Haim at 2023 Governors Ball Music Festival.Photo:Charles Reagan
Charles Reagan
Rock bands are historically known for playing their own instruments on stage, andHaimis no exception.
After the sister trio performed at the 2023 Governors Ball Music Festival at Corona Park in Queens, New York on Friday, anInstagramuser questioned whether Este Haim was actually playing the bass or merely “acting” — and the band wasn’t impressed.
“lol I can’t believe this s— is STILL happening,” responded the band’s account.
Haim then shared a screenshot of the interaction via Instagram Stories and wrote, “I’m so used to seeing this s— on every f—ing video of us playing ever, but I’m so over it. Don’t ever say we don’t play our f—ing instruments.”
“I get [told], ‘I love that you don’t care what you look like when you play. I love that you don’t care what your face looks like when you play. I love that about you,'” she toldNMEin 2019, sarcastically adding: “God, thank youso much. Like, f— you.”
In the same interview, 31-year-old Alana Haim said the sisters often get accused of faking their performances. “People give us backhanded compliments, like, ‘Oh, wow, you can really play,'” she said at the time. “It’s like, ‘What? What the f— else would I be doing?'”
Este Haim’s Instagram Story.Instagram/HAIM
Instagram/HAIM
In the same song, they recount times where they’ve gone to guitar shops and had male employees offer them instruments made for beginners — long into their career as a successful, festival-headlining band.
“Even the other day we were doing an interview, and it was a male journalist,” Este toldL’Officiel USAin 2020. “He was like, ‘I want to ask you about your song ‘3AM,’’ and I was like ‘Great, love! Let’s talk about it.’ And he was like, ‘The bass line is incredible, you know? Who played it?’ And I was concerned, ‘cause I was like, ‘Oh s—, was there a discrepancy on the credits?’ He was like, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen the credits.’”
Haim at 2023 Governors Ball Music Festival.Charles Reagan
All three of Haim’s albums — 2013’sDays Are Gone, 2015’sSomething to Tell Youand 2020’sWomen in Music, Pt. III— credit Este, Alana and Danielle, 34, with singing and performing instruments on each and every track.
Speaking toELLE UKfor a recent interview, Danielle recalled similar sexist pushback they’ve faced throughout their time as a band. “People would say to us, ‘You’ll never get a record deal. A girl rock band, unfortunately, is not something you see,'” she told the outlet. “People used to say that s— all the time. But we had such a crazy focus, plus we’re sisters — we’re like a wolf pack.”
The “Gasoline” performers have since earned three Grammy nominations and played sold-out concerts at massive arenas like New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
“We’ve done so many things in our career, despite what people in the industry have said,” added Danielle. “Being told you’ll never sell out a venue, then you do. You’ll never headline a festival, and then we do. It fuels the fire.”
source: people.com
