Pink Flag defy girl band notions

Betsy Shane of Durham's Pink Flag admits that talking about female musicians has gotten her into trouble before. But her brazen attitude toward the subject suggests that she doesn't really care about bruising anyone's feelings.

""I think we're kind of in this third wave for girl bands that are just these b----es that just say" ‘I've got a guitar" and I'm going to get up there and play.'""

And so it goes for Pink Flag"" a trio determined to break down ""girl-band"" stereotypes by refusing to take a backseat to the boys.

""We just want to upstage everyone" Shane says with the sort of sly smile that manifests itself musically each time Pink Flag plugs in its instruments and begins to create the spunky punk gems that have garnered the band plenty of attention since it formed in January when Shane answered a Craig's List ad posted by the group's bassist Princess Ojiaku.

Even Shane seems taken aback by the band's quick rise within the Triangle music community.

It's just been a short rocket-like like thing she said.

We've just been slammed with good luck. We got to play Franklin on Halloween" a great house party the night after; we're doing Troika and releasing our record pretty soon after that.""

And in advance of all of those shows" and in all of the reviews of the group's upcoming record" the gender of the three members will undoubtedly be mentioned. That fact doesn't bother Shane; she just wants the band's music to be considered fairly.

""It bothers me when people are surprised when we can play our instruments because we are girls or when people blame the fact that we can't play our instruments on the fact that we are girls.""

After a few songs at any of their shows though"" the band quickly shifts from a ""girl band"" into" quite simply" a very good band providing three minutes of sonic jabs with each of its high-energy jams.

""It's as weird as people let it be. If you don't stick your vagina in everyone's face"" people will just let it go.""

And even with the insistence on not being pigeon-holed"" Shane said she is still considering hanging a big ""No Boys Allowed"" sign on Pink Flag's proverbial clubhouse.

""I sort of have this thing where I don't think that I would want a boy in this band" she said before bassist Ojiaku chimed in.

I just think it's easier this way" Ojiaku said. I'm more comfortable with this as someone who has never been a professional musician before this.""

That comfort is an important part of a band that Shane compared to some sort of ""really obnoxious polygamous group.""

""With us" it's never me going to a show; it's all of us going to a show. If two of us go out to dinner the other is always like ‘Hey" why didn't you guys invite me?'""

That type of bond is evident from the stage" as the girls play with the singular goal of ripping your preconceived notions to shreds.



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