Indonesia's hijab-wearing, headbanging VOB count some of rock music's biggest stars among their fans, but the all-female heavy metal band faced a tougher battle in winning over their parents. "When I'm on stage, I can express myself without worrying about the norms that people expect from me". Obeying those norms would have compelled the three women to marry right after high school. "My parents told me that reading was useless, let alone playing music," said the band's bespectacled singer and lead guitarist Firda Marsya Kurnia, 20. In the meantime, VOB say they'll keep drawing inspiration from the women in their hometown, where many do back-breaking farm work.

Source: The Star June 14, 2021 01:52 UTC