PUNK
Punk formed as a DIY movement whose members sought to rebel against everything deemed part of the “establishment”. Using the same instrumentation as mainstream rock, punk musicians manipulated the sounds of the technology and lyrical content to reflect themes of anger, boredom and political dissatisfaction (Stalcup, 52). With so many of its participants challenging the status quo, why was there still an apparent lack of diversity amongst performers?
In many ways, punk’s rapid success caused the ideals to become "assimilated to the mainstream patriarchal belief system” (Rosenburg, 809). There was a market to be filled of people who wanted less polished and grandiose stadium rock music, and although this changed the ideals of the instrument technology marginally by placing them in the hands of a grassroots movement, there were still engrained social structures that were difficult to fight against. Still, many women participated in the scene, both as consumers and as performers and proved to be some of the genres most compelling figures.
Poison Ivy of band, The Cramps, is one example of a guitarist whose presence in punk contributes to the genre's influence on future musicians and reinforces the idea that a multitude of experiences exist in music that are often largely ignored.
The Cramps have been cited as influential innovators of punk music and fashion, but there is little mention of Poison Ivy’s contributions to the band’s music as the lead guitarist. “Poison Ivy simultaneously represents the sexism of the music industry through its reluctance to acknowledge her talents ("NOBODY ever talks to me about music or guitar" she once exclaimed…) and a raging refusal to acquiesce to its misogyny” (Singer, 2015). Despite the minimal amount of women in the punk spotlight, Ivy used her individual interests and influences to create a niche for herself and for the band. The band's aesthetics are owed entirely to Ivy and her husband, Lux Interior, though he is more widely accredited for the concept. The Cramps' act used highly sexualized imagery, gothic themes and horror influence. Without any regard for public perception, Ivy embodies the true spirit of punk by flaunting her sexuality in a unique and personal way. Unlike marketing campaigns that sexualize women to sell products, Ivy uses sexuality as a means of self-expression.
The most defining feature of The Cramps music is their blend of rockabilly, punk and psychedelic rock, which is greatly accentuated by Ivy's guitar work. This can be heard in the song, “I was a Teenage Werewolf” where she uses a classic blues scale combined with heavily distorted guitars and echo effects to create an original soundscape. The band's blending of genres etches its way into modern artists like The White Stripes, who cite The Cramps as a major influence (Singer, 2015). Ivy's guitar work, though, is almost never thoughtfully discussed in academia or music publications like Rolling Stone - she is only mentioned a list of "groups with famous relationships". Ivy is generally mentioned second to her husband, but it was their collective ingenuity and interests that made the band unique. Both Ivy and Interior are worthy of discussion, but her erasure wrongfully dims her significance.
Discussion of punk music without consideration for artists like Poison Ivy changes the meaning of punk to reflect only a small portion of performers that are easily marketed it to the public. As will be discussed in the following section, the sonic qualities of punk actually laid a foundation for many women to pick up instruments and use music to discuss women's issues. And much like the case with Sister Rosetta Tharpe, women cannot be seen as novelties because they were always present.