“Imagine getting angry over seeing a breast but not getting furious over seeing homeless people, who no-one gives a fuck about” Millie from The SoapGirls 2-8-2018.
Millie and Mie of the infamous Soap Girls arrive in the backstage area of Rebellion 2018 with little or no fuss. The blonde duo is struggling with the flu, not that you’d ever know, self-pity is not in their feisty make-up. The Soap Girls played two shows on Rebellion’s opening Thursday. One in the newly erected Casbah Arena and the other at the Almost Acoustic stage. Both performances were very well received and very well attended. The Soap Girls play with very few clothes on, it’s a fact and one they’re proud of. The standard response (as a middle-aged male) on first seeing them was a slight embarrassment that I was leering or letching at them rather than listening to the songs. The songs are great, but a bit like the first time you go to a topless beach it can take a few moments to acclimatise to the almost alien, fleshy surroundings. The girls tour, hard. They are are on the road Nine months of the year and if they’re not playing live then you’ll find then writing songs or in the studio. So nudity, Trash/Punk-Rock ‘N’ Roll Music, the world’s biggest (and best) Punk Festival and two girls who play wearing nothing more than floss and stockings, what could possibly go wrong? I settle down with flu-ridden duo for a lively chat at the bustling backstage area of Rebellion 2018. Ladies and gentlefolk I give you the motherf**king Soap Girls.
OriginalRock.net. So I know you’re both feeling under the weather but how were the two shows yesterday?
Millie. The Casbah was just fucking insane, loads of good energy we loved it.
Mie. Nice and hot on the stage, I’ve literally never sweated so much in my life. At one point I was going to pass out, vomit and shit myself all at once!
Millie. The semi-acoustic show was also great. My favourite part was a three-year-old girl rocking out, no headphones on just true Punk Rock.
OR. You always seem to be in England is this like your second home now?
Millie. The road is our home, we spend between eight to nine months of the year touring so we’re hardly ever in South Africa, Cape Town. So we base ourselves in England because it’s easier to get to Europe and England’s small enough to drive around.
Mie. We love playing in England because it’s like the capital of Rock.
Millie. Plus next year we are going to be touring America for the first time. East coast then West Coast we’re still working it out.
OR. Which places or venues are most looking forward to playing in America?
Both. (laughing) The Bible Belt!
Millie. We Like a good fight y’now. Whiskey A-Go-Go would be cool. Also Rebellion America, Detroit, Vegas anywhere really.
OR. Your last album ‘Society’s Rejects’ came across as quite angry and passionate. Did some of that anger come from the incident in Hastings* back in 2016?
(*The Soap Girls were subjected to sexist abuse and covered in a red liquid while performing live in Hasting back in 2016.)
Mie. We wrote the song ‘Bad Bitch’ because of that.
Millie. I think the bullshit we suffer from through people’s prejudice definitely inspires a lot of our songs. I love people and hate them equally. The rage I feel about the injustice and bullshit that’s levelled at us for no other fucking reason than the way that we choose to dress, that fucking rages me. There are so many bigger issues that people need to stand behind like Animal abuse, homelessness, corrupt politicians, paedophile rings but instead of that, all they can go on about is the way we look, who the fuck do people think they are?
Mie. People say we should wear jeans and a T-shirt then you’ll be taken seriously!
Millie. No-one says it to men, no-one tells Iggy Pop to put his shirt on. I hate to break it to you but even when I’m sixty my tits are going to be out!
OR. Recently Classic Rock magazine did an all-female issue, which you featured in over four pages, that’s quite a spread.
Mie. Even to be mentioned, just once was amazing.
Millie. I mean, next to Joan Jett, she’s one of our idols.
Mie. It was interesting to see their different perceptions of what it’s like being a female in the industry. Not that I think it’s okay to say your a female fronted band, that I don’t like.
OR. Would you rather there were more female bands in the major magazines every week/month rather than hardly any and then one big issue which then highlights a multitude of Female bands/performers.
