She is a music fanatic with a straightforward personality who has been active in the circle since the infancy of punk in the mid-1970s. The Band Escape first rose to fame because of her, after which she started her solo musical career under the names Joan Jett and BlackHeart.
The new "Bad Reputation" documentary is really exciting, once again reminding people that the rock singer's past is really amazing.
Favored by Billy Joe Armstrong (GreenDay lead singer/guitarist), Iggy Pope, among others, she is also known as the "Queen of Rock'n' Roll".
Before the release of Bad Reputation, Joan Jett gave an interview with NME and talked a lot. Earlier this month, Nirvana reunited at Cal Jam, with Joan Jett in place of Kot (Nirvana lead singer) in the band. She also talked to NME about her feelings.
Text: Chen Xiao fart
Editor: Dogs
Q
What touched you the most about the return of Bad Bad Name?
I learned from this the importance of persistence. You have to stick to your dreams. If not fully committed, any change will only be temporary. Everyone around you will always go out of their way to express their opinions about your life, telling you how to live and how to do it.
You have always been considered a feminist representative. Do you see yourself the same way?
When we started forming the Fugitive Band, we were attacked by many female rights activists. Adolescent girls think of sex, but many women think we're using sex.
We're just acknowledging some of the things that young girls do experience and endure. It's really confusing, and I don't quite understand.
I'm not sure if I'm a feminist. Those labels are incomplete to me. And the interpretation of feminism also varies from person to person.
If feminism means equality, means being able to do whatever you want, then I'm a feminist, but that shouldn't really be based on gender.
Is I Love Rock N' Roll a piece of luck or a milestone?
At first I said to myself, "I don't have any other songs besides 'I Love Rock'n' Roll.' However, when you hear the song, you know that you are too arrogant to think so, and you don't realize how rare this song is, it is like a godsend existence.
If I were to be more authentic with this song, it might be endless. That's not quite right, so just leave it at that.
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
《I Love Rock N‘ Roll》
I'm so lucky to say it: first of all, I was lucky enough to discover the song; second, I was also lucky to see people like it as much as I did. I'm happy that a song can be sung to this day.
The development of guitar music in recent years has not been smooth. Does it still have a future?
There should be a cycle in everything. I don't know if this theory is true or not? I don't know if I can witness it in my lifetime. For me guitar music is an actual form of music. I certainly hope that people can value guitar music and rock 'n' roll. Let us eagerly look forward to it.
You mentioned earlier that the UK was at the forefront of the music wave of the seventies. Does that also have a catalytic effect on you?
One of the reasons I started rock 'n' roll was because of British music. Most of the bands I often listened to on the radio at that time were British. If I want to listen to songs, I'll choose T Rex's Bang a Gong and Free's Alright Now.
Another point is that when the fugitive band toured the UK, I always felt that the British children knew better. It's not that we're always misread or that some interviews might not write us well, but we also have a lot of positive things.
Social media provides a good platform for expression, and it seems to have bred a culture: people are prone to hysteria when something happens. Have you noticed?
Of course, a mistake turns into a thousand years of hatred. Living in a world like that is scary. I have always been an introverted type, not saying everything, and not writing everything on the Internet. I will update on Facebook or Twitter when there is news that needs to be made known to fans.
In that case, would you be afraid if you were young in this era?
I don't think it's the same. Even if I'm young, I don't say much online, it's about personality.
You replaced Kurt when Nirvana entered the U.S. Hall of Fame in 2014 and later with Cal Jam.
It was an honor to participate in that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance, which was quite frightening, but as a Nirvana fan, I couldn't refuse such an invitation. It's okay to act!
The Foo Fighters had concerts just a few days before that, so I think they might be preparing for the Nirvana song.
David (former drummer of Nirvana, now lead singer of the Spitfire) asked me if I wanted to work on a few songs together, and I said no problem.
Would you like to cooperate with them more?
If they have a show and want to be together, I can't help it. I felt honored when they invited me. Of course, the pressure is not small, after all, Kurt's fans are quite serious.
I can't be sure if I can do it or not, I can only do the best I can. The band sent me invitations, like I got Cotter's approval.