Feature

[This piece has since been adapted for Pitchfork; you can read the new version here.]

“There’s no shortage of women coming to our festival, but they seem to like watching bands more than being in them. They just haven’t felt inspired enough to pick up a guitar or be the singer of a rock band.” - Andy Copping, Booker for Download Festival

In a recent piece for The Guardian about the unbalanced gender ratio of performers at UK music festivals, Download booker Andy Copping said the above; that women who attend his festival prefer watching bands than playing in them, and that these women are not inspired to pick up a guitar or be a singer in a rock band. As three amongst thousands of female musicians, we’re confident that we are not the only ones who find this statement ignorant, offensive and ridiculous. We decided to address his statement on Twitter and the responses we have received have now been going on for almost 24 hours. Some responses have been really positive. Others, including responses from Andy Copping himself are aggressive, ignorant and reactionary. For a white male working in the music industry to have no understanding that what he is saying on a public forum is sexist and offensive is deeply worrying. To say to four female musicians that he doesn’t understand why more women don’t play music without any realisation of the irony of that statement is beyond belief. Andy Copping's answer when we asked over Twitter why he believes women prefer passive roles in music, rather than being onstage, was that it was merely ‘an observation’. How can you observe what a crowd of fans would prefer to be doing? Isn’t it likely that a lot of them, whether male or female, really would love to eventually play on a festival stage themselves rather than just being an observer? Maybe they already do. He also added that he booked on “Merit not gender - be shit, you don't get booked”. There was no attempt by Copping to assess why rock music is still a male domain, or why he sees the lack of women as an oddity, or why, if there are so many women in bands as is being presented to him, there’s such a huge disconnect on large festival bills - but just the belief that female musicians must fall in the “shit” category if they aren’t booked, and that gender isn’t an issue, when the 96/4 male-female ratio of his festival speaks volumes.

Andy Copping states that women ‘just haven’t felt inspired enough to pick up a guitar or be the singer of a rock band’. ‘Inspired’ is an important choice of word for two reasons: It implies that those women who perhaps want to be in a band but aren’t (yet) choose to do so because they don’t feel ‘inspired’ somehow, like they’ve already grown bored of the idea or that they’re ready but can’t think of what to do. ‘Inspired’ could also refer to role-models in music, of either gender, but let’s imagine women role-models. Many women don’t feel ‘inspired’, or rather to use the real words not a blind euphemism, they don’t feel like they would fit/be welcome/not be patronised/not be treated like a novelty/not open to higher scrutiny because music is still (the industry, the media, not to mention audiences and venues) an area and a set of spaces controlled by men for men. You sometimes need quite a lot of inspiration to get through that lot. Then there’s the second one, inspired by a role model. How are women of an impressionable age going to see a female role model at a festival when there aren’t any? How are boys and men going to know that women are equally good musicians and deserve to be on a big stage when they’re not?

The fact is, there are so many amazing bands with women in across all scenes (and we’re not going to give you a top 10, top 50, top 100 run down, go find them, if you can’t think of any maybe it’s you that needs to open up your horizons) that there really isn’t an excuse for the amount of women not almost matching the amount of men playing festivals. It feels odd (and is remarked upon) to play or see a show now in the places we play and watch shows that doesn’t have a woman or women playing it. Why does this not translate to bigger shows? Because of the gatekeepers of large shows and certain festivals. To claim that if you’re at the top of the pyramid, you’re somehow powerless to change things, that, even though you have the most influence, your decisions must somehow come from the bottom up is a ridiculous excuse. If you’re not willing to exert your influence then you are ignorant and cowardly.

We have never accepted a show or asked for a show because we’re women. It’s clear that we may not have been asked to play shows and have probably specifically been asked to play shows because we’re women. We have supported bands and played with bands comprising or made only of women but this is not the reason we’ve played with them. We play with bands because we want to play with them, because they’re great, they interest us, they’re great people. We don’t go on about the fact that we are women, you do. Being ‘women’ is one arguably small part of our personalities and identities, and yet it gets flagged up over and over again when getting shows, in reviews, even at shows we’re playing. We want to play shows without being treated like a novelty act or a genre based on our gender. We just want to play great shows.

Who wants to play commercial festivals anyway, right? Actually, it would be nice to have the choice. Playing a festival could, for some bands, be enough money to record a whole record, or cover tour costs, or just a month of band practices. It could mean reaching hundreds or thousands of people, not for fame, but just to have the experience of playing to a big crowd. These financial and experiential opportunities, whether everyone wants them or not, are definitely currently closed to the majority.

Great Gatsby, Sheffield.

Temple of Boom, Leeds.

Temple of Boom, Leeds.

