Female acts at festivals

[ian the worm]

Last year - just for fun - I decided to only see female artists when I was free from work. So I "did"....

Blondie
Lily Allen
Lana Del Rey
ESG

Cate Le Bon
Dolly Parton
Yoko Ono
St Vincent

When I told anyone, they all commended me on my idea!

[Winslow Leach]

The only evidence you need for this being a great idea is that the mocked up Reading & Leeds poster featuring only women or bands with female members is better than any other festival lineup this year.

[russycarps]

The only evidence you need for this being a great idea is that the mocked up Reading & Leeds poster featuring only women or bands with female members is better than any other festival lineup this year.

There's a lot of crap acts there though.

Women are equally as shit as men let's not forget.

[CaledonianGonzo]

That's the spirit!

[russycarps]

That's the spirit!

It's an important fact to be reminded of, just in case people get carried away and start thinking an all female festival would be great by default.

It wouldn't.

[ghostdancer1]

The only evidence you need for this being a great idea is that the mocked up Reading & Leeds poster featuring only women or bands with female members is better than any other festival lineup this year.

it's pretty irrelevant, a fantasy lineup is always going to be better than what's actually achievable.

i don't think anyone is doubting that there's loads of great female artists out there tbh...

[Wanderlei]

But if a line-up is going to be shite anyway it might as well be diverse

[DGrant261]

I honestly think festival bookers don't care and they don't have any reason to, it's not their problem I don't think. Taking R&L as an example it is a rock music festival that in recent years has diversified to cover dance/hip hop. They cannot simply put Beyonce/Taylor Swift on the main stage for the sake of putting women in high profile slots as some people (Though not on here) seem to be suggesting. If there is a woman who is in a band, or is a good enough dj that fit with the audience R&L is aiming for then I trust that they will get the chance to play. As Dara O'Brien said about panel shows a few years back having 'token women' who are clearly in there to sort out the gender balance and not on merit helps absolutely no one.

But we can't lie here rock music is soo male dominated and this has consequences in terms of gender balance for rock music festivals.In contrast the balance of female to male pop stars probably works in their favour (If not it's certainly a lot more even) so festival that cover this type of music (Eg. Glasto) will inevitably have more women on their bill. Whilst I disagree with the Bestival "LOOK AT ALL THE WOMEN WE HAVE!!" approach it is a clever one that I feel in due term will be one that works for them.

[Winslow Leach]

Back in September when I had to pick my dissertation subject I chose, essentially, this (slightly wider than just festivals though).

It's one of those naturally accepted things that a band is 4 blokes. It's been a massive issue for years, look at bands like the Slits and then Bikini Kill trying to draw attention to it, but nothing has really changed and it hasn't fully entered the mainstream as a problem people should care about. Thankfully now with the "fourth wave" of feminism things such as R&L's incredible lack of diversity are being highlighted. A bit of affirmative action is a good thing, IMO.

This is good for me though, had very few statistics when I chose this, now my dissertation's writing itself.

I'd actually be really interested in reading that Bradders.

[dip]

People aren't asking for positive discrimination though. What is shite about the Reading lineup is that it doesn't reflect the current state of women in the music industry.

http://justdip.co.uk/2015/02/25/not-in-my-name-gender-bias-and-music-festivals/

[ghostdancer1]

People aren't asking for positive discrimination though. What is shite about the Reading lineup is that it doesn't reflect the current state of women in the music industry.

http://justdip.co.uk/2015/02/25/not-in-my-name-gender-bias-and-music-festivals/

yes, but Reading's music policy doesn't represent "the music industry", it represents overwhelmingly mainstream rock. that's why something like Glastonbury, which has a much more diverse range of genres, has much more women on the bill.

[Big Vern]

I tell her she can do anything she wants in life, be anything but if she doesnt actually see women in these roles then she doesnt believe me, so she can be katy perry or taylor swift but she cant form a rock band with her mates.

Not exactly true though that statement is it? The talent has to be their in the first place. I would love to be a premier league footballer earning £150k a week. Not going to happen though as I don't have the talent to do it.

