Some of you may have curiously noticed that odd second word in my blog title. If you are not familiar with the rock music scene of the 1960s-1990s, you might not know its meaning.
Allow me to tell you a beautiful tale of music, love, pychedelia and hazy freedom in the air which golden memory still fiercely echoes to the present day.
It all began in the 1960s, when all of a sudden the social wind started moving fast away from the rigid rules of the decades prior: Baby Boomers, most of whom were born in complete poverty during World War II and grew up under the strictness of an unfullfilling capitalistic and patriarcal way of life, caught a sudden collective feeling of revolution.
Driven by the discovery of psychedelics, which in turn inspired an entire new world of art and the sweet, raunchy sound of psych rock ‘n’ roll, youngsters were now gathering in masses, participating in love-ins, moving to communes, leaving their past materialistic lives far behind.
In the haste of a world spinning recklessly towards the side of progression, which only rule was to love all, love vast and love freely, for the very first time women and girls felt like they could give thanks to the artists and musicians who were the voice of a new liberated generation in a radical and empowering way.
In the words of Groupie Queen Pamela Des Barres,
“A groupie is just a music-loving muse. It's a give-and-take with a musician and the ladies who love them, or boys who love them, and it's all one big happy connection. It's inspiring them to be great, they inspire us to be great. It's a real, beautiful, life-affirming thing.”
Being a groupie was all about self-confidence, sexual liberation, show-stopping fashion, choosing to do what you like (or who you like) and carrying love with you wherever you went. No, it wasn't only about the sex— it was being a muse in a modern and feminist way and giving back to the artists that made the whole world shine for you, it was about inspiring those who had inspired you, exchanging love and electrifying moments with the people you admired, and just having a bloody good time, free as a bird, within the context of the glorious fever dream that was the 1960s.
Some groupies were so popular within the rock scene that they became famous themselves. These music loving it-girls had a particular charm, an aura, a presence intrinsic to them, their wild spirit clearly visible within their bright, glossy eyes, often making them even more interesting than the musicians they romanced. The most famous names in groupiedom include:
Many other girls of rock were mentioned in the countless works of famous and underground musicians, which immortalised their importance as relentless inspirations for the art. We all know love is what makes the world turn ‘round, right?
The groupie tradition carried on proudly throughout the 1970s and the 1980s, when the rebellious and debaucherous rock scene slowly started becoming a parody of what it once was, until the grunge subculture ultimately redefinied what was cool and uncool, sweeping away any traces of what in the 90s was considered demeaning to women.
There's much to say about the controversial figure of the groupie and how it inevitably clashes with the blatant misogyny of the time when it was at its peak. Being a muse is not a bad thing, and the only reason why the majority were female is because the music industry was widely dominated by straight males— mind you, it still is, even though by a lesser extent.
Being a groupie in the 1960s went hand in hand with the decade's newly found sexual liberation and the second wave of feminism. It was a direct expression of free love, a way to engage in the counterculture, it was a fierce, radical choice, a clear assertion of female power and what ultimately felt most natural to the people involved, which was to be aligned with and unashamed of one's sexual desires.
It's this spirit, this pure, anapologetic essence that I want to highlight in my work as a writer and entrepreneur. I chose a controversial name for my business specifically catering to women because women's history is controversial and women's artistic expression and voice have been silenced for centuries, just like the groupies' story remained unacknowledged and untold for decades, until one of them decided to speak up.
Thanks to the work of author Pamela Des Barres starting with her 1987 memoir I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie and culminating with her presence on social media celebrating the role and importance of her community, there has been a change in public perspective of how the role of a groupie concerning the arts is viewed.
The groupie community nowadays, consisting of female and male music fans, insists on its inherent relevance to feminist issues, and it's a mere declaration of love for art and the human experience.
If you want to further your knowledge about groupiedom, here is a playlist designed to reawaken its deepest, most passionate sentiment— including what groupies used to listen to on their record player while getting ready for a wild night out with their favourite girlfriends and rockstars!
“LIVE THE GROUPIE DREAM” on Spotify
“LIVE THE GROUPIE DREAM” on Apple Music
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snowghoul
vaporwave
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andulkaphoto
