“WET HOT PUNK ROCK!”
Such was the chant in Glitoris‘ final number at this year’s You Are Here, and such was the order of the night last Monday when the all-girl punk rockers gave their sweaty, naked, glittery show to a very full Money Bin.
The relatively small venue was overflowing with punters from all walks of life in the lead up to Glitoris’ first public outing, so much so that the event staff were forced to request that everyone leave while the band set up and sound checked. Punks, goths, hipsters, miscellaneous types, and one guy in a suit stood together in universal anticipation outside the Money Bin’s closed doors, all hopeful they would be allowed back in for the gig.
Unfortunately for some the venue just wasn’t big enough for the crowd that had gathered outside and many were turned away and redirected to the festivities happening at Smith’s Alternative.
Inside, all the furniture had been pushed against the walls to allow for the capacity audience to stand and dance the night away. All in attendance itched in visible excitement and took very little convincing when the announcement came that the band wouldn’t take the stage until everyone was standing.
Many of the more vertically challenged in attendance (myself a prime example) were forced to employ all their ingenuity in finding anything to stand on for a better view. Chairs, milk crates, benches, and the arms of couches all became precarious step ladders while the band played.
The trio took to the stage stark naked, covered in gold body-paint and glitter, to a fanfare of enthusiastic applause. Wwing credit to the late 80s and early 90s, the band sounded larger than the three-piece band should have, all things considered. With pounding drums, raucous guitar, and steady bass, topped off with all three contributing vocals (with some impressive three-part harmonies to boot), it was clear that Glitoris weren’t just there to be looked at, they were there to be listened to.
“Boys, pay close attention,” joked the guitarist joked before launching into a complex stuttering, distorted riff.
Although obviously drawing on sexual imagery, Glitoris weren’t cashing in on their sexual appeal, they were there as musicians with a message of female sexual liberation.
Their all too short and sweet set, stretching to a generous half hour or so, left the audience shouting for more. The girls mercifully acquiesced.
Perhaps the message was that sexuality and sexy don’t have to come at the cost of credibility. Perhaps it was an evening celebrating uninhibited feminine sexuality. Whatever it was, it was fun and all present were more than a little bit entertained.
“I don’t wanna know where I’m gonna find glitter in the morning,” quipped the guitarist, but I got the feeling they didn’t really care. Glitoris wasn’t about the morning after.
Details: Glitoris played in The Money Bin on Monday March 17th, 2014.
Bio: Born and raised in Canberra, Dylan Slater always had two passions; writing and music. He pursued both throughout his schooling and was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement in the Performance Arts for his grades in music, and became a published author in the 2009 Lit Links creative writing anthology. Dylan recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canberra, majoring in Journalism, Creative Writing, and Sociology. Dylan still pursues his passions, regularly contributing to Canberra based music review website Dirtygal.co and playing music whenever and wherever he can. His favourite book is Catch-22 and his favourite album is Disintegration.
Image by Julia Johnson
