Male vs. Female Bands

It's been mentioned to me from time to time that different bands are "male" acts or "female" acts. I don't mean in the literal sense like Heart is a female band...I mean, bands that seem to attract a certain demographic.

This one is tricky because we have to remember that gender is constructed. Taking into account what we know about men and women, I suppose it is possible to have "male" and "female" bands but there will always be a larger fan base that crosses over of course.

The other day, I was talking to Christian about my love for Def Leppard. I was going on and on as I do and then he said "Well, it makes sense. They are a girl band." That statement took me aback a little. I figured Def Lep have just as many male fans as female...then I got to thinking back to all those Def Lep concerts I've attended...and the crowd is usually heavily female. Sure, in the beginning when Def Lep was just starting as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the audience skewed male. Then came Pyromania and a bunch of MTV hits...and well, the women like the Leps! (I mean, I still want to sit in Rick Savage's lap!)

You already know my other big bands are Aerosmith, Poison and Motley Crue. Those acts, along with Def Leppard, basically make up the core of my music passion. I have other bands I love of course, but none come close to these four acts. Poison, many have argued in the past, are not metal or rock (to which I disagree of course). Others have said their fan base is largely female. Maybe it is the music, or it could be the band's looks - I mean, the guys in Poison sure did look good in the 80s. 

But what about the men? What is it about a male group that gets male fans going? Twisted Sister is probably a male act. Metallica and Anthrax are as well. So is Accept. Others would say new Rock n' Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper is a man's man sort of metal band - but everyone knows I love Alice and I am woman (hear me roar).

I don't buy into gender stereotypes. A woman can do anything a man does and vice versa and therefore I think the argument of gender bias as related to metal bands is weak. Still, I cannot ignore crowds and album sales...and if more males are at an Accept show...well, then, maybe Christian was on to something after all.

What do you think?

Comments

[tommydahl]

where the girls go the boys follow

[Metalboy!]

And vice-versa, Tommy, tho not quite as much, for sure!

Still, you have boiled it down to a beautifully succinct universal truth, unlike my endless "Dancing Undercover on-the- head-of-a-pin" blathering!

[tommydahl]

I apperate everybody opinon .My first time hearing nothing but a good time made me go, great way to live me life so i have .

and i have met girls that feel the same way so like i said where the girls go i go

[Seance]

I Think Metal Boy wrote what I would say. So I wonder have you heard Phantom Blue? A great all female metal band that realesed two great album "Phantom Blue" and "Built To Perform" man those girls could shred..
Great blog btw!

[Stephen]

Def Leppard started as a big 'guy' band because their music was true hard rock/metal. With Pyromania and then especially with Hysteria, that began to change because their music took on a new pop sound in order for them to hit the mainstream Top 40 charts (Mutt Lange's big idea and it obviously paid off). The same can be said for Bon Jovi as well. I don't think it's as much about how a band looks as how it sounds. Some of these dudes (probably most) are as ugly as homemade sin and if they weren't in a popular rock band, they would never get a date with an attractive female (e.g., Vince Neil; Tommy Lee; etc.). It's all about the sound of the music and the lyrics that attract a certain fanbase.

[Metalboy!]

Bon Jovi NEVER truly cranked, the guitars always kinda buried in the mix, which has been generally keyboard dominant. And it's grown steadily worse to the point where Richie Sambora might as well be playing air guitar on stage.

Of course, the guitars are at least "kinda there" on "Livin' On A Prayer", "Wanted" and "You Give Love A Bad Name" from their famous "Slippery When Wet" trilogy courtesy of genius co-writer Desmond Child, without whom Bon Jovi would never have truly made it.

p.s. I have both Phantom Blue albums but this topic is about Glam Metal Bands and the criteria that determines whether they are a "Chick Band" or a "Dude Band", meaning if they are found to be, more or less, appealing to Chicks or Dudes or sometimes when they are actually appealing to both.