Tobi Vail of Bikini kill dated Kurt Cobain. Kathleen Hanna painted "Kurt smells like teen spirit" and it inspired the mainstream debut by Nirvana.

In addition to the kick ass music, the riot grrl scene had one of the highest concentrations of amazing band names ever.

I saw them at Gilman St. in the early 90s, and can confirm, boys had to stand in back. One of the best shows I've ever seen.

YOU HOLD ME DOWN LIKE A MAGNET AND THIS IS NOT A LIFE FOR ME Bikini kill changed my life. One of my favorite bands ever. I remember being super anxiety ridden in high school and not really wanting to come out of a shell and putting on a BK live performance and I had to smile because there was Kathleen Hanna TRYING to put some good in the world. It was a very warm moment I'll carry with me forever. Her words are so great. She really rips her heart out for all us to share.

Sadly, Bikini Kill and Bratmobile were a little before my time but when I got into punk in my late teens, I discovered Kathleen through Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin and loved her voice. A woman’s voice combined with fast punk rock music just has something powerful to it. Female-fronted bands were just always my favorite ones somehow!

Thank you sir, I've heard tons of praise about them, but haven't ever had a proper introduction to 'em. You kick serious ass, thank you for doing what you do. 🖤

They also greatly influenced green day if I remember. The bassline on know your enemy is very much like on rebel girl and I'm fairly sure the two bands knew eachother behind the scenes

Thank you for doing this. It amazes me how many punk/metal "experts," some who are very popular on KZfaq, are perfectly fine with their knowledge of the origins of punk starting somewhere around 1999 and never looking at what happened before then, as if punk started with Blink, or Green Day, or Bad Religion - NOT. Like you mention here, female voices in punk have taken a back seat but this is/was more the case once the hardcore scene hit. In the late 70's, early 80's and - as you point out here - mid 90's there were far more female punk voices, band leads and bands around who did not get the attention their male counterparts did. This is largely due to the male dominated rock, punk and metal music industry, which continues today as well. Some early female punk voices include Alice Bag, the Slits, the Go Go's (they were punk before going new wave pop), Siouxsie Sioux (punk before more goth), Debra Harry (who's always identified as punk even when her music became more pop - to her punk was a lifestyle), ‎Poly Styrene (who's song ""Oh Bondage Up Yours!" literally became a Riot Grrrl anthem), Teresa Covarrubias, Kim Gordon (more post-punk, or no wave but still fell within the genre), Patti Smith, and so forth and so on. Riot Grrrl was a movement in direct opposition to the white male dominated hard core scene in which women did not feel comfortable because they were often groped, "manhandled" and treated like crap. The mantra "Grrrls to the front!" says it all. I also want to say early punk rock was also influenced by bands of color, many of which did not receive any recognition. A Detroit based band "Death" is considered the first actual punk band, they predated the Ramones. Also, the Chicano punk movement in LA area had a core influence over punk bands in that area at the time. It wasn't until the hardcore scene when white, cis-male, often privileged, kids of the suburbs came into the scene and caused it to become unpleasant for so many who were part of the scene early on, at least here in the U.S.

This was the first band I saw live, earlier this year. They kick ass, glad you did a video on them! Definitely cool to have a bit more information on them for me.

gloss is so fucking good, i listen to their 2 releases ALL THE TIME

I also have been aware of the band for a long time but didn't go really into it until a year ago. Then I started to research on Bikini Kill and Riot Grrrl. The more I learn the more I have admired them. Thanks for your video and spreading the word.

Thanks for the new female punk information. Every time the subject of female punk artists come up, I have to mention the Plasmatics! Wendy Williams was a revolutionary!

I love Bikini Kill, thanks for the video on them, and all of the other band mentions. I'll be taking a listen to that playlist.

This video introduced me to one of my new, favorite bands. Great video as always! Cheers

Waaait, I didn't know Kathleen Hanna was in Le Tigre! That's so cool!

Great band, and yes an early Beasties vid would be cool

Got damn, you do some great videos.

The G.L.O.S.S. shoutout 👀👀👀

I'd say Eve Libertine from CRASS was probably the earliest explicitly feminist woman I heard in punk and always felt they were an influence on Bikini Kill. Can't forget X-ray Spex though! Poly Styrene may have been backed by dudes but her message was definitely about women's liberation.

I love Bikini Kill and riot grrl, I like sound of the typical female register in punk rock, Tilt, Lunachick, L7 and Tsunami Bomb were huge for me too.

Awesome

As a member of the 3.5%, I just want to say I enjoyed this video. thanks for making it!

Reject All American is the best Bikini Kill album. I wish Billy had rejoined them on their reunion tours.

Very surprised you didn’t mention the Lunachicks as one of the bands doing the rounds at the same time in the early 90”s

I never listen to them but I heard about them, great Doku on Bikini kill 😊

Weirdly I've never listened to bikini kill before, but I love a few of the related bands you mentioned like the coat hangers and gloss. Definitely gonna check them out now after watching this, I can definitely hear their influence in a lot of modern bands I listen to

waiting for Bad Brains

Anybody heard of cub from Vancouver it’s the only girl punk band I’ve seen live lol 😆

Great Job! ❤

Make a Lunachicks video !

very encouraging that after you displayed your demos, this won the the last vote. does this old dog well. best to you sir.

I had some Riot Girrrrl friends in High School in the 90's. Good times!

🤘🏼

Tobi Vail’s sister, Maggie, was in a killer band called Bangs. Check them out too.

What’s that Old Cross shirt. Really cool.

Really sucks Hannah ended up shilling for Hillary

Promo*SM

Boost

not a fan but to each their own

I like the ideas of Bikini Kill, but I think they aren't very good at writing memorable songs.

I wish you would stop saying under qualified ... If you know what your talking about then you are qualified.

it was white feminism though. nothing about it was inclusionary and Kathleen played womyn are born womyn transphobic festival twice and camp trans protested it every year. no apology was ever made for this terfy behavior either :/ i used to love her now i don't want anything to do with the riot grrrl movement

I saw Bikini Kill at least twice back in the early 1990s. Not a very good band, but the singer was HOT and dressed really sexy.

I'd like to respectfully disagree regarding punk having a majority male listening audience. Most of what I know about punk and the people who turned me punk is because of women. Maybe it is the women I hang around but most punks I've known throughout my life have been women.