Derby girls kick ass -- that's a given. But before they commence to kicking ass, they all have music that gets them pumped to pommel. We caught up with a few skaters from the Slaughterhouse Derby Girls roller derby league , and they told us which tunes get them fired up.
See also: - Here's what the Denver Nuggets are listening to - Best roller derby nicknames - Photos: See the gruesome roller derby-related injuries fixed by Dr. Bang Bang
Lafonda Yomama - #707 I have a lot of songs I like to listen to when skating or warming up, but the first one that comes to mind is "Poker Face," by Lady Gaga. When I was "fresh meat" -- the level all new skaters start off as when they join the Slaughterhouse Derby Girls -- I remember it being on our coach/trainer's playlist. She was such an inspiration to me, and I miss her lessons and advice. Now a lot of Lady Gaga's songs get me pumped, so I would say she's my favorite.
Wild E. Coyote - # WB2 "Titanium," by David Guetta, is my favorite song to warm up to. When I skate, I listen to a lot of techno-style songs or rock. I need songs that make me feel badass or lift me up. "Don't You Worry Child," by Swedish House Mafia, "Play Hard," by Krewella, and "Bulletproof," by La Roux, are just a few examples, but nothing tops "Titanium" for me. [In fact, When Coyote warms up, it is not uncommon to see her wearing her iPod, so she has full control of the songs she needs to warm up and be ready to play hard.]
Rickashanaynay (Ricochet with attitude) - #1190 I often yell "That's my jam!" to a lot of songs, but there are a few songs I need to hear when it comes to derby. Warming up for a bout requires a certain genre. I need to hear some funk or disco. "Boogie Wonderland," by Earth, Wind & Fire, helps to put me in the correct mindset. I need to feel the music if I am going to skate well. That song gets me grooving, yet keeps me controlled.
When I am jamming -- the position I play on the track -- and I am tired and need a song to boost me up, I need to hear at that very moment "Moves Like Jagger," by Maroon 5, because it gives me the energy to carry on. Plus it reminds me to move my feet, which my coach is always yelling at me about. That song helps me to have sweet, sexy moves -- like Jagger.
If we are at practice and doing endurance, nothing helps me keep a good skating rhythm like "Rock That Body," by Black Eyed Peas. The rhythm matches my skating strides. When "Car Wash" comes on, by Rose Royce, watch out, everybody! That is my jam, and I have been known to stop practice and have a skating disco dance party.
Busty Galore - #72 I need to hear me some disco when I skate. Nothing gets me moving like a little jive fever. A few of my favorite songs are "Car Wash," by Rose Royce, and "Surfin' Bird," by the Trashmen -- they are just fun songs. Sounds like "Brick House," by the Commodores, or "Respect," by Aretha Franklin, help me feel powerful and mighty-mighty. It's good to be a brick house on the track -- no one can move a brick house. We all want to be a brick house on the track.
Tootsie Poppins - # 3 "We R Who We R," by Ke$ha, is my jam -- no doubt about it. The reason that I like or need this song when I warm up/bout is because it is a huge guilty pleasure that makes me wanna move and dance. It really gets me pumped up. Not only is it a fun song, but the lyrics work with playing derby as well. We all know that derby girls got "our hot pants on and up," "glitter on our eyes, stockings ripped all up the side," "and no, you don't wanna mess with us"! Every bout, "we're going hard," and "we're tearin' it apart, just like superstars." It's a perfect derby song. It motivates me to play hard, gets my mind in the game and helps me stay calm, cool and collected, because "We R Who We R." Win or lose, I know I did my best!
Iggy Poppins - #636 I have a unique advantage when it comes to derby music. My husband, Tree, is the DJ. Although he is adamant about not taking requests, I can usually talk him into playing something specific for me. He knows I need to hear "Unsung," by Helmet, during warmups, and he's happy to oblige, as he picked that song to play at bouts on his own. At least once a bout, I hear an Iggy Pop song start when I come up to the jammer line, usually "Lust for Life" or "Search and Destroy." My derby name is Iggy Poppins, after all! There is one horribly embarrassing song that I listen to on my iPod before a bout because Tree refuses to play it -- not just because it sucks, but because the language is too rough to play publicly: "Fuck the Bullshit" by 311. There, I said it. I'm going to go crawl under a rock now.
Trip-See Gypsy - #85 I always -- and I mean always -- warm up and get pumped up by listening to Nikki Minaj's songs. A few of my favorites are "I'm the Best," "Fly," "Automatic," and they end with "Stupid Hoe." There is just something about her style that gets my brain ready to do some hard hitting. When it comes time for practice, I roll to a different beat. I like to listen to Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl." That is my all-time favorite.
Follow @Westword_Music