** AUGUST/SEPTEMBER - RECORDING ALBUM / NO SHOWS **

// IN THE PAST

67 /  July 26th 2015 -   Alternative Tramlines Festival , Sheffield w/ Abattoir Blues, Avida Dollars, Gorgeous Bully, The Hipshakes & Abjects

66 /  July 25th 2015 - Indietracks Festival w/ The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Martha, etc.

65 /  July 24th 2015 - Tramlines  Festival, Sheffield w/ Pulled Apart by Horses, TRAAMS, Cowtown, Seize the Chair, Best Friends & Toucans 64 / July 11th 2015 - Psychic Death Fundraiser for Southwark Advocacy and Support Service, Montague Arms, London w/ Dregs, Nu, Pogodi!, Dispute Settlement Mechanism & Ethical Debating Society

63 / May 29th 2015 - NK Gallery, Berlin, Germany w/ DIÄT 62 / May 26th 2015 - The Electric Ballroom, London w/ The Julie Ruin & Woolf

61 / May 11th 2015 - Oslo, Hackney w/ Cheatahs & No Joy 60 /  May 9th 2015 - *TOURISTS CASSETTE LAUNCH* The Old Fire Station Community Hall, London w/ Slowcoaches, The Worms & Pret A Monster 59 /  May 8th 2015 - Kraak Gallery, Manchester w/ Gorgeous Bully 58 / May 2nd 2015 - Odd Box Records Weekender, The Shacklewell Arms, London w/ Slowcoaches, Joey Fourr, The Fish Police and more

57 / April 17th 2015 - The Stillery, London w/ Super Luxury

56 / April 4th 2015 - Roll for the Soul, Bristol

55 / April 3rd 2015 - Wales Goes Pop Festival, Cardiff, Wales

54 / April 2nd 2015 - Wide Eyes Club #1, The Victoria, London w/ Great Ytene & The Wharves (free)

53 / March 14th 2015 - Temple of Boom, Leeds  w/ Don’t

52 / March 13th 2015 - Fawn Spots Album Launch, The Great Gatsby, Sheffield w/ Fawn Spots

51 /  March 10th 2015 - Fawn Spots Album Launch, Birthdays, London w/ Fawn Spots

50 / February 24th 2015 - Power Lunches, London w/ Cheatahs & Moon Gangs

49 / January 24th 2015 - Gold Sounds / Sockformation ‘Idaho’, The Star of Kings, London w/ Playlounge, Tyrannosaurus Dead, Doe, Thalassocracy, Warmhammer, Hundredth Anniversary, Native Birds, Rad Stewart & Grubs 48 / January 8th 2015 - Old Blue Last, London w/ Claw Marks, Witching Waves & Van Stonholdt 47 / November 1st 2014 - Ultimate Painting Album Launch Alldayer, Total Refreshment Centre, London w/ Ultimate Painting, Novella, Royal Limp, Grimm Grimm, Former Bullies, Warmhammer & Nature

42-46 / UK TOUR 2014 with Slowcoaches September 15th 2014 Mello Mello, Liverpool September 16th 2014 The Castle Hotel, Manchester w/ Sex Hands September 17th 2014 The Great Gatsby, Sheffield w/ Radical Boy September 18th 2014 The Chameleon, Nottingham   September 19th 2014 Bleach, Brighton w/ Dog Legs

41 / September 12th 2014 - Mazes Album Launch, The Shacklewell Arms, London w/ Mazes & Moon Gangs

40 / September 6th 2014 -Birthday Crisis Alldayer, Total Refreshment Centre, London w/ Shopping, Omi Palone, Slowcoaches, Lady Neptune, Frau etc

39 / September 2nd 2014 - Benjamin Booker UK Tour, 100 Club, London w/ Benjamin Booker

38 / August 19th 2014 - Upset The Rhythm, Lexington, London w/ Protomartyr & Sauna Youth

37 / August 9th 2014 - The Soft Walls Record Launch, The Albert, Brighton w/ The Soft Walls & Teardrop Factory

36 / August 8th 2014 - The Soft Walls Record Launch, The Shacklewell Arms, London w/ The Soft Walls& Teardrop Factory

35 / July 26th 2014 - Weekender, Shacklewell Arms, London w/ Dignan Porch, Great Ytene, Sex Hands, Human Hair & more

34 / July 19th 2014 - The Maze, Nottingham w/ Witching Waves, The Very Most & Yakuri Cable

33 / July 12th 2014 - Traams EP Launch, Bleach, Brighton w/ Traams & recording a session w/ Bowlegs

32 / July 3rd 2014 - BBC 6 Music,  Live in Session for Marc Riley

31 / June 7th 2014 - Resonance FM, Live In Session for The Hello Goodbye Show

30 / June 6th 2014 - Troyganic Cafe, London w/ Los Cripis, Cop, Workin’ Man Noise Unit & Gloss Rejection

29 / May 23rd 2014 - Youth Camp Records. Fundraiser for DIY Space for London. The Victoria Dalston,London w/ Various

28 / May 10th 2014 - Escape From The Great Escape for Faux Discx, Italian Beach Babes & Republic of Music. The Loft, Brighton w/ Mazes, Dignan Porch, The Soft Walls etc.

27 / May 3rd 2014 - TAPE LAUNCH - EP ‘Culture of the Copy’ on Tye Die Tapes. Power Lunches,London w/ Keel Her, Joey Fourr & Sweetheart. DJ Smarsham (Omi Palone) & April Showerz

26 / April 26th 2014 - Good Job. Fundraiser for DIY Space for London. Bermondsey, London w/Poisonous Relationship, Frau & Don’t Argue

25 / April 24th 2014 - Sweetheart EP launch. Power Lunches, London w/ Sweetheart, Radical Boy, Rodents

24 / March 14th 2014 - Feature Length Episode. Fundraiser for DIY Space for London. Power Lunches,London w/ Good Throb, Witching Waves & Primetime - Heather’s First Show!

23 / March 3rd 2014 - Soda Beat/Constant Flux, Matthew’s Yard,Croyden, London w/ The Carbonators & Rock Penguins. Soda Beat is a live music night for artists and audiences with or without a learning disability. Read more here: http://constantflux.co.uk/category/projects/

22 / February 15th 2014 - Small Ideas, Tye Die Tapes HQ, Sheffield w/ The Yawns, Sweetheart &Warmhammer

21 / February 6th 2014 - Cool for Cats, Proud Gallery, London w/ Joey Fourr & Wicketkeeper

20 / January 12th 2014 - Power Lunches, London w/ Joey Fourr, Sweetheart & Gold Bars

19 / November 30th 2013 - Slowcoaches EP Launch, The Victoria Dalston, London w/ Slowcoaches, Omi Palone & Boneyards

18 / November 3rd 2013 - Fundraiser for DIY Space for London, Lock Tavern, London w/ Shopping, Dairy Classics & INNO70

17 / August 10th 2013 - Supernormal Festival, Braziers Park, Oxfordshire w/ Various (incl. Hookworms, Occult Hand, Weird Menace, etc.)

16 / 20th July 2013 - Tye Die Tapes, Audacious Art Experiement, Tramlines, Sheffield w/ Slowcoaches, Omi Palone, Fawn Spots, Collider & Pjaro.

15 / 17th July 2013 - Mint Magazine, Buffalo Bar, London, w/ Rad Steward & Beta Blocker and the Body Clock

14 / 8th May 2013 - Langdon Olgar Issue 2 Launch / Hollaback LDN Birthday / Feature EP ‘Memory’ Tape Launch, Gallery Cafe, London w/ Shopping & Sisters

13 / 14th March 2013 - Sound Savers. Power Lunches - Weird Menace Tape Launch, London w/ Weird Menace, Breathe Out & Crushing Blows

12 / 2nd March 2013 - Shacklewell Arms, London w/ Fever Dream, Old Forest, Bare Pale, Iyes & Mystyrys

11 / 20th February 2013 - Crumb Cabin. Birthdays, London w/ Loveover and My Therapist Says Hot Damn

10 / 15th February 2013 - Upset The Rhythm. SPACE Gallery, London w/ Woolf and Primitive Parts

9 / 25th January 2013 - Green Door Store, Brighton w/ Verity Susman, Ain Bailey & Occult Hand

8 / 25th November 2012 - Tatty Seaside Town. Blind Tiger, Brighton w/ Chain and the Gang, Summer Hunter & Shudder Pulps

7 / 28th October 2012 - The Audacious Art Experiment & Tye Die Tapes. Audacious Space, Sheffield w/Sauna Youth, Cold Pumas, Wooderson, The Jelas, The Bell Peppers & Collider

6 / 21st October 2012 - Reeks of Effort. Power Lunches, London w/ Beta Blocker and the Body Clock,Furrow & Playlounge

5 / 20th October 2012 - Be Nothing Happy Fest All Dayer. Green Door Store, Brighton w/ Fear of Men,Female Band, Flamingods, Shudder Pulps, Furrow, Lovepark, The Hundredth Anniversary & Wild Cat Strike

4 / 22nd September 2012 - Power Lunches, London w/ Vision Fortune, Tense Men, Weird Menace &Domestic Blitz

3 / 23rd August 2012 - Diverge. Lock Tavern, London w/ Keebo & INNO70

2 / 31st July 2012 - Power Lunches, London w/ Chain of Flowers & Abattoir Blues

WISDOM TEETH video, by Maria Cecilia