On a cool August day in Edmonton twenty-some years ago, the women of Lilith Fair played their final show under the travelling festival’s name.

 

Although the event is a distant memory for many, revisited only through faded posters that once adorned dorm room walls, the impact is still being felt by countless female artists. It is especially felt by those who played on the circuit, and witnessed the influence it had on a generation of young women first hand.

Canadian singer, songwriter, and philanthropist Bif Naked says it was unlike any other tour she had done.

“I had only ever learned from guys before that,” Naked excitedly explains. “Literally, my entire career, had been basically touring with guys, playing with bands that were guys, and it was just incredible to be around that female energy, it was extremely inspiring.”

She was a part of the final 1999 lineup, that included other big names like Liz Phair, Dido, The Chicks, a then-unknown Tegan and Sara, and even Christina Aguilera. Regardless of how recognizable the names were, all the intrepid artists were being lead by singer and festival co-creator Sarah McLachlan.

When asked about what it was like working with McLachlan, Bif Naked has nothing but the highest compliments. “She was a very warm and friendly person, but not only that, when she sang a ballad, she closed her eyes and smiled so warmly that it really did inform how I went on to sing songs like “Lucky” or “Nothing Else Matters” on my own tour.” Naked cites her as one of her “musical heroes” from the tour, alongside others like Suzanne Vega and Sheryl Crow.

 

The idea for Lilith Fair wasn’t born from warmth and friendliness, however. It was born of frustration and anger at a music industry that was failing female artists.

 

McLachlan originally came up with the festival to combat the infuriating notion many radio stations and concert promoters had – women should not be scheduled back to back, or you’ll alienate your audience. What initially started as a small tour with her and fellow performer Paula Cole ended up becoming a highly successful travelling festival, and more than that, a movement.

Naked explains it best; “I think Lilith fair was one of the first times that it was conscientious…to provide a safe space for women, particularly, to come to shows and not have a worry that anything untoward would happen to them. It was just a really, really a beautiful environment.”

Two decades on, and the idea of safe spaces has gained plenty of attention. You can hardly go online without finding someone who is trying to mock the issue, or a business touting their new plan to ensure women feel welcome. In fact, many promoters have new practices in place to try and help women feel safe at the events they are holding. One would assume that in this day and age, a concept like Lilith Fair would fit right in. Yet, when organizers attempted to bring it back in 2010, it was met with mixed reviews, criticisms, and ultimately cancelled.

 

So, has enough changed in the last decade to make the idea viable again?

 

Bif Naked says she sees a place for it, but Lilith Fair would have to adapt to the times as well.

“If it was MUCH more inclusive and involved…I think that it could be as big and as bold as anyone wants it to be.” When asked which artists she would like to see on an updated line up, Naked doesn’t shy away from shouting out Indigenous artists such as Tanya Tagaq and Iskwe, just as passionately as she names performers like Jann Arden and Michie Mee.

She even has a plan to update the philanthropic angle of Lilith Fair, which was a huge part of the original festival, “You can do things that raise awareness for the environment, for different charities in each community that try and clean up those communities. I think we can do tours that go through all the secondary markets, the smaller towns, the remote locations that never get the opportunity, I think they could take a film crew and make a documentary about it, and then the proceeds from the documentary streaming could go to charity. I mean, there’s a million things that could be done!”

So, will we ever see another Lilith Fair? It’s not impossible, but we could very well see a new, bigger, more inclusive idea come along that starts the next generation thinking about how they can make an impact in the same way.

You can listen to the full interview with Bif Naked HERE.

Filed under: bif naked, lilith fair