It's
2005, creeping into 2006, and at a casual glance it would appear that
women have managed to kick down the last of the barriers in the music
world.
In
fact gender seems to be an irrelevant issue, or is it?
There
are plenty of ladies up front in the mainstream charts, but backing
bands, record producers, record execs etc are all still predominately
male.
If you
look closer, peel the lid back, then it's obvious that the men still
far outnumber the women by a very wide margin.
As you
obviously have first hand experience of the often entrenched attitude
that rock and roll is for the boys can you tell us how you think
things have changed since the late seventies to today, and what do
you expect the future will hold?
Patricia
Morrison – I think it's become different, but not necessarily
easier.
There
used to be a wider choices available to women, but now it's ninety
percent 'pop' singers with histrionic voices and wearing very little
clothes. This is what the industry (run by men) wants, and this is
what women give them to succeed.
There are
a few oddballs out there, thank God, but for the most part the big
picture is that the music business is the same as it always was.
I have
done festivals and been one of only a few women performing. The
Warped Tour had only two women on the main stage, Bridget, the
violinist of Flogging Molly, and myself.
I don't
call that very equal.
Even more
condescendingly there was a stage for 'girl bands'.
It would
seem segregation is still alive.
Ironically
some of them were excellent, but they were sidelined which is a pity.
Not sure
whose fault that is, but it's what I have always seen.
In the
early punk days it was different, and it WAS equal, but that
disappeared.
I don't
personally consider that bands like The Spice Girls have done
anything to help women advance in the music industry, and instead it
is acts like The White Stripes who fly the flag for women as the
equality is right there to see.
Meg has
more power than fifty riot girls, or whatever they are now calling
themselves.
Strong
women have always pushed the boundaries, but paid heavily for it.
Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin are two that spring to mind. Courtney
Love seems obviously a casualty waiting to happen, and although I'm
loathe to mention her alongside Holiday and Joplin, it does
illustrate that chipping away at the male dominance that's prevalent
is hazardous for your health. Do you agree?
PM – Billie Holiday had a hell of a difficult life, and it made her
music wonderful and real. Janis Joplin sounded like no one else.
They say Joss Stone is the new Janis...what a crock.
I wouldn't even think to mention Courtney Love in the same breath as
them.
Doing drugs and being obnoxious is one way of getting attention, but
it doesn't necessarily make you anything more than a celebrity.
The way she is now is the way she was back in LA, and as a matter of
fact she has gone amazingly far and been a huge success despite being
a fuck up.
The last time I seen her, in the early eighties, she was lying in the
gutter with no underwear on.
She always wanted to be somebody and now she is. Mission accomplished
So no. Lets not put her in the same bracket as Billie and Janis.
Is it hazardous to the health of a woman to push for a career in
music on an equal basis as men though?
Maybe it's down to the persons own personality and not gender.
It's possible that there are equally the same amount of casualties.
I don't see women as the weaker sex. For every Janis there's how many
male equivalents?
You
have had an illustrious career.
Starting
off in The Bags as far back as '76 before moving on to 'Legal
Weapon', and then the hugely critically acclaimed 'Gun Club'. Then
'Fur Bible' prior to spearheading a movement as a member of The
Sisters of Mercy, and currently you playing bass for The Damned.
Do you
ever consider that your involvement with these bands (Gun
Club/Sisters of Mercy) has been glossed over with the front
men/singers, Pierce and Eldritch being the focal points, as it does
seem that as a female bassist you have been reduced to a footnote in
the bands histories.
It
would appear that a degree of respect from the music press has been
less than forthcoming.
Would
you consider that this was because both men had larger than life
persons, or is it simply inherent sexism at work?
PM – Looking back I think I did pretty well in holding my own with
those two particular egos.
The Gun Club I was always proud of. Jeffrey was a special talent and
he has also been glossed over which is a real shame.
I guess I have so many boxes of newspaper cuttings that to me I made
a mark that I'm happy with.
The Sisters was different.
