In the music industry, young women have been used and discriminated against for decades: from fans, groupies and journalists to female staff, plus female singers themselves – the myth of sex, drugs and rock&roll, the massive sums of money and extreme power imbalances have all paved the way for sexualised violence across all genres. The debate over the allegations against Rammstein singer Till Lindemann already showed that these issues are now coming to a head: women are fighting back. And now they are finally being heard.
Investigative journalists Lena Kampf and Daniel Drepper spent months researching and talking to over two hundred people from the music industry. Row Zero – Violence and Abuse of Power in the Music Industry is the authors’ gripping and empathetic account of what they found during their research. They analyse the structures in place that facilitate this kind of abuse. And they demonstrate why, thanks to the brave women and supportive activists, this system is now gradually starting to unravel. “It’s time to talk about what shouldn’t be talked about,” says German satirist and TV presenter Jan Böhmermann about the book – and we’ll be doing just that.