Lauren Mayberry Introduces The Punk Singer at The Glasgow Film Festival

I wrote it all down, because I'm really bad at public speaking, so this is my disclaimer and I'm pretty much doing this with "Firework" by Katy Perry playing in my head, so I can get through this without sweating too much, but, yes, I've written it down, so, I will begin. As evidenced, I'm not a very naturally brave person, I'm not very naturally fearless in any way, but there are people that inspire me to be better and do better and since I've been a teenager Kathleen Hanna has been one of those people and I read something when I was a teenager that she had said and it really stuck with me and she had said "You learn that the only way to get rock star power as a girl is to be a groupie and bare your *** and get chosen for the night. We learn that the only way to get anywhere is through men and that is a lie". No offense to any gentlemen in the audience. I work in an industry which, to put it mildly, is not necessarily designed in the best interests of women, so I could stand here all day and talk about, tell you anecdotes of times that terrible sexist things have happened to me and how it's not great for women in the music industry, but, we all know that. But I think without women like Kathleen Hanna, who have gone before me, my job would be so much harder than it already is, so, I think these are the women that taught me that it's okay to do things your way and do your career in a way that you want to do, that you can make the art that you want to make and pursue that in a way that makes you comfortable and not in a way that other people have told you that you should. This documentary is an incredible portrayal of an artist and activist who always challenged that status quo. I have seen it already, because I'm sneaky like that and I think that you guys will hopefully really enjoy it and hopefully are inspired by the ethos of Kathleen Hanna and the ethos of riot grrrl as much as TYCI, the collective that is helping put on this event has done... ...next page... This is the good bit, we're almost on the home straight, don't worry. I started TYCI because I felt under represented and alone in an industry I was allegedly an equal part of, but TYCI is now a fully blown organisation, full of really amazing people who work really hard for something that they care about and I feel less alone when I go to our live events and see people that have come down to share the positive message that we want to share and I feel less alone when people tell me that two screenings of a film about a female activist have sold out at a film festival and you guys did that, so thanks and I feel less alone, when I think about all the amazing people, who work every day in organisations Glasgow, the UK and the world to challenge injustice and inequality on every level, all the time. So I will end on a fitting quote from the riot grrrl manifesto. "I believe with my whole heart mind and body, that girls constitute a revolutionary soul force that can and will change the world for real" I hope you enjoy this documentary as much as I have and if you guys are around afterwards, we're all going to have beers at the CCA and play riot grrrl songs. Thank you very much, enjoy the film.