Feral (Angrr! No 3.2)

actually going to write more about my emotional owies, but I do have to stick to some shortness.

Here's #2. I hope you enjoy it!

Graffiti, 10th & NW Classen, OKC, OK Nov 2025

Hi readers! Thanks for picking up this zine. I'm Granny Anarchy and I write for Metro Library's UMAmi. Often my articles run long and I have extra zinesized pieces that supplement my work in the "official" zine. I've also completed some personal zines that are multifeatured (rather than focusing on just one issue, they have many different articles in them, but they are my personal interests and don't represent any organization.)

I've had several, ah, issues (haha pun haha) lately and haven't had time to wrangle the slightly larger focus and formatting I expect of "AnGrr!!" so I'm putting out a more loosely formatted zine at the moment. I've named it Feral/F3r@L. (I was

A GIG IS A GIG IS A GIG

By Granny Anarchy If you are a performer and you are slotted - paid or not - to play somewhere, what do you call your booking?

If you travel in entertainment circles or venture out to see a lot of artists, how do you define their performances - particularly in smaller venues?

Whilst general audiences might go see “shows,” many musicians tend to use the term "gig."

But just what is a “gig?”

If you read any other article about this word's etymology, and that article presents origins as a fact, that article is likely inaccurate.

There is no clear origin. The history of “gig” is murky at best.

No one knows when or where it

a geige in German.

actually originated.

In Scandinavia, there was some

The oldest incarnations of the

reference of a gige or gigja/gigje,

word “gig” may have been something that whirled or turned, such as indicated by the Middle English word ghyg (spinning top,

whyrlegyg, from the mid-15th century.)

a simple stringed instrument played with a bow. Some texts indicate gigja probably had mandolin-like rounded backs and were similar to, if not the same as, the medieval rebec or kleingeige.

There are also references to dances, such as the energetic baroque French couple’s dance the gigue, the quick-moving Italian

giga, and the rapid Irish (and English) cloggy solo jig (16th century,) which may - in turn (pun possibly intended) - have had its name applied to the spinning wheels of a horse-drawn carriage.

Rebec im Syntagma musicum von Michael Praetorius, 1619 via Wikipedia

There's speculation that the word "gig" derived from the early 1900s, when African American jazz musicians in the South (specifically New Orleans) traveled by horse and cart and may even have used those “gigs” as a stage (would they have been strong and steady enough?) to avoid police

English Elizabethan clown Will Kempe dancing a jig from London to Norwich in 1600 via Wikipedia

Similarly, those dancing might have heard a fiddle or violin called

persecution - as otherwise they might have been arrested for loitering or standing on the street.

However, this is conjecture.

There are also stories about

gigs.)

musicians using cart “gigs” to

Information via Robert S. Gold, A Jazz

move quickly from booking to

Lexicon (1964)

booking.

Some documentation regarding the first use of "gig" in the sense of a musical booking includes: — 1926 Melody Maker, Sep., p. 7. “One popular “gig” band makes use of a nicely printed booklet.”

— 1931 Melody Maker, May, p. 369.

“Bill Henry and his orchestra were

Stanhope Gig circa 1800s via Wikipedia

responsible for the undoubted success

In addition, there are apocryphal

of half the local gigs.”

tales that calendars were marked with "GIG” - an acronym for “God Is Great” – on paid booking days, as a sign of thanks. And, of course, there is still the theory that “gig” could have come from an old, spinning dance.

According to Eubie Blake, (American ragtime/jazz pianist ,and composer), jazz bandleader, James Reese Europe used the

via Robert S. Gold, A Jazz Lexicon (1964) — 1950: A. Lomax, Mr. Jelly Roll p. 204 “If I ask you to go out on a gig, it's thirty-five or forty dollars for that night.”

— 1954 Satchmo, My Life in New Orleans, L. Armstrong, p. 100 “Cornet players used to pawn their instruments when there was a lull in funerals, parades, dances, gigs and picnics.”

— 1954 Satchmo, My Life in New Orleans, L. Armstrong, p. 141 “Kid Ory

term “gig” to mean booking as

had some of the finest gigs, especially

early as 1905, and the term was

for the rich white folk.”

widely used among jazz musicians in the 1920s. (Note: non-jazz jobs were referred to as hames or day

— 1958: “Life is a Many Splendored Gig,” song title via Harold Wentworth & Stuart Flexner,

Dictionary of American Slang (1960)

As a summation, The Oxford

conservative conspiracies,

English Dictionary says the origin

allowing AI content, and now

of “gig” is unknown, and various

running advertisements for ICE.

scholars and texts on etymology

CEO Daniel Ek has also invested

and linguistics haven’t been able

in an AI-driven military startup.

to search out much detail.

