photo via www.loudwire.com
The other day, I saw on facebook that a drummer I’ve known and admired for years made a Top 66 Hard Rock and Metal Drummers of All Time list for the website Loudwire. Dave Witte, drummer for Municipal Waste, Discordance Axis, Anodyne and tons more is incredible, inspiring and a complete force to be reckoned with. It’s well deserved.
I’d never seen this website before so I decided to check it out and click on the link.
I won’t lie – I was curious how many women they’d include.
But I was shocked. I knew it would be low.
I didn’t know it would be zero.
I tweeted dismay at the publication but heard nothing back. ZERO women in heavy music on drums to give some props to? In 2016?
Dave and I had a good back and forth conversation about this. We chatted off the cuff about the many awesome women just at first blush we felt should be included. It doesn’t take long to figure out who some of them are. They are everywhere. I would list some here, but if you are reading this magazine I’m sure you already know them and get it.
I spent the rest of the afternoon blasting Lozen, Helms Alee, Hole, Unwound, Your Majesty and Beyonce (Venzella Joy Williams is flipping rad).
Do better, Loudwire. It’s not hard.
– Katy Otto
Katy Otto is a drummer and a writer for Tom Tom based out of Philly. She runs KO Consulting a Resource Development for Social Change and Exotic Fever Records.