Kathleen Hanna

If I could only meet two of my favourite musicians, they would have to be Joan Jett and Kathleen Hanna.

Kathleen Hanna represents everything great about females in music- she's a feminist, a zine writer, a big part of the Riot Grrl scene (whether she believes so or not, she did write a riot grrrl manifesto) and also created some of the best female fronted music there is from her shouty punk riot grrl noise with Bikini Kill, to the feminist electro of Le Tigre and her solo project Julie Ruin.

She was brought up as a feminist from a young child, and has been involved in plenty of activism over the years, she is a icon in the riot grrl scene, it's such a shame that she is still not exactly a household name.

I wish I had been into Bikini Kill and Le Tigre when they were out instead of crappy pop like Spice Girls but at least I found them eventually. I really hope that a lot of young girls who now are more likely to be inspired by the likes of Lady Gaga and Cheryl Cole will eventually scratch a little deeper beneath the surface, like I did, and discover bands like Bikini Kill, and maybe even be inspired to pick up an instrument themselves, or write something, or take part in a march. There are still bands with the riot grrl ethos, they are just in the background of this never ending merry go round of X Factor style shows and manufactured pop bands. I am so glad that women like Kathleen and Joan still continue to inspire women in so many ways.

Since I'm mentioning it, I can't go, but if you can still get a ticket you should go along to Ladyfest Ten fundraiser "More Crackers Please- a Le Tigre themed benefit" on Sunday 29th August. Tickets are £9, it's taking lace at Bethnal Green Library in London, they will be showing a very special preview screening of the forthcoming Le Tigre documentary DVD(which isn't even finished yet) as well as giving people an opportunity sing, dance and be filmed for our karaoke music video of the Le Tigre song Keep On Livin', for submission to the band's contest, which you can find details of if you visit Kathleen's blog which you can find the link to on my side bar.

I'll leave you with some Kathleen Hanna flavoured videos to wet your appetite...