Mie. Lita Ford is an amazing guitarist and she should be recognised as a great guitarist not just as a female guitarist.
Millie. There are a lot more male bands out there and that’s just the cold hard truth, so there will always be that imbalance, however, the media should not be concentrating on gender but on great guitarists and musicians.
Mie. We wouldn’t say that Slash is the greatest Male guitarist, he’s just the greatest guitarist.
OR. Do you think that equality is getting closer to a natural balance is getting further away?
Mie. I think there’s a trend especially with females (Millie cuts in) They are vilifying every straight man and that’s not equality. To put down someone else to make yourself feel better that’s bullshit.
Millie. When it comes to music there is nothing a guy can do that a woman can’t.
OR. Where do you see The Soap Girls in ten years?
Millie. Still touring. I hope the world would have progressed and been more open-minded so I never have to justify how I dress on stage.
Mie. More topless people at our shows, men and women.
Millie. I’ll be so happy the day I don’t get asked in an interview why I dress the way I do.
Mie. I’ll be happy when people stop body shaming.
Millie. People shouldn’t judge your morality by your fashion. More acceptance across the world, more freedom.
OR. You said the next album is going to be different how?
Millie. There’s a song on the next album called ‘In The Name Of God’ it’s about animal rights. We are so sick and tired of people dismissing animals as beings that are just there. If someone eats meat I don’t care if you do, but you need to question where it’s coming from. You can’t be an asshole when you see blood or footage of a slaughterhouse and say oh, I don’t want to see that. If you eat meat you must know where it’s coming from, otherwise, fuck you. It’s about politicians as well sending people out to war. Imagine getting angry over seeing a breast but not getting furious over seeing homeless people, who no-one gives a fuck about. It’s cognitive dissonance. There’s no problem when The Dwarves play naked (OR, well there is!) but no-one questions it. You’re so used to seeing a woman’s body in sex and pornography that when you see it in a different context you don’t understand. I’m challenging your perception of it. We’re not going to change who we are or how we dress so you feel more comfortable about it, you’re going accept it and move on with your own life, that’s it. Also it ten years I hope we have enough of a platform so that we can go out and rescue animals, much like 269 in Israel (http://www.269life.com) that rescue animals from the slaughterhouse.
OR. So music is your (political and belief) vehicle?
Millie. Music is everything we do, it’s all we’ve got. Also just to just play music to an audience and not have a message is a waste.
OR. Now you’ve been going a few years how do you find the audiences, has (and I hate the word) novelty of two girls with very few clothes on worn off? They’re not coming to, leer at you but to listen?
Mie. Yes, I know what you mean.
Millie. No-one cares, people get the message.
Mie. There can be some who (pauses) have turned up to see something we are not and they don’t like the music.
Millie. They are not welcome, they can fuck off. At our show weirdness is celebrated, people who stand up, outcasts, rejects they are celebrated for being different and being who they are. People are comfortable with our shows, they know they are not going to be ostracized or killed for being different.
Mie. Even we get guys, girls or whatever to come on stage and take their tops off, initially they’re like oh no I’m too fat I’ve got a beer belly or whatever, we just say it doesn’t matter!
Millie. People associate clothing with decency and that’s not right.
With time running out and girls getting sicker by the minute we wrap things up but not before both Mie and Millie tell me categorically that playing fully clothed is not an option. When at home they are naturists and see no reason why they should change their outlook or attire to make anyone else feel more at ease. When it comes to religion the girls aren’t very outgoing and wish to keep their personal beliefs to themselves, let’s just say it doesn’t define them.
The Soap Girls are committed to their music their moral beliefs and themselves. A chin up chest out, here we are, fuck you if you don’t get us attitude has served them well. Being a female in this industry can be a tough and personally compromising ride, that is unless you refuse to get on the musical merry go round and plough your own furrow.
With a new album in the pipeline and more tour dates constantly added The Soap Girls aren’t going to slink off into the shadows anytime soon. These Society’s Rejects are always made welcome at Rebellion as is everyone else and that’s just the way it should be, everywhere.