My Favorite picture of the last decade.
Huw’s birth – London UK
September 15, 2008

I was living in Waukesha WI and my friends out in DC kept saying just move out here…

In Jan 1992 my friend Mike from Arlington drove out to Wisconsin and picked me up..Next stop my new home Arlington/DC. I got a room at Positive Force house. I was to sublet Mark Anderson’s room while he was away working on his book about DC.
Positive Force was one of many punk houses in the DC area. There was tons of great people around doing great things. Riot Grrrl was now in full swing with its meeting spot being our house. While they met all the guys in the house would leave..
The girls in Riot Grrrl were a lot of my friends and I was into what they were doing at the time. I think this was the second time i saw Bikini Kill. It was a Rock for choice benefit that was going on along side the Pro Choice march on DC. Our house was filled with guests and it was a very exciting weekend. Two Fugazi shows, one night with Bikini Kill the next night with Scrawl and L7.
both nights I got to the shows early and waited up front in my fav photo taking spot. The night Bikini Kill played they started the set by saying all girls up front. Luckily a lot of the girls were my friends and didn’t mind me being up front taking pictures. I always made a point to stay out of the way. The Bikini Kill set was amazing, tons of energy and emotion.The set ended with guitars flying in the air. I felt nervous about the pictures as I was really hoping I got the shot that summed up Bikini Kill and the night. This was pre digital times so I had to go home and dev the film in the kitchen. Later I gave a set of prints to Kathleen Hannah. A few weeks past and I saw Bikini Kill again at a warehouse in DC. that night Kathleen told me the shot would be on the first ep.” We just used the whole print right on the cover. “she said.
I was thrilled.

Purchase a limited edition print of 350 available here

Copyrite Pat Graham

for personal use only