Teen Times:First, I feel obliged to apologise to all the steel-toed, shaggy haired, slightly smelly teenage boys in huddles, for daring to tread a painted toenail in your musical territory. I feel I have committed a heinous crime, marking me out for social exclusion and wondering stares for the rest of my teenage days.
The problem is, I'm female, and unluckily enough I like rock of the heavier variety. I adore skinny tour T-shirts, occasionally idolise a cute guitarist with compromised musical skills, and my idea of perfume isn't the sweat and stale beer soaked in from the night before. However, it's not the male masses that make me feel so inferior; on the contrary, they're a pleasure to be around. But that's just it, I'm surrounded. Where have all the girls gone?
Behind the scenes and typically blasting out the bass lines, females have always been in the minority. True, there is an aggression to rock music that, not being sexist, is characteristically male. The energy, anger and willingness to make your fingers bleed to nail that screaming solo, in the form of Motörhead and AC/DC, would be hard for a girly hand to emulate. But, thankfully, the likes of bassists Patricia Morrison, Cait O'Riordan, Patricia Day and Melissa Auf der Maur have proven a feminine touch can create perfectly poised, pristine chord chaos.
There are amazing, articulate ladies in nearly all aspects of rock, such as performance, fashion and the time-honoured tradition of rock-star marrying, with achievements to be idolised. But, 50 years after the birth of rock'n'roll, why is it that guys are regarded as the guitar gods with girls only taken seriously as groupies?
Arguably, the most infamous account of the sordid life on the road is Mötley Crüe's The Dirt. While an interesting read, their typical depictions of females aren't exactly promoting feminism.
Twenty years on since the reign of hair metal, the internet phenomenon of the Suicide Girls has proved a profitable presence for beautiful, interesting, educated and often-pierced princesses, but at the end of the day these beauties still appear naked. It's supposed to be alternative, but what's the real difference between a size-6 girl in fishnets and cherry-stained lips, such as the typical Suicide Girl, or the conventional teenage uniform of fake tan and Uggs? Both are unattainable and undesirable for many girls. I appreciate and applaud the dedication and determination of such beautiful women, but there should be other significant roles for females in the music business.
So, starting close to home, why are there so few female music journalists in The Irish Times weekly entertainment guide, The Ticket? Sinead Gleeson is the only one I can think of, and she's great, but why not more women? Maybe my wish for girls to be offered more choice is only fantasy, but until the rock world gives us a shot I fear blood-tinted talons and smooth- skinned fingers will be wasted on less creative and a lot less important distractions.
Holly Wolohan, 16, is a transition-year student at St Mary's College, Arklow
Articles of 500 words are welcome from teenagers to teentimes@irish-times.ie. Please include a phone number
