MARS RED SKY, NLP, FOGHOUND, CASTLE and others as part of DOOM OVER T.O. at Hard Luck Bar (772a Dundas West), Thursday to Saturday (August 25-27). $15/day, festival pass $25. See listing.
Heavy metal has a bad rep when it comes to gender issues. Stories keep surfacing of women on and off the stage being subjected to aggressive sexist and racist behaviour at shows and festivals. (Google Pentagram’s Bobby Liebling for a recent example.) There’s still much work to be done.
So what’s it like being a woman playing heavier music? As the vocalist for Toronto doom metal/heavy rock band NLP (at Hard Luck Bar as part of Doom Over T.O. on Friday, August 25), I’ve found solace in this music. And a number of people who are part of the Toronto doom scene have become my friends. As a non-white woman, I feel lucky to be able to speak highly of my experiences so far.
For me, Toronto’s doom scene is centred on mutual respect and camaraderie. We are there for the music and appreciate that the fans are, too. I try not to think about gender when I’m onstage. That said, I’m usually the only woman on the bill, performing for a mostly male audience, so it’s hard not to notice that imbalance.
But I sense a change on the horizon. There is a groundswell of strong women contributing to the local heavy rock/doom/metal scene, and together we’re kicking down the doors.
Alyssa Axeworthy, guitar/vocals for Astral Witch
Axeworthy is a veteran of all-women ensembles and one of the first women I met playing in the doom scene. She says doom has been a refreshing change from the punk scene that she’s accustomed to. “I get to talk shop about the newest or best vintage amps and pedals without hearing, ‘Wow, it’s like you’re one of the guys’ every time.”
Astral Witch play Cherry Colas on September 3.
Devin Richardson
Tamara Rayan, bass/feedback for Horse Lung
Rayan straddles the border between noise and tone-worship. She’s played bass for more than 10 years but still feels there’s an added pressure to perform well as a woman: “You’re always judged and critiqued twice as much. But I’m always proud to expose [the fact] that gender has nothing to do with skill.”
Ester Segarra
Alia O’Brien, vocals/flute/organ for Blood Ceremony
O’Brien is no stranger to the scene. For a decade now her band, Blood Ceremony, has brought doom metal to the masses in Toronto and beyond. “I feel fortunate that most of the tours and bills I’ve been on have been very inclusive and supportive,” she says. “Infrequently, I’ve had negative experiences that I can safely say are attributable to sexism – from the way I’ve been treated and questioned by some interviewers to offensive audience heckling.”
Blood Ceremony play Lee’s Palace on September 2.
Jess Carter, heavy metal promoter/concert producer and radio host, Heavy and Humble
Carter began her career organizing the first Headbanging For A Cure in 2011 and now runs her own production company, Heavy and Humble. She also hosts a two-hour radio show, also called Heavy And Humble, Sundays from 5 to 7 pm on CFRE 91.9FM, where she plays sub-genres of metal for the first hour and prog rock for the second. She says the biggest challenge has been trying to be assertive while not sounding aggressive or weak. Her advice to other women: “Network and build solid, meaningful relationships.”
Karina Davydova, heavy metal/alternative promoter, Neurotic Entertainment
As one of the few female promoters dedicated to the heavy music scene, Davydova still views metal as a boys’ club. But that hasn’t deterred her. “I have bands messaging me, and they usually start the conversation with ‘Hey, bro, can you help me out with a gig?’ Sometimes I correct them most times I don’t. I just enjoy seeing their shocked faces at the gig when they find out that Neurotic is run by a girl.”
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