I went intoWednesdays Perfect Pussy gig totally and utterly prepared, I had one goal in mind
and I was going to achieve it no matter the cost. Little did I know that I
would come out so gobsmacked and unsure if what just happened was real life or
not. This night I probably had the biggest rock star moment of my life.
The
aforementioned goal last night was to meet Meredith Graves (lead singer of
Syracuse band Perfect Pussy), get her to write my favourite lyrics somewhere on
my body and get them tattooed as soon as I could. Why may you ask would I do
such a thing? Well because Meredith Graves is exactly the type of person I wish
I had as a role model when I was growing up. As much as I loved singing along
to Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears as a little girl, at the end of the
day they didnt really prepare me for how cruel the world could be if you
didnt look like a Barbie doll or act 10 years older than you actually
were. I wish someone like Meredith was in the spotlight when I was young
so I could see someone who was truly comfortable with who they were and with
what they wanted to put out into the world. Someone who says, You dont like
me? Well who gives a shit!, someone who preaches about the importance of love
and respect rather than partying and getting back that boy you lost. Perfect
Pussys music is exactly what the world needs right now, something
socially/politically charged with the sound to match.
The entire
band performed like there was no one watching, they convulsed, rocked out,
flailed their arms and legs. Meredith threw all the presumptions about how a
girl should act on stage out the window and punched the air/stage/anything
nearby and screamed her lungs bloody. This was someone I wanted to be, someone
I respected for not just her looks but her mind, integrity and just down right
punk attitude. As I rocked out to their unique brand of noise punk, I had
in my bag two black sharpies, a post it note with the lyrics I wanted to get
her to write and all I needed now was to build up the courage to talk to her
after the show.
The music
ended in typical Perfect Pussy manner, loud, distorted and experimental.
Meredith was kneeling on the ground palms down and resting her head on the
stage as the rest of her band packed up and walked off stage. She just sat
there. A few fans went up to her and started talking to her and I realized it
was now or never.
After
chatting to her for 20 minutes about their Laneway performance, how hungry we
were and tattoos, we managed to segway perfectly into my mission. I told her I
wanted to get some PP lyrics tattooed on me and who better to write it on me
than the person who wrote them? She kind of freaked out (in a good way)
and replied with OMG yes, that is amazing! That is actually the sweetest thing
ever I cant believe you are going to do that, Im going to cry! I told her
not to cry because me being the highly sensitive person I am would also
breakout into tears and we would not look punk at all.
We sucked it up and she
began to write on my arm. She told me that she would only do it if I could send
her a picture afterwards. She gave me her email *I died* and told me to
send it to her. As she wrote the second part of the quote on my other arm she
asked when I was going to get it done, I replied Oh way later in the week
because I cant afford to get it done now , she retorted with I really wanna
see it done, you know what lets go tonight! Ill help you out, lets go do it,
I really wanna see it done. *jaw drops to the floor*, yours did too?
Yeah see its fucking insane! So my night ended with me in a tattoo parlour
with Meredith Graves getting a tattoo of her lyrics, in her handwriting! CRAZY
GODDAMN NIGHT. She had to leave to finish loading out the venue so she only saw
one elbow get tattooed but she gave me a hug and took a picture with me and
pretty much made my year.
Bless you
Meredith!
