🔗 Share this article

When asked about the most punk act she's ever done, Cathy Loughead answers without pause: “I took the stage with my neck broken in two places. I couldn't jump around, so I embellished the brace instead. It was a fantastic gig.”

Cathy is a member of a expanding wave of women redefining punk expression. While a upcoming television drama spotlighting female punk airs this Sunday, it reflects a phenomenon already blossoming well beyond the television.

The Spark in Leicester

This drive is felt most strongly in Leicester, where a local endeavor – currently known as the Riotous Collective – sparked the movement. She joined in from the beginning.

“At the launch, there existed zero all-women garage punk bands here. By the following year, there seven emerged. Today there are twenty – and counting,” she stated. “Riotous chapters exist throughout Britain and worldwide, from Finland to Australia, recording, playing shows, appearing at festivals.”

This explosion doesn't stop at Leicester. Around the United Kingdom, women are repossessing punk – and transforming the scene of live music along the way.

Rejuvenating Performance Spaces

“Various performance spaces throughout Britain thriving thanks to women punk bands,” noted Cathy. “The same goes for practice spaces, music education and guidance, studio environments. This is because women are filling these jobs now.”

They are also transforming who shows up. “Female-fronted groups are playing every week. They attract broader crowd mixes – ones that see these spaces as protected, as belonging to them,” she remarked.

An Uprising-Inspired Wave

Carol Reid, involved in music education, said the rise is no surprise. “Females have been promised a vision of parity. However, violence against women is at alarming rates, extremist groups are exploiting females to spread intolerance, and we're manipulated over subjects including hormonal changes. Ladies are resisting – via music.”

Another industry voice, from the Music Venue Trust, notes the phenomenon altering local music scenes. “There is a noticeable increase in varied punk movements and they're integrating with community music networks, with independent spaces programming varied acts and creating more secure, more welcoming spaces.”

Entering the Mainstream

Later this month, Leicester will stage the inaugural Riot Fest, a multi-day celebration showcasing 25 female-only groups from the UK and Europe. In September, Decolonise Fest in London celebrated BIPOC punk artists.

The phenomenon is edging into the mainstream. A leading pair are on their maiden headline tour. The Lambrini Girls's initial release, Who Let the Dogs Out, reached number sixteen in the UK charts lately.

One group were nominated for the an upcoming music award. Problem Patterns earned a local honor in recently. A band from Hull Wench performed at a notable festival at Reading Festival.

This represents a trend rooted in resistance. Across a field still plagued by misogyny – where all-women acts remain underrepresented and live venues are shutting down rapidly – female punk artists are establishing something bold: a platform.

Timeless Punk

Now 79 years old, Viv Peto is proof that punk has no age limit. From Oxford percussionist in horMones punk band picked up her instrument just a year ago.

“As an older person, there are no limits and I can follow my passions,” she stated. Her latest composition includes the chorus: “So scream, ‘Fuck it’/ It's my time!/ This platform is for me!/ I am seventy-nine / And at my absolute best.”

“I love this surge of older female punks,” she commented. “I didn't get to rebel during my early years, so I'm rebelling currently. It's fantastic.”

A band member from the band also said she hadn't been allowed to rebel as a teenager. “It's been really major to release these feelings at this point in life.”

Chrissie Riedhofer, who has performed worldwide with different acts, also sees it as catharsis. “It's a way to vent irritation: being invisible in motherhood, as a senior female.”

The Freedom of Expression

Similar feelings inspired Dina Gajjar to form Burnt Sugar. “Standing on stage is a release you never realized you required. Girls are taught to be acquiescent. Punk isn't. It's raucous, it's flawed. This implies, when negative events occur, I say to myself: ‘I can compose a track about it!’”

But Abi Masih, drummer for the Flea Bagz, stated the female punk is all women: “We're just ordinary, working, amazing ladies who like challenging norms,” she explained.

A band member, of her group She-Bite, concurred. “Women were the original punks. We needed to break barriers to gain attention. We continue to! That badassery is part of us – it seems timeless, instinctive. We are amazing!” she stated.

Defying Stereotypes

Not every band fits the stereotype. Two musicians, involved in a band, aim to surprise audiences.

“We rarely mention the menopause or curse frequently,” noted Julie. Her partner added: “However, we feature a small rebellious part in all our music.” Ames laughed: “That's true. But we like to keep it interesting. The latest piece was about how uncomfortable bras are.”