FEATURE:
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Why Is the Drive to Create Gender Balance at Festivals Taking So Long?!
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EARLIER in the week…
IN THIS PHOTO: Annie Mac (who has campaigned for change regarding festival gender bias)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
I got downhearted because I was receiving so many requests regarding male artists – I still am, to be fair! It is disappointing seeing so many emails arrive that want me to spotlight male musicians: one wonders if there are female artists working and, if so, why they feel reluctant to come forward! The truth is much simpler: the agencies and labels who bring music to my view prefer male artists and there is this culture that suggests male artists/bands get more attention than anyone else. It seems there is still that commercial drive for male bands and, even in an industry where the solo artist is king; so many female performers are going alone and making their own way through music. I am happy to contact female musicians but I like people coming to me. There is no problem my end – I hope – but, when they see a website that puts out male artists routinely; are they willing to approach and ask to be featured? I feel music should be that equal footing where there should be a fifty-fifty split in terms of male-female focus. If sites lean too heavily either way then it risks that sexist scent and a rather narrow mindset. I am determined to get more women on my blog but am finding it hard to recruit. It is ironic seeing the male solo artist rise because, in my view, the best of this corner of music are female.
IN THIS PHOTO: Florence + the Machine (an artist who could easily headline a major festival)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
They are on the same planet and making music that is as strong, if not stronger, then their male peers. There is comparatively little celebration and, unless they established and famed; how often are they going to get to the biggest stages and have a bigger say in music?! There is an argument that suggests the plan to get an equal split on the festival bills is a little long-sighted – or should it be short-sighted? It is ironic that the target for parity on the headline stages is 2020: one feels this ‘perfect vision’ and realisation has come too late and, if anything, is too delayed. Why does it take so long to get this balance right and redress things?! You can rearrange Glastonbury and the big festivals and make sure there are female headliners across the range. It is not a case of compromising ideals and pandering: there are artists ready to tackle the festivals that have, until now, been placed under headliners. Established artists like St. Vincent and Laura Marling could take the reins; legendary performers like Björk and Beyoncé would be perfect for 2019 inclusion. Right there, you have four performers, all different, who could create incredible headline sets – none of them will be in the mind come this time next year. It seems sad we even need to have this debate!
IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
I know I am treading old ground – and keep documenting the issue of sexism – but my problem comes with small evolution and delayed gratification. Maybe there are slow developments and steps being made; nothing that suggests anything anywhere near good enough. In fact, looking at a BBC article from February this year, the target year for this equality is 2022! It is four years away and one wonders what needs to happen in four years! If it was rebuilding a nation and a radical change then it would forgivable. Being Britain, given the rate we get things done, I am not shocked it takes so long to make simple changes. That article laid out the facts and showed why the statistics are so shocking:
“The days of male-dominated music festivals could be drawing to a close, after 45 events pledged to achieve a 50/50 gender balance by 2022.
Brighton's Great Escape, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Liverpool Sound City and the BBC Proms are among those who have signed up to the initiative.
It is supported by Garbage star Shirley Manson, who recently called the music industry's lack of equality "insane".
Last year, 80% of festival headliners were male, a BBC study discovered.
The commitment to gender equality was drawn up by Keychange and the PRS Foundation, with the aim of creating a "better, more inclusive music industry for present and future generations".
"Last year, on average, women made up 26% of the festival line-ups in the UK, so we're talking about doubling that in a five-year timeframe," said Vanessa Reed, CEO of the PRS Foundation.
"That's quite ambitious but it's achievable."
The pledge has been adopted by BBC Music Introducing, which hosts stages for new artists at festivals including Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds. However, those festivals have yet to sign the pledge on a wider scale”.
IMAGE CREDIT: @lilyallen
The poster above is from Lily Allen; she took out all the male names from the mentioned festivals to show how few females were included. We are not even talking about headline slots: this is simple inclusion! It is sad to think that, come 2022, we will be no further along. People can sound off and make pledges but there is a confusion between festival line-ups and headline slots. I am appalled Glastonbury’s return (next year) is unlikely to see any female headline; the biggest festivals of this year are penis-heavy and, if you are lucky, you may see some female artists hustling near the top of the posters! I can see more women coming into festivals and, given the draw and influence of social media/streaming sites; there is more visibility and a greater opportunity to accelerate female artists to the masses. There is hope that more reinforcement and fight is coming to back the need for gender balance:
“…The initiative is being driven by Keychange, a movement from the PRS Foundation that wants to achieve real change in live music.
The opening spell of festival announcements this summer have indicated that this conversation still needs to be had, with many major events still hopelessly male dominated.
The new pledge finds 45 events aiming to achieve gender equality on their line ups by 2022, with featured festivals including Liverpool International Music Festival, Pop-Kultur, Canadian Music Week, and BBC Proms.
PHOTO CREDIT: Victor Frankowski
The new additions join partnering festivals Reeperbahn Festival, Way Out West, The Great Escape and more, all of whom have pledged to gain gender equality on their bills within five years.
Vanessa Reed, CEO of PRS Foundation said:
“We support diverse talent across every programme we run at PRS Foundation. 40% of our grantees in 2017 were from a BAME background and 53% featured female artists. Our focus on gender equality in 2018 aligns with the centenary for some women being given the vote in the UK...”