In the past, artists such as Neil

This begs the question: WHY IS A

Young withdrew their catalogue

GUITAR CALLED AN AXE?

from the service to protest fair treatment for content creators in capitalistic culture. Recently, Deerhoof, King Gizzard and & the Lizard Wizard, Young Widows, and other artists have withdrawn their music in outrage over the creep of authoritarianism.

So what are the ethical options to replace a service such as Spotify?

Amazon - Granny has been boycotting Bezos for well over a year and cannot recommend anything Amazon. Although Amazon offers a large catalog, it

AlterNatIves to SpotIfy

is complicit in poor worker

I'm sure you've heard plenty of

domineering digital rights

criticism about Spotify

management. Although the

compensating artists, promoting

company owner is an extremely

treatment and artist compensation as well as

wealthy individual, he does not

catalog that the less independent

share a proportionate amount of

experience offers.

his astounding to

Deezer - If you dig deep enough

incomprehensible net worth with charities or on projects which would directly benefit humankind, choosing instead to hoard wealth or spend on vanity projects.

you find that Deezer's parent company is headed by Russian oligarch Len Blavatnik. Blavatnik is on many ethical consumers’ boycott watch due to his

Apple - Many of the same issues

contribution to Trump's 2017

as Amazon; the large easily

inauguration and participation in

navigable catalog is offset by

the 2024 WhatsApp billionaire

capitalistic complications. The

discussion to influence public

Democratic Republic of Congo

opinion against Gaza.

has also filed criminal charges

Libby - This library streaming

against the company for illegal sourcing of tin and tungsten contributing to war and slave/child labor. Apple helped fund the White House ballroom and CEO Tim Cook personally gave $1 million to Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration fund.

Bandcamp - Bandcamp offers direct artist support and seems to be a good solution for content creators and those who wish to support them, but is not the most user-friendly streaming option for those looking for the breadth of

service is owned by KKR. Though there are past reports of environmental violations unethical practices, Ethical Consumer and the Australian Shop Ethical website report no active boycotts of the company.

Pandora - Owned by SirusXM, which is reportedly notorious for poor customer service and benefits from paying artists unfairly. Pandora offers limited customization and is reportedly playing ads for ICE.

Presto - Offers a pay per second

AI's environmental destruction via

model focused mainly on classical

data centers, selling AI tech to

and jazz. Unfortunately, this is not

governments that support

my forte and I don’t know much

apartheid and genocide,

about this option.

censorship and data privacy

Soundcloud - Owned by Raine Group and Temasek Holdings, Soundcloud allows artists to upload and distribute their music directly through their site. Much

issues, and worker rights.

(That said, Granny is currently using YouTube links to introduce readers to new music as they are consumer default quick entries to

more indie/emerging artists than

visual and audio data.)

mainstream.

The main contender appears to

Tidal - Founded by Jay-Z and now owned by Block, Tidal possesses a large library. And pays artists relatively high royalty rates. While

be Qobuz, - a French service which offers similar content/a large catalog, though to my knowledge

this originally seemed like an

there is no free option.

option, Tidal's parent company

Granny’s favorite alternative is:

(Block) is currently owned by

Hardcopy! I use CDs, most people

Vanguard and BlackRock. These

today seem to collect vinyl. But

are "global asset managers" which

while old school owning your own

have ignored reports and calls

music ensures protection from

from the UN. They are therefore

digital rights minefields (such as

knowing and complicit,

change/disappearance from your

profiteering from genocide and

collection,) there is the difficulty

conflict in Gaza.

of storage, portability, and of

YouTube - Owned by Google,

course discovery.

YouTube's key impacts include

Speaking of, let’s share a little:

MusIc for You Hum - Step Into You https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Pixies Spoon Fazerdaze Criterion (Originally Scheduled for the Zoo

v=lSHBtsPxEP8

Ampitheater)

Ribbon Skirt - Wrong Planet

September 4, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=IiP2m3vnbOg Skating Polly – Send a Priest https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=daS_HQ9pGmU Wet Leg – Mangetout https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=lbc6CcZTp5E Wombo – Dreamsickle https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=p3pJyeCzVuM

Fazerdaze is from New Zealand. This was their 1st trip to the US. They were very sweet & said they were enjoying the tour & audiences. I hadn’t heard of them & liked their shoegaze style!.

Wombo - Ugly Room https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=wG1NXeRHPjQ

Crappy CoNcert PIcs In the last (first) issue of Feral/F3r@L, I shared pics of the concerts I’d been to up through “The Pixies!” Well, here they are, and the rest!

Spoon started in the early to mid 90s, signed with a major label in the late 90s, and had its (their) big break in the 2000s with “I Turn My Camera On” from

“Gimme Fiction.”

My favorite Spoon song is “Got Nuffin” from “Transference.”

This was originally going to be at the Zoo and I sprang for pretty good seats. 10th row here.

The Pixies take the stage.

Even my crap cell got some good pics!

