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If you inquire about the most punk gesture she's ever done, Cathy Loughead answers without pause: “I performed with my neck broken in two places. Unable to bounce, so I decorated the brace instead. That was an amazing performance.”

She is part of a rising wave of women redefining punk culture. Although a recent television drama spotlighting female punk premieres this Sunday, it reflects a movement already blossoming well past the TV.

Igniting the Flame in Leicester

This momentum is felt most strongly in Leicester, where a 2022 project – presently named the Riotous Collective – lit the fuse. She joined in from the beginning.

“At the launch, there were no all-women garage punk bands in the area. Within a year, there we had seven. Now there are 20 – and growing,” she stated. “Riotous chapters exist throughout Britain and internationally, from Finland to Australia, producing music, performing live, featured in festival lineups.”

This explosion isn't limited to Leicester. Around the United Kingdom, women are reclaiming punk – and altering the landscape of live music simultaneously.

Breathing Life into Venues

“Numerous music spots throughout Britain thriving because of women punk bands,” noted Cathy. “Rehearsal rooms are also benefiting, music education and guidance, studio environments. This is because women are in all these roles now.”

Additionally, they are altering the crowd demographics. “Female-fronted groups are performing weekly. They draw broader crowd mixes – people who view these spaces as secure, as for them,” she remarked.

A Movement Born of Protest

A program director, from a music youth organization, commented that the surge was predictable. “Females have been promised a dream of equality. But gender-based violence is at alarming rates, radical factions are exploiting females to peddle hate, and we're gaslit over topics such as menopause. Ladies are resisting – via music.”

A music venue advocate, from the Music Venue Trust, sees the movement reshaping community music environments. “There is a noticeable increase in varied punk movements and they're feeding into community music networks, with grassroots venues scheduling diverse lineups and building safer, more welcoming spaces.”

Entering the Mainstream

Later this month, Leicester will present the inaugural Riot Fest, a multi-day celebration including 25 all-women bands from the UK and Europe. In September, Decolonise Fest in London celebrated ethnic minority punk musicians.

And the scene is edging into the mainstream. One prominent duo are on their debut nationwide tour. Another rising group's debut album, Who Let the Dogs Out, reached number sixteen in the UK charts recently.

One group were shortlisted for the an upcoming music award. Problem Patterns won the Northern Ireland Music Prize in last year. A band from Hull Wench played the BBC Introducing stage at Reading Festival.

This is a wave born partly in protest. Across a field still affected by misogyny – where female-only bands remain lacking presence and live venues are facing widespread closures – female punk artists are creating something radical: a platform.

Ageless Rebellion

In her late seventies, Viv Peto is testament that punk has no seniority barrier. Based in Oxford washboard player in her band started playing just a year ago.

“Now I'm old, there are no limits and I can pursue my interests,” she said. A track she recently wrote includes the chorus: “So scream, ‘Who cares’/ Now is my chance!/ I own the stage!/ I am seventy-nine / And in my fucking prime.”

“I appreciate this influx of senior women punks,” she commented. “I wasn't allowed to protest when I was younger, so I'm rebelling currently. It's great.”

Another musician from the Marlinas also mentioned she was prevented to rebel as a teenager. “It's been important to finally express myself at this late stage.”

Another artist, who has toured globally with multiple groups, also sees it as catharsis. “It's a way to vent irritation: going unnoticed in motherhood, as a senior female.”

The Freedom of Expression

Similar feelings led Dina Gajjar to form Burnt Sugar. “Standing on stage is a liberation you never realized you required. Girls are taught to be acquiescent. Punk defies this. It's loud, it's flawed. As a result, when negative events occur, I consider: ‘I should create music from that!’”

However, Abi Masih, drummer for the Flea Bagz, remarked the punk lady is any woman: “We are typical, professional, amazing ladies who love breaking molds,” she commented.

A band member, of the act She-Bite, agreed. “Women were the original punks. We were forced to disrupt to get noticed. We continue to! That fierceness is in us – it appears primal, instinctive. We are amazing!” she declared.

Breaking Molds

Not all groups fits the stereotype. Two musicians, from a particular group, try to keep things unexpected.

“We don't shout about certain subjects or use profanity often,” commented one. O'Malley cut in: “Actually, we include a small rebellious part in each track.” She smiled: “You're right. But we like to keep it interesting. Our last track was about how uncomfortable bras are.”