A blog post on Woodstock '99, nu-metal, misogyny, sexual abuse, and how heavy metal can be healing.
Preview:
I recently watched the HBO documentary, Woodstock 1999: Peace, Love, and Rage (2021) - both for my interest in rock music but also because it was known for widespread misogyny and sexual violence. For those unfamiliar, Woodstock '99 was meant to replicate the (nostalgic) celebration of music from the original music festival in 1969 that featured artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, The Who, and Jefferson Airplane. This time, however, the organisers were worried about losing potential income and ended up fencing in attendees - literally. The documentary shows thousands and thousands of people confined to, what was originally a military base, with a lack of necessary resources (think water, toilets...). This was in addition to just about everything being overpriced and in a heatwave no less. So, at the very least, we can say that the three day event was uncomfortable.
Heavy Metal and Healing Trauma (Download)
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