Curr lineup: Black Francis, Joey Santiago, David Lovering, Emma Richardson.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS CLOSE TO FRANK BLACK & JOEY SANTIAGO!

Cecelia Ann/Wave of Mutilation/Isla de Encanta/Head On/Chicken/Motoroller

Kings of the Prairie/Primrose/Gouge Away/Debaser/Tame/Hey/Caribou

The Vegas Suite/In Heaven/Death Horizon/Here Comes Your Man/Vamos

Monkey Gone… /Cactus/Wave of.../Ana/Mr. Grieves/Where is My …?/Into the White

Nimrod’s Son/Winterlong/Motorway… /Velouria/The Happening

I HAVE SEEN THE PIXIES 3 TIMES TO THE PIXIES (IYKYK)

Wet Leg Criterion October 7, 2025

Negative approach adolesceNts circle Jerks tower theater october 14, 2025

SUPER IMPORTANT bathroom graffiti

Met a (new!) friend who had free tix & kindly put up with my night driving & not finding parking. Stood by sound board so yeah can’t really see Rhian Teasdale & krewe. BUT WAS AWESOME. I’M SO OLD. “I've always felt on the outside, really.”

― Siouxsie Sioux

Finally figured out how to get the date stamp off of my phone!

Before & between sets, all band members wandered about the Tower amidst the audience. You don't GET that at The Criterion! It’s not uncommon for punk, but that's what is so heartening about some of the best punk ethos.

I took my kid (in their 20s but always my child!) to this; I LOVE the attitude & energy of raw, rough punk altho’ I don’t listen to it much.

Powdr Ribbon Skirt Wombo Resonant Head October 23, 2025

My fave was between songs, when Keith would talk to the audience. Keith Morris, co-founder of Black Flag, seen here with The Circle Jerks, has Stories. And Wisdom.

And Kindness. We would do well to Listen to him.

I heard about Ribbon Skirt playing at Resonant Head literally less than 24 hours before they took the stage. I didn't even know who they were playing with. I am a fan of some different Native American punk and indie acts, and love Ribbon Skirt's dark dreamy Bite Down, so I traveled (at night! through a thunderstorm! I HAVE NO NIGHT VISION) to an unfamiliar part of town, purchased tickets at the door and..

...I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THE EVENING!. I have social anxiety, I have everything anxiety, I have phobias I haven't told you about, but I made myself small at a side table (because I was skeert) and my clubmates were SO NICE. Then Powdr came on. I will definitely be happy to check out this local band again I dig this type of music; it's one of my jaaammmsss. Well, if you can call sorta shoegaze (indie noise rock) a jam, heh.

There were so many people at Resonant Head that looked like my Muscogee aunties! So cool to see (& hear) this draw for Native voices, especially incorporating & expressing themselves with very modern sounds. (Natives & their cultures aren't historical stereotypes. They are still very much alive!)

Ribbon Skirt! From Montreal, Quebec Anishinaabe Tashiina Buswa (vox,

RS has received critical acclaim, including a shortlist nomination for the 2025 Polaris Music Prize, Canada's annual award for best album.

)&

Billy Riley ( BILLY WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME DURING POWDR I DI333)

“Musicians are our real teachers. They are opening us up politically with their lyrics and creatively with experimental, psychedelic music. They share their discoveries and journeys with us. We can’t travel far, no one I know has ever been on an aeroplane. ...

whatever they experience, we experience through their songs. It’s true folk music — not played on acoustic guitar by a bearded bloke — but about true-life experiences.” ― Viv Albertine, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys

album are ST Tilted, Ugly Room, and Neon Bog. I’m also discovering older material, such as Dreamsickle.

More Currently Reading:

Then this band I'd never heard of came on. What the heck is a Wombo? WELL LET ME TELL YOU. WOMBO IS A. MAZE. ING. I LOVE WOMBO. Wombo is my new fascination. I picked up their new CD, Danger in Fives, and I would have bought their back catalogue if it was available.

Since summer, I haven't had the capacity to read well, or review things in a way to cogently recommend them. (Why can I come up with a word like "cogent" ["coherent"] but be unable to summarize anything?) Anyhoo!

Here are a few items I looked at which you might not know about:

I only got two (obviously bad) photos, but I managed to talk to lead singer Sydney Chadwick after the show (and probably put my foot in my mouth, making a fool of myself ack!) My fave songs on the current

“The imperial, genocidal war machine never rests, so I “It’s funny how books can change you. You open up a

don't either.”

book and one minute you are who you’ve always been,

― Lydia Lunch

then you read some random passage and you become someone else.” ― Brian Joyce, The B-Side Diaries

You can read all of my work at: https://tinyurl.com/58adr688 Cover photo and layout by Granny

Anarchy All interior photos and text

by Granny Anarchy unless otherwise noted Follow me at grannyanarchy.bsky.social