GIHE favourites Problem Patterns have returned with a double dose of delightful, disruptive noise on their AA single release ‘Lesbo 3000’ / ‘Poverty Tourist’. Taken from their upcoming debut album, Blouse Club, which is due on 27th October via Alcopop! Records, the Belfast-based Riot Grrrls tackle homophobia and working class appropriation on their anthemic new tracks. We can’t wait to hear both of them live when the band headline for us at the Sebright Arms in Hackney on 17th November (tickets are cheaper in advance and available from DICE).
Not defined by traditional band structures, Problem Patterns routinely switch up instruments and mic duties for their riotous songs, which always makes for a refreshing take on the subject they’re singing about. Following on from previous single ‘Letter of Resignation’, which saw guitarist Beverley Boal step forward on vocals, on ‘Lesbo 3000’ drummer Bethany Crooks takes the lead as she calls out the prejudices around homophobic language and reclaims it for herself and the LGBTQ+ community.
“‘Lesbo 3000’ was written partly out of frustration and also to reclaim and have ownership over my sexuality,” explains Bethany. “The frustration is that lesbianism is consistently invalidated, we’re told that we just haven’t ‘met the right man’ yet or that some random man in a bar has a magic appendage in his trousers that will completely negate your attraction to women. The reality is that homophobic attacks are becoming more and more consistent with right wing social media emboldening bigots, while ‘lesbian’ remains one of the top search topics on all porn websites. (Mostly) men think that lesbians exist for their sexual gratification, but if they see two women holding hands they go absolutely berserk.”
“I also thought it was important to reclaim the slur ‘dyke’,” she continues. “I’ve been called a dyke multiple times by homophobes who want to hurt me, but if I can reclaim that word it completely takes the power out of it. Yes I am a dyke. And that feels really powerful to say.” With the aid of some truly stunning local drag artists in the accompanying video for ‘Lesbo 3000’, Bethany and the grrrls gleefully dismantle these damaging prejudices and riotously reclaim the language that doesn’t belong on the tongues of ignorant bigots.
“We really wanted it to feel joyful and silly even though the song has quite a serious subject matter,” Bethany comments on the visuals, which were directed by long-time collaborator Brendan Seamus. “We decorated the set like a big gay party! We toyed for months with the idea of paying homage to ‘Addicted To Love’ and ‘Man I Feel Like A Woman’, and thought that involving local drag artists would be a perfect tonic to the constant depressing news cycles surrounding LGBTQ+ attacks and discrimination we see nowadays. Carl Hartt, Hester Ectomy, Xxxpresso Martini and FRUITY were the backing band and they all absolutely killed it. We are so grateful that they even wanted to participate in the video, and they really served 80s hair metal/bimbo/sexy punk realness.”
Problem Patterns are driven by a strong DIY ethos and as a working class band, they feel it’s important to call out the appropriation of this culture in the music industry and further afield. Their second AA-side track ‘Poverty Tourist’ does just that. Fuelled by the riotous dual vocals of Alanah Smith and Ciara King, as well as King’s potent bass line, the track is a Beastie Boys-style blast of pure punk catharsis that came about during the band’s final writing session before they recorded their album.
“We’re a working class band and there are experiences that are very unique to us which we have bonded over,” Alanah explains about the track. “It’s incredibly frustrating to see those struggles co-opted by folks who have never had to worry about money. The kind of people who will dig around charity shops to ‘curate’ bits for their Etsy store where they will sell these items at 10x the price. Charity shops exist to serve the community and there are people that depend on them because there are no other options. It’s the rich kids moving into impoverished areas to make themselves sound more interesting, driving up the rent and gentrifying the area.”
“This sort of romanticisation of the poor is very prevalent in the music scene, especially in bands (and industry types) who align a working class background with being perceived as more authentic. People dress up and change their accent for personal gain only, but as Jarvis Cocker once said, ‘If you called your dad he could stop this all’ – and of course, he also said, ‘Everybody hates a tourist.’ It’s cosplay, it’s gross, and it’s always obvious when someone is doing this.”
Fresh from performing live on BBC 6Music, supporting electro-punk icons Le Tigre on their Manchester and Glasgow tour dates and playing a knockout set at Brighton’s Great Escape festival earlier this year, it’s been a joy to witness Problem Patterns’ hard work pay off. Listen to ‘Poverty Tourist’ below and pre-order your copy of their debut album, Blouse Club, here.
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Photo Credit: Carrie Davenport
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