the released help establish the band's audience. The band's debut album, Pussy Whipped, was released in September 1993. Bikini Kill toured in London, England to begin working with Huggy Bear, releasing a split album, Our Troubled Youth / Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, and touring the UK. The tour was the subject of a documentary film by Lucy Thane titled It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill in the U.K. Upon their return to the United States, the band began working with Joan Jett of the Runaways, whose music Hanna described as an early example of the Riot Grrrl aesthetic. Jett produced the single "New Radio"/"Rebel Girl" for the band, and Hanna co-wrote several songs on Jett's Pure and Simple album.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

By the following year, Riot Grrrl was receiving constant attention in the media, and Bikini Kill were increasingly referred to as pioneers of the movement. Hanna called for a "media blackout" amongst Riot Grrrls, as they felt the band and the movement were being misrepresented by the media.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The pioneer reputation endures but, as Hanna recalls, "[Bikini Kill was] very vilified during the '90s by so many people, and hated by so many people, and I think that that's been kind of written out of the history. People were throwing chains at our heads – people hated us – and it was really, really hard to be in that band."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The band's final album, Reject All American, was released in 1996. After the band's breakup in 1997, a compilation of singles recorded between 1993 and 1995 was released in 1998 under the name The Singles.<ref>{{#ifeq: | yes | https://www.allmusic.com/Template:Trim/R352148{{ 

 #if: 
 | /{{{tab}}}
 }}

| {{#if: R352148 

 | {{#if: 
   | {{#if: |[[{{{author-link}}}|{{#if: |, {{{first}}} }}]]|{{#if: |, {{{first}}} }}}}. 
   }}[https://www.allmusic.com/Template:Trim/R352148{{
   #if: 
   | /{{{tab}}}
   }} {{
   #if: The Singles (Bikini Kill)
   | The Singles (Bikini Kill)
   | Template:PAGENAMEBASE
   }}] at AllMusic{{
   #if: 
   | . Retrieved .
   }}

 | {{#if: {{#property:P1728}}
   | Template:First word {{#if: The Singles (Bikini Kill) | The Singles (Bikini Kill) | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata

   | {{#if: {{#property:P1729}}
     | Template:First word {{#if: The Singles (Bikini Kill) | The Singles (Bikini Kill) | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata

     | {{#if: {{#property:P1730}}
       | Template:First word {{#if: The Singles (Bikini Kill) | The Singles (Bikini Kill) | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata

       | {{#if: {{#property:P1994}}
         | Template:First word {{#if: The Singles (Bikini Kill) | The Singles (Bikini Kill) | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata

         | {{AllMusic}} template missing ID and not present in Wikidata.Template:Main other

         }}
       }}
     }}
   }}
 }}

}}</ref>

1998 – 2016: Post-breakupEdit

During the summer of 1992, Karren, Wilcox, and Vail, along with Molly Neuman of Bratmobile, formed The Frumpies, touring as late as the early 2000s along with a similar Italian punk rock band Dada Swing.<ref>"Frumpies News of April 2000" Template:Webarchive. Retrieved on August 17, 2009.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Vail, notorious for her numerous side projects and being in several bands at a time, later resurfaced in a band called Spider and the Webs, and played with the Old Haunts until the band broke up in 2009. Kathi Wilcox played in the Casual Dots, who released albums in 2004 and 2022,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Billy Karren played in Ghost Mom. Hanna first contributed to an LP called Real Fiction as a member of the Fakes, and then turned to more dance-based new wave music (with similar feminist lyrical themes) on her solo debut, Julie Ruin. She then became a member of the political new wave outfit Le Tigre.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After Le Tigre broke up, Hanna became the front woman of a band named after her solo project, The Julie Ruin, for which Wilcox plays bass.

In February 2016, a pro-Hillary Clinton clip utilizing the Bikini Kill song "Rebel Girl" began to go viral, but was taken down by Vail (who supported Bernie Sanders in the primary).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2017 – present: Reunion toursEdit

File:BikiniKBrixt110619-15 (48986069446).jpg
Bikini Kill in 2019, at the O2 Brixton Academy

In 2017, Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox and Tobi Vail reunited to play one song at a book-release concert<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> for Jenn Pelly's book about the Raincoats.<ref name="pelly">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On January 15, 2019, Bikini Kill announced four U.S. shows, in New York and Los Angeles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The lineup for these shows included Hanna, Wilcox, Tobi Vail and touring guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle, who replaced Billy Karren in the lineup.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The first show was April 25 at the Hollywood Palladium with Alice Bag as opener.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In June the band played two European dates, in London at Brixton Academy, supported by Big Joanie, and with the Tuts and Child's Pose opening.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On September 15, they headlined the third day of the Riot Fest event in Chicago.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On November 6, 2019, Bikini Kill announced a thirteen-date North American Tour for 2020, beginning in Olympia, Washington.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The lineup for these shows was the same for the previous dates in 2019, and was scheduled to start March 13, 2020 at Olympia's Capitol Theater. The remainder of the West Coast tour included shows in Victoria, B.C., where they were to be supported by Mecca Normal, and in Portland supported by the Lithics. The tour also included some European dates in June and August, including Oslo's Øya Festival.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The tour was rescheduled to 2022 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

