Bikini Kill review: Grunge-era icons unleash fist-pumping feminist fury for riotous Perth Festival gig

The second-most punk rock thing I saw this week was former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl cooking barbecue for a homeless shelter. The most punk rock thing was seeing four middle-aged women absolutely level The Rechabite with a 90-minute, 26-song blast of fist-pumping feminist fury that even squeezed in instrument swapping and a lengthy time-out so the lead singer could have a cry backstage. Forget guitar solos. Don’t mention drumgasms. And, please, don’t even think about a shoey. Bikini Kill came, they cried, they conquered. The second of two concerts at The Rechabite for Perth Festival — part of the Olympia, Washington punk rockers’ first Australian tour in 26 years — launched with the short, sharp shock of New Radio and crashed to Earth with the riot grrrl anthem, Rebel Girl. Both songs were first unveiled in 1993. In between, grunge-era icon and lead singer Kathleen Hanna struggled with the heat as much as the helter-skelter tempo of Bikini Kill’s songs, which can seem like the Ramones with ADHD. “I’m going through menopause, I’m really hot,” Hanna announced after the charging Stooges-esque Don’t Need You. Now, I’ve referred to the band members’ age twice, something I’d usually never do. However, in this case, it’s notable given that Bikini Kill’s shows are sandwiched between electroclash performance artist Peaches’ two gigs at The Rechabite and the first of Icelandic superstar Bjork’s four nights on Langley Park starting Friday. All three are aged in their 50s (as are Bikini Kill co-founders, bassist Kathi Wilcox and drummer Tobi Vail), and create a potent through-line of feminist expression in Perth Festival’s excellent musical program. Guitarist Sara Landeau, who played with Hanna and Wilcox in The Julie Ruin, completes the quartet on the rare visit Down Under. On Wednesday night, Hanna proved time hasn’t wearied her, rather it has sharpened her. She told profane puns, revealed she was in a “shitty mood” after Carnival and, before Resist Psychic Death, talked about “one of her rapes”. Then there was the emotional time-out before a rollicking rendition of Reject All American. “I needed to cry so I walked away and cried,” Hanna said afterwards as a fan handed her a tissue, “and I appreciate you all for waiting for me.” Vail took lead vocals on six songs, including I Hate Danger, For Only and Hamster Baby. Before the latter she stated that “when we started no one took us seriously”, before sharing a few put-downs used to dismantle long short-wearing grunge jocks back in the day. (“What band are YOU in?” and “Did you just come out of PE class?” were two memorable lines.) The venue was full of mostly female fans, some of them too young to have seen Bikini Kill shake up the male-dominated grunge scene in the 90s but not too young to shout along to Suck My Left One, Double Dare Ya and, of course, Rebel Girl. As Hanna and co. say: Girls to the front. Bikini Kill The Rechabite, Northbridge March 1 Rating: 4 stars