FEATURE:
The Same Old Excuses
IN THIS PHOTO: Led by the incapable Ellie Rowsell, Wolf Alice are one of many female-fronted bands who are hugely popular and should be a fixture of the 2021 festival scene
Why Are Festivals Resistance to Change and Gender Equality?
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LAST year…
IN THIS PHOTO: Porridge Radio are playing mid-bill at this year’s Standon Calling (this year’s event features 53% male performers, with 100% male headliners)
a lot of festivals were wondering whether they should cancel by this point. Many called off their line-ups by the time spring really kicked in. One of the glaring facts about the line-ups that were announced by this time last year was the lack of female artists on the bill. In terms of U.K. festivals, I think Glastonbury were the only ones who were really committed to gender equality. Not only that, but Emily and Michael Eavis put together a good mix of bands, solo artists and duos. There was a sonic blend; pretty much what you want from a festival. Other organisers were less keen to promote that same sense of sonic diversity and gender balance. Whilst it is egregious and disappointing to see the same bands and sounds being booked every year, it is the lack of gender diversity on the line-ups that has caused the greatest problem. Many festivals have pledged a fifty-fifty gender split on their bills by 2022. Whilst some have not, there was this feeling that most would be on the same page by next year. This year, one would assume that the lockdown and time for reflection and consideration would have resulted in many organisers changing their ways and recognising the wealth of female talent on display – that has not been the case! Depressingly, many news stories this week regarding festivals has concentrated on the male-heavy line-ups. Is this an oversight on the case of organisers?
IN THIS IMAGE: A glaringly male-heavy line-up this year’s Isle of Wight Festival
It seems that many festivals refuse to budge, not only in terms of their male-heavy roster, but also the fact new talent is not being booked – we are seeing a lot of the same bands appearing on the bill. This is how CLASH reacted:
“2020 was an appalling, genuinely horrific year for live music. An entire sector was wiped out, while government assistance – when it eventually arrived – was paltry, and earned across-the-board condemnation from professionals on the ground.
At times, it felt as though only the love of ordinary music fans was preventing the entire live music infrastructure from collapsing. The outstanding work done by the Music Venue Trust to organise and rally crowdfunding campaigns allowed countless venues to keep the doors open, saving numerous jobs in the process.
It was done, though, with a caveat – everyone knew that live music wasn’t perfect, that the system was proving to be resistant to change. From poor pay for support bands to the lack of representation on festival bills, money was donated in the hope not just that our favourite venues could survive, but that something good, something better could emerge from the rubble.
Perhaps that’s why this week’s rally of festival announcements has ruffled so many feathers. Victorious Festival on the south coast went first, and its cavalcade of male headliners spawned a viral meme, with all of its paltry selection of female artists highlighted.
IN THIS PHOTO: Whilst Lewis Capaldi is a popular artist, bookings like this show that festival organisers are out of touch with the sheer quality and variation of female artists
The Isle of Wight festival went next. Pushing its weekend-long event to September, the reconstituted event confirmed the first names on its bill a few hours ago, with Liam Gallagher, Duran Duran, and Snow Patrol all set to play. Female artists were sorely lacking in the announcement, and indeed this is a criticism that has been labelled at the Isle Of Wight festival for some time now.
Noting this, one Clash reader responded: “Hate to be THAT guy but I prefer the 1970 line-up more. This is the same festival. (speaking of female acts, 1970 had Joni. 2021, in comparison...)”
Finally, TRNSMT has just confirmed plans for its overhauled event. The Glasgow Green festival caused up-roar in 2019 when founder Geoff Ellis suggested that not enough women were forming bands, a potential means to explain the gender bias on their bill. At the time, he said: “We all know there aren’t a lot of festival headliners out there. It’s been the case for the past decade.”
Leaving aside the factual dishonesty of that statement, it’s worth pointing out the names on this year’s line up: a now ubiquitous Liam Gallagher, COVID denier Ian Brown, Courteeners, and The Chemical Brothers, who swoop to replace local-crooner-made-good Lewis Capaldi.
It’s a sorry state of affairs, one that abuses the trust placed by so many fans in the live music sector. Why go through the pain and anguish of a music-free summer only to be confronted by a series of organisations so resistant to change, so hesitant to move forwards? We have no doubt that a great many people will buy tickets for these events – a high proportion of fans may well be women, too. But it’s gnawing to see the glacial pace of change laid out so clearly”.
IMAGE CREDIT: Reading Festival
It would literally be impossible for me to name all the worthy female artists who could appear at most festivals, such is the vastness of options! From Pop superstars like Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift through to exciting acts like Arlo Parks and Rina Sawayama, pretty much any taste and genre is covered. I think there are hundreds of female band/female-fronted bands, solo acts, duos, trios and collectives that could satisfy any requirement! One cannot say that a lack of exposure and popularity is responsible for this gender imbalance. One only need listen to the most-acclaimed albums from the past few years. I feel the majority have been made by women. Listen to stations like BBC Radio 6 Music and one will see so many great new female artists spun. Look at the music media and the interviews and features that spotlight great women. From the strong lead voice of Ellie Rowsell In Wolf Alice to the incredible Jehnny Beth, one cannot say that there is a lack of grit and firepower from female artists. I think that festivals like Reading and Leeds and Isle of Wight have been booking Rock acts - when it came to explaining a lack of women, maybe they feel there are not enough women in Rock bands or who fit their criteria. I think both of these festivals are broad enough and are not restricted in terms of what genres they cover. Also, it is not the case that there are a lack of women in Rock (playlists like this outline women new and established in the Rock genre) and on that side of the spectrum.
IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa is not only a natural festival headliner; she is one of hundreds of female artists who could enrich any festival bill
In any case, I think the same excuses are levied when it comes to explaining why festival bills are not equal. Most say that they book acts that are popular; the male artists are more commercial, and the talent pool is not deep when it comes to women. Even Glastonbury used this excuse a couple of years back. In an age where women are dominating and there are more new female artists coming through than any time in history, no festival can hide behind tired excuses. I do not feel that festival audiences only want male bands and will not attend if that is changed. It is disgusting to see the comments levied at women who raise the issue of gender inequality at festivals. They are subjected to so much hate and disrespect. It is more than clear that there is rife sexism and exclusion through the majority of festivals. The Guardian stated how the recently-revealed festivals line-ups are not mistakes: they are wanton acts of exclusion:
“The male-skewing trends chimed with earlier festival announcements, some of them still partial. Dance festival Creamfields features a 91% male lineup. Indie-rock festival Victorious and metal events Slam Dunk and Bloodstock offered in excess of 80% male performers; at Strawberries and Creem, the Big Feastival, Latitude, Parklife and Big Foot it was more than 70%; Naked City, BST Hyde Park, We Out Here, Maiden Voyage, Field Day, Neighbourhood and Leopallooza over 60%.
IMAGE CREDIT: Creamfields
Only Love Supreme and Deer Shed festivals featured more acts featuring women than men on their line-ups. Reading and Leeds, Standon Calling, Black Deer, Kaleidoscope, Camp Bestival, Gala, Liverpool Sound City, Wide Awake, Cross the Tracks and End of the Road featured between 50 and 60% male performers.
Standon Calling founder Alex Trenchard signed up to Keychange in 2018 after the festival’s family-heavy demographic said it wanted to see more women on the bill. This year’s event features 53% male performers, but 100% male headliners, Trenchard rued.
Partially that came down to an inability to book international artists owing to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions on travel, he said. “We’ve tried to make up for that further down the bill – this year our second stage is 65% female.
In September, the Musicians’ Union reported that one-third of professional British musicians were considering giving up their careers due to a lack of work and financial support during the pandemic. With women, gender minorities and women of colour disproportionately affected by the pandemic, said Gedge, better representation was crucial. “It’s really important that we take that very seriously and think about what we want the future of music to look like, and not what it did look like.”
Oliver Jones, director of Yorkshire’s Deer Shed – which has one female-fronted headliner of three overall, and 49% all-male acts on its bill – said festival organisers should be “actively seeking out female bands” and “supporting the underdog”. This year, London punk trio Dream Wife are headlining the festival’s second stage after appearing in an earlier slot a few years ago.
While Standon Calling had struggled to book a female headliner this year, said Trenchard, the strength of the female performers in the middle of the event’s bill – among them Porridge Radio, Billy Nomates and Greentea Peng – boded well for the future. “It’s a positive sign, even if things don’t look positive for now”.
IN THIS PHOTO: HAIM are one of the finest bands in the world and could fit onto any festival’s bill
With Glastonbury possibly offering a virtual gig or one-off event later in the year, they are not putting on a full festival. That means one of the very few festivals that committed to a gender-equal bill are not going ahead. During a very tough year when you would have hoped that the amazing women in music would be recognised and festival bills would be overhauled, once again we are having the same discussions about equality and exclusion! Also, once more, there is either a wall of silence from organisers of excuses around a lack of female talent and male artists being more popular and festival-worthy. If festivals need a list of great women to book then, apart from opening their ears and reading the music press, there is The F-List that gives ample choice. Next year was supposed to be a year when many festivals demonstrated a desire for gender equality. It almost seems like there has been regression so that, by this time next year, will it only be Glastonbury who has an equal bill? Aside from the obvious sexism and ignorance, it is boring seeing the same names and lazy bookings! Maybe a small section of festival audiences want to see these artists play but, when you ask people and look around, I think there is a strong desire for change and equality. Music now is as broad and busy with fresh talent as ever. So many tremendous women are being denied and having to lose out on gig experience because festivals are overlooking them. I have even seen many discuss setting up their own festivals, just so that they can curate a line-up that has women on the bill! Let’s hope that festivals learn from their mistakes and correct their bills next year. With so much stubbornness and few organisers willing to bend, I worry that true gender equality and recognition of women is…
IN THIS PHOTO: Little Simz is one of the finest artists in modern music
A long way off.