In October 2022 the band announced an Australian tour for March 2023, their first Australian shows in 26 years, touring to Hobart, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, the Golden Plains Festival in country Victoria, Perth and at the Sydney Opera House. Hanna, Wilcox and Vail were joined by touring guitarist Sara Landeau, who played with both Hanna and Wilcox in The Julie Ruin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Vail also fell ill for part of the tour, leaving the band's Australian drum tech Lauren Hammel (also of Tropical Fuck Storm) to fill in on drums for the Victorian shows.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early in 2020, in an interview with Pitchfork, Hanna stated that the band had no plans at the time to create new material.<ref name="pelly" />

MembersEdit

Current members

  • Kathleen Hanna – lead vocals (1990–1997, 2017, 2019–present), bass (1990–1991, 2017, occasionally: 1991–1997, 2019–present)
  • Tobi Vail – drums, occasional lead vocals (1990–1997, 2017, 2019–present)
  • Kathi Wilcox – bass, occasional drums (1991–1997, 2017, 2019–present), backing vocals (1990–1997, 2017, 2019–present), guitar (1990–1991, 2017, occasionally: 1991–1997, 2019–present)

Current touring musicians

  • Sara Landeau – guitar, occasional bass (2022–present)

Former members

Former touring musicians

  • Erica Dawn Lyle – guitar, occasional bass (2017, 2019, 2022)
  • Lauren Hammel – drums (2023)

TimelineEdit

<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:5 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:10/01/1990 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors = 

 id:vocals          value:red             legend:Vocals
 id:guitar          value:green           legend:Guitar
 id:bass            value:blue            legend:Bass
 id:drums           value:orange          legend:Drums
 id:album           value:black           legend:Studio_album
 id:ep              value:gray(0.7)       legend:EP
 id:bars            value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:4 start:1991 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1991

LineData = 

 at:05/01/1991 color:album layer:back
 at:10/09/1992 color:ep layer:back
 at:03/01/1993 color:album layer:back
 at:10/26/1993 color:album layer:back
 at:05/05/1996 color:album layer:back

BarData = 

 bar:Hanna  text:"Kathleen Hanna"
 bar:Wilcox text:"Kathi Wilcox"
 bar:Karren text:"Billy Karren"
 bar:Vail   text:"Tobi Vail"

PlotData= 

 width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
 bar:Hanna  from:10/01/1990 till:05/10/1997 color:vocals
 bar:Hanna  from:10/01/1990 till:05/10/1997 color:bass   width:3
 bar:Hanna  from:10/05/2017 till:12/05/2017 color:vocals
 bar:Hanna  from:10/05/2017 till:12/05/2017 color:bass   width:3
 bar:Hanna  from:01/15/2019 till:end        color:vocals
 bar:Hanna  from:01/15/2019 till:end        color:bass   width:3
 bar:Wilcox from:10/01/1990 till:05/01/1991 color:guitar
 bar:Wilcox from:05/01/1991 till:05/10/1997 color:bass
 bar:Wilcox from:05/01/1991 till:05/10/1997 color:guitar width:7
 bar:Wilcox from:05/01/1991 till:05/10/1997 color:drums  width:3
 bar:Wilcox from:10/05/2017 till:12/05/2017 color:guitar
 bar:Wilcox from:10/05/2017 till:12/05/2017 color:bass   width:7
 bar:Wilcox from:10/05/2017 till:12/05/2017 color:drums  width:3
 bar:Wilcox from:01/15/2019 till:end        color:bass
 bar:Wilcox from:01/15/2019 till:end        color:guitar width:7
 bar:Wilcox from:01/15/2019 till:end        color:drums  width:3
 bar:Vail   from:10/01/1990 till:05/10/1997 color:drums
 bar:Vail   from:10/01/1990 till:05/10/1997 color:vocals width:3
 bar:Vail   from:10/05/2017 till:12/05/2017 color:drums
 bar:Vail   from:10/05/2017 till:12/05/2017 color:vocals width:3
 bar:Vail   from:01/15/2019 till:end        color:drums
 bar:Vail   from:01/15/2019 till:end        color:vocals width:3
 bar:Karren from:05/01/1991 till:05/10/1997 color:guitar
 bar:Karren from:05/01/1991 till:05/10/1997 color:bass   width:3

</timeline>

DiscographyEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:Bikini Kill Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://zalansite.site/mediawiki/index.php?title=Bikini_Kill&oldid=145555"