[CaledonianGonzo]

You can still play a game of football though.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Lukas Moodyson's (sp?) We Are The Best is a superb movie about exactly this.

[Winslow Leach]

Lukas Moodyson's (sp?) We Are The Best is a superb movie about exactly this.

We Are The Best is wonderful! One of the best things I saw last year.

[giantkatestacks]

A lot of what we see as talent is actually about practice and ambition. And those are things that you need motivation for and thats hard to come by if you dont think theres any point to it.

The more young girls start forming garage bands etc then the more likely it is that one of them will be amazing and rise to the top or do something truly groundbreaking. But they need role models and heroes to do that.

[Bradders]

Absolutely, yeah. It's a little like that massive argument that kicked off recently about how many chart artists went to private schools now. People like to think that 'talent' is completely inate but there are so many more important issues.

[Martin Ashford]

I think it's another clue that Taylor Swift might actually be headlining with someone like Florence subbing her. I've read elsewhere that GFL would be taking a big risk doing this and it vould change the future of the festival. I disagree. The risk is that not enough people are familiar with Swifts back catalogue. I think the festival changed in the public's eyes with Beyonce appearing. The people in my office talked about nothing else for weeks.

[dentalplan]

A lot of what we see as talent is actually about practice and ambition. And those are things that you need motivation for and thats hard to come by if you dont think theres any point to it.

The more young girls start forming garage bands etc then the more likely it is that one of them will be amazing and rise to the top or do something truly groundbreaking. But they need role models and heroes to do that.

Truly, but it goes beyond festivals and even the music industry to create idols like that so while it should definitely be looked at, it's unfair to pin the blame on festivals. Shit, even when this has been discussed, most of the focus has been on unsustainable pop superstars like Madonna and Rihanna to balance it out and I don't see how that helps festivals on a whole. It's also quite telling that acts considered 'female' generally have to have a female voice - Meg White was half of one of the biggest rock bands of the last decade and is overlooked when people are bemoaning lack of female headliners.

Festivals could be a start, of course, but most of them are gonna toe the line in order to sell all their tickets, that's just natural with all risks. I think there are some really promising acts (some of which are being included by R+L) that have a female presence breaking through; Honeyblood, Alvvays and Marmozets are three of the best acts to break through in 2014.

[morph100]

I think it's another clue that Taylor Swift might actually be headlining with someone like Florence subbing her. I've read elsewhere that GFL would be taking a big risk doing this and it vould change the future of the festival. I disagree. The risk is that not enough people are familiar with Swifts back catalogue. I think the festival changed in the public's eyes with Beyonce appearing. The people in my office talked about nothing else for weeks.

I think it's madonna, taylor swift or Kylie for one of the nights....

[Big Vern]

You can still play a game of football though.

indeed I can, but I don't expect to be good enough to get picked up by a professional football team.

[russycarps]

indeed I can, but I don't expect to be good enough to get picked up by a professional football team.

Too thick to understand the issue. What a surprise.

Stick to being racist mate, you're good at that.

[klipper]

To put some context on this there have been only two female pyramid headliners Suzanne Vega - 1988 & Beyoncé 2011

This is pretty shocking, can think of a decent number of female acts/female bands that would deserve and do well in a headline slot.

I think the reading line-up was pretty shocking in that sense (and others) and its good to see a push being made for female bands to get more exposure on festival line-ups. Also agree with Matt's point that they shouldn't be regarded as some kind of novelty.

[Big Vern]

Too thick to understand the issue. What a surprise.

Stick to being racist mate, you're good at that.

Not at all my good man, not at all. I understand the issues perfectly well, clearly there has to be more female involvement in the industry, indeed most industries to ignite passion in other females to do the same.

However, there should also be no expectation from any parties of success or chances, both male and female, talent and hard work should get you to where you would like to be.

However, whilst most industries remain dominated by dinosaur misanthropists like your good self, nothing will change.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Big Vern

[Woffy]

Uh oh.

*straps in and dons tin hat*