“Why is it so few girls that play in bands and why is it so few girls that release their albums on their record labels? Wherever I turn in the music industry is it always a majority of men. The men is a strong majority in the record labels, the majority that book bands and are club owners are men, the dj:s at the clubs aremost often men and even when it comes to write a blog about music you rarely see nothing else than a competitive man.” – transcribed from the Don’t Tell Me That zine by Pierre Sparf
On December 19th there was a fantastic gig in Jönköping, Sweden. That day I was dwelling at home because I was so jealous of all the people who attended. From first-hand accounts, I know it was a great night. But you can already tell by the bands that played there, right? Bikeman, Leaving Mornington Crescent, Horowitz, G.O.O.F., Kronprinsen, Burning Hearts, Strawberry Fair, My Darling YOU! and The Margarets. What a lineup right?
All of this wouldn’t have been possible by the passionate Pierre Sparf who used to run the Don’t Tell Me That club. Yeah, I say used to run because this gig was the last of them all. Now the party has gone to a better life. This last show was called the Christmas Popfest and among the freebies you’d get when attending, was a compilation CD-R with the bands that played at the Don’t Tell Me That club during the 2 years it was championing indiepop. Also it was planned to give away a fanzine to all the attendees, but Pierre ran out of time and he couldn’t get them printed. BUT DON’T DESPAIR! Happily he has been very nice to share it with me, and letting me upload it for everyone to read it.
So here you are, enjoy:
View and Download at ISSUU.
As far as I know, the title for it was: “Don’t Tell Me That!: The End of a Love Story That Never Existed”, and there was a pink cover for it, which I guess was never finished. I know Pierre is a bit shy about his English, but I think his message gets across and that’s what matters; it’s a great read, mind you. He has put together a lovely and inspiring 28 page e-pamphlet that includes an interview to Horowitz and the decade’s best album choices from a couple of people. But the center pieces, the ones written by Pierre and Rebecka Ahlberg, are the ones that should not be skipped. Both of them are a call to arms, a fierce shout asking the female music geeks to stand out. They want to overthrow the “patriarchy” of the scene, reform it.
They raise some very valid points, and I’ll discuss them later on a future post, because both articles deserve to be commented and analyzed. Why? It’s not that often that indiepop people question and show their politics to the world. I wish it happened much more, but most people, not only in indiepop, just don’t care. These are topics that are “too much” to be thought and talked. “Why get into an agitated discussion if we can just talk nonsense about last night party?” That’s always the attitude, never confrontational. But I’m grateful that Pierre and Rebecka show their true colours. Grateful for their fight, for believing in our scene. Give it a read now, and think, wonder, enjoy, digest it, and make your own conclusions, or maybe hate it and disagree with it. But don’t feel cold about it, that would be unfair, I know you all are hopefuls and dreamers. And if you are up for it, comment it here. And all the best of lucks to Pierre on his future indiepop endeavors.
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