We had success due to the image and I was one half of that, and
that's just a fact whether anyone likes it or not.
Floodland was a good record, but I think the image sold it as much as
the songs.
I had a horrible time when I first joined the bands, and the press
initially treated me like shit, but by the time I left I was well
respected and many publications wanted to interview me by myself.
Which was frowned upon I might add.
When I went to Germany once and met the record company there I was
surprised to find out that I had been sent lots of fan mail that I
was never told about, including a three foot tall gothic teddy bear.
That bothered me because all those people sending unanswered mail
would have formed a false impression of me. Maybe aloof, arrogant,
and that's not the case.
I was just unaware of the mails existence.
This was near the end and I had started to realize just how much I
was being screwed over.
The Damned is the opposite of that.
I'm playing songs that I grew up with and love, and I think I've held
my own in a band that is very, very male.
They weren't afraid to have a female bass player though.
I was shaking at the first few gigs as the audience can be a bit
rough, but they were great and I was accepted virtually straight away
and since then I've had lost of good tours.
The Damned audience is the best I have ever played in front of.
From
previous interviews it's apparent that your enforced departure from
The Sisters of Mercy was conducted in a very unprofessional manner.
Did
you feel that the public perception of you as an individual was
skewed?
PM – No, I've found that anyone who has ever had any dealings with
Andrew can understand what I went through.
I don't think there's that many people who really care about those
days now.
No one mentions him to me any more. I do sign Floodland albums which
I am always happy to do, and Captain draws a Hitler moustache on
Andrew which seems fitting.
It's
generally felt that if someone is in a successful band then they must
be financially affluent, and probably living a fantasy style rock and
roll lifestyle, limos and coke on tap so to speak.
Yet
the reality appears to be that you were initially unemployed and had
an uncertain future ahead of you.
Was it
difficult for people to empathize with you due to their
misconceptions?
PM – Now that's a good question.
Yes. People thought I was loaded so wanted huge sums to work with me.
This resulted in me trying to do everything myself which turned out
to be impossible.
If I'd had the back up that most 'girl singers' have it would have
been great, but I didn't.
I was lucky in a sense though as I never had a drug problem to deal
with, I did drink too much, but stopped when I felt I needed to stop.
I never had the insecurities that I find rampant in the music
industry, I'm not arrogant either and just never felt desperate to
prove myself.
If I had any of those problems on top of the perceptions people had
as I tried to start again it may not have turned out like it has.
Instead I moved on, just did my job and tried to do it really well.
Maybe if I had been more cut-throat I would have been more
successful, but that isn't me.
What people think is rarely a true reflection at all.
What some people may think were the good times weren't, and the times
they may think are the bad times are often the best.
I've travelled the world for decades, seen places and done things
that I will always treasure.
That's what I would rather focus on. I've been a lucky bass player.
On a
lighter note do you still feel people hold onto misconceptions. I
would imagine that a surprisingly high number of people think that
Dave and you probably live in a Gothic castle. Possibly have cats
called Morticia and Wednesday and employ a manservant called Fester?
PM – Fester left after David tried to test him in the lab, and the
cats are Pubert and Cat, and the castle is cunningly disguised as a
small house, but we have each other, our little girl Emily, and our
health so when you get to my age that is pretty darn wonderful.
That's the real story, but people will think what they want wont
they?
I feel I've been really lucky to get to where I am now. I've been
able to support myself by working as a musician for uh...yikes,
nearly thirty years.
That in itself can feel unreal.
Finally,
as a last question. Do you have any plans for another solo album, or
maybe a project outside of the Damned?
PM – No. My life right now is pretty much taking care of Emily. I
have very little time for anything else right now.
I was asked to sing on someone's new CD, but I am just unable to do
it right now, although it was lovely to be asked.
I would hope that as Emily gets older that I will do more music, but
she is my priority just now.
I've been thinking of asking David to get my bass down from the loft
though....so you never know.
(This has been pieced together from an old email and a part of the original fanzine that it was printed in. Minor missing text has been rewritten from memory)