POP MUSIC IN THE #METOO MOMENT
B.C. band Hedley’s fall from grace is a sign of an industry beginning to change
The music industry was built on the passion of young people.
From The Beatles to One Direction, teenaged girls have been screaming themselves into a frenzy over their favourite bands for generations, a phenomenon that many boys see as part of the appeal of being a rock star.
In my 20 or so years of interviewing musicians, it’s common to hear men say they started playing guitar or singing or writing songs to “get girls.” Female musicians, on the other hand, usually say they started because they were trying to make sense of the jumble of emotions that come with being a teenager. Or because singing or playing an instrument made them feel better. (Boys may feel that way, too, but they tend not to articulate it in those words.)
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with teenagers wanting to appeal to the opposite sex. The problem arises when boys grow up, become rock stars and start taking advantage of their position by preying on the throngs of young female fans that adore them. The combination of men with power and impressionable young women with a strong desire to be close to their musical heroes helped to create the sexualized climate long been associated with the music business.
We’ve all heard incredible tales of debauchery and sexual misconduct involving famous musicians, from members of Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, KISS and Aerosmith, to Kid Rock, Megadeth, Moby and many more. Rock stars and groupies alike brag about their conquests in interviews and biographies.
So why is a mainstream Canadian pop-rock band like Hedley taking the heat now for allegations of sexual misconduct?
I’d say it’s partly due to the demographic of their fan base. The B.C.-based band has been around for more than a decade, and its fans have grown up with social media. Everyone has a voice now, and young women are empowered by the #MeToo movement that’s been sweeping through Hollywood and politics. They’re willing and able to call out behaviour that makes them feel demeaned or uncomfortable.
Lending fuel to the fire is the issue of consent. Hedley’s statement last week said the claims were “unsubstantiated” but the band acknowledged that they “engaged in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock ‘n’ roll clichés.” Society doesn’t have a problem with consensual participation in “rock ‘n’ roll clichés.” The condemnation starts when victims are underage, as might have been the case, according to the allegations.
Crimes of this nature are known to be under-reported, but the industry isn’t waiting for an investigation. Instead, it’s scrambling to distance itself from Hedley. The band’s management and booking agent severed ties, they’ve been blacklisted by radio stations and CBC Music, and they’re not going to be part of this year’s Juno Awards.
Their major Canadian tour is continuing, however, although the originally scheduled opening acts, Neon Dreams and Shawn Hook, have pulled out. Some fans are clamouring for refunds (and getting them, I’ve heard), but lots of others are showing their support by attending. The tour stopped in Ottawa on Tuesday night.
Unless the allegations turn into charges, which is unlikely, at least partly because no woman wants to bring a sexual assault case to court in this country, or are investigated by Hedley’s record company, Universal Music Canada, which wouldn’t be a bad idea, it doesn’t really matter at this point if Hedley is guilty or not. Their fall from grace is a sign of an industry beginning to change.
After all, the dynamic between rock star and fan is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to power imbalance between men and women in the music industry. For too many years women who showed up backstage, whether journalist, label rep or even as a member of the band, were assumed to be trying to get close to the guys in the band. I recall one promoter’s joking comment, years ago, that if I was going to be hanging around, I’d be expected to “put out.”
I laughed it off, as one must do to get the job done, but it stuck with me as an example of the boys’ club that has pervaded the industry for decades. It’s an issue that’s discussed regularly at music conferences, but usually during a Women in the Music Industry panel, where men are hardly ever present.
Live Music Canada executive director Erin Benjamin moderated one of those panels at last weekend’s Folk Alliance Conference in Kansas City and insisted on a male voice on the panel. She believes the best way to advance the conversation is to include men as well as women. Men need to hear women’s stories.
“So many men are amazing, decent human beings, but there’s behaviour that’s entrenched, that may not be instantly recognizable as part of the problem, and I’m not talking specifically about the music industry,” she said. “Men need to talk to each other about what they’re doing, and what can be done to address some of the systemic issues.
“It’s really hard when we have young fans and rock stars. There’s nothing new about that, but hopefully what this dialogue will change is behaviour on either side of that conversation, whether it’s the rock star or the teen fan. The day is gone when untoward behaviour is at all acceptable, and we can’t always assume that young people have the social awareness. They want to be close to their idols, and it’s essential that we’re learning as an industry what’s acceptable and what isn’t.
“The reality is that everyone needs to be accountable for their behaviour. This is a wake-up call for everybody.”
(Fans) want to be close to their idols, and it’s essential that we’re learning as an industry what’s acceptable and