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Upon being questioned about the most punk thing she's ever done, Cathy Loughead answers without pause: “I performed with my neck broken in two places. Not able to move freely, so I decorated the brace instead. That show was incredible.”

Loughead belongs to a expanding wave of women redefining punk music. As a new television drama highlighting female punk premieres this Sunday, it mirrors a scene already thriving well outside the TV.

The Spark in Leicester

This energy is