I’ve rewritten this speech about a dozen times. I’ve gotten angry and I’ve cried. I believe the invitation to speak was also an invitation to heal. But we need to start with the truth, so that’s why I’m telling mine. To quote my dear friend Jen Cloher from their song Shoegazers: “Indie rock is full of privileged white kids – I know because I’m one of them.” I was raised with privilege and the belief that I could be a musician and that I could do anything a boy could do, because I could afford to.
When I was 18, I would busk on the streets of the city and play shows wherever anyone would have me. Until one day, when I was asked to pay to play: a small fee to play a gig just to “cover the costs”. I was so confused by this and to be honest, I still am. We were the talent, we were the ones who would bring people to the pub. It’s like being asked to pay to work for someone; it just didn’t make sense. So I refused. I took a small but very scary step into being the woman I am now: strong, fearless and really, really annoying to anyone trying to exploit musicians.