There are the black-and-white facts and these pledges; there are angry voices coming and the need for more immediate change. It keeps me coming back to the disturbing underline: 2022 is four years away! I am in a bittersweet position where I get to see brand-new artists come my way and what is happening in the industry as a whole. The downside is the few females that get pushed to me and how hard it is to get labels/P.R. firms to open their books and be more proactive regarding scouting. I am not buying the assumption (so few women being promoted) is because they want to be D.I.Y. and not have anyone else butting in. Every week shows great female talent, of all varieties and tastes, hustling and proving they have the fascination and complexity to win hearts for years to come. If anything, the band market is dying away and the solo corner, stronger in female hands, is taking a bigger portion of the pie.
It moves me to think that realisation and reality is being ignored and refuted to make way for the predictable stubbornness of male promoters. There are many opposed to the hegemony but is those most powerful and wealthy that are withholding breakthrough. We are seeing some sexist voices that say music is about quality and what is the problem with more men being on the bills – nobody is making too much of a noise and there is no harm seeing that disparity! Whilst there is not protest in the stress; there are plenty that is shouting and getting in the faces of those in commanding positions. The biggest journalists and tastemakers are men and, in an industry that is not making huge leaps anytime soon, the need and call for change are coming from female commentators and figures – they are being drowned out by silent and muted souls; ears that are unwilling to bend. Every way you look at that statistic – festivals being equal by 2022 – seems wrong and baffling. I am listening to the biggest radio stations and, in terms of the music they play, it is almost equal regards the gender split. Look at independent and underground options and they are committed to equality. One looks at Spotify and streaming services and female artists are being featured and celebrated. We all hear great music and these stars of tomorrow but, when it comes to booking festival slots and organising the line-up; why is there such a majority of men?! You look at modern wonders like Jorja Smith and Kacey Musgraves; Goat Girl and Phoebe Bridgers and you have somewhere to start – you could stand there for a long time naming female artists who could easily appear on festival bills!
IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images
Women feel like they are being held back and overlooked by those who have the power to make these positive changes:
“Leading female musicians and industry figures say the intimidation and exclusion begins in childhood, with girls not being encouraged to play guitar or join bands. Many shared anecdotes of the frustrations and vulnerabilities they’ve felt as female artists: “An old manager told me that he wouldn’t be sending out my music, he would just send out my photo to labels,” recalls writer and musician Emma-Lee Moss, known as Emmy the Great. “But you just have to battle through that.”
“If you prevent women from seeing any examples of them achieving, then it prevents them from believing they can achieve it,” says guitarist and singer-songwriter Laura Marling, who addressed gender inequality and its effects in her podcast Reversal of the Muse.
“In my experience there are surface visible things, like touring on my own and then realising that all the people I perform with are men. Or that I wasn’t encouraged as much to play the guitar as men,” says Marling. “For women to achieve they have to go around that bump; they have to be as good, if not better, than their male counterparts”.
Is it only festivals where there is this alarming injustice and inequality? Look at other sources and you need only look at the charts and award ceremonies to see the issue is systemic, widespread and galling:
“In an analysis of the top 600 songs from 2012 to 2017 — defined by Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 chart for each of those six years — the study found that of 1,239 performing artists, 22.4 percent of them were women.
The numbers are much lower among people behind the scenes. Of the 2,767 songwriters credited on those songs, 12.3 percent were women. Female producers — the people most responsible for the sound of pop music — are even rarer, at just 2 percent in a subset of 300 songs across this same period, the study found”.
I am looking at the drive-time/evening slots of the major radio stations and there are no female anchors. You only need look at record bosses, editors and those running P.R. labels and there is that huge male majority. The greatest disparity arrives when you look at the studio and those making music: men are still the common entity and there are only gradual moves towards closing the gaps. It seems a festival breakthrough is taking so long because right through music’s marrow, there is this male majority and ignorance towards change. I am glad there are articles coming out that shame those at the top and urge progression.
In closing, it seems like someone needs to come in that can offer a sharp and sustained boot to the arse of the industry. Our Government are not interested in music and have no idea what is happening. The men are making the big decisions - very few are as active and outraged as female artists/figures. This sluggish and endless fight is going to continue and, even if there is a fifty-fifty festival split in 2022, it begs the question as to why it takes so long. I am cynical all the forty-five festivals committed to change will comply and uphold their end. Would protest and female artists refusing to play lead to quicker change? Do we need to get on the street and literally shout about the sexist attitude? Do festivals needs to account for their behaviour and justify their decisions? I feel these are all worthy steps but it seems like, even if millions come out in shock, that would not get people making changes. The quality and variety of female talent speaks for itself which is, I am afraid, the major problem: there are relatively few male supporters and not many willing to take drastic action to effect actual action. Life on the road, as I shall document later today, is wonderful indeed: so many female performers are being denied that or forced to play small venues to get their music heard. It is 2018 and, the fact we have to sit and wait for four years (to see equality at festivals), it gets me rather angry. I am glad to see people are not sitting down quietly and satisfied with the way things are. Let’s hope, the more momentum builds and the more research put out into the world, it will open eyes and minds to the fact that the industry, right now, is really not…
IN THIS PHOTO: Lily Allen/PHOTO CREDIT: @lilyallen
DOING as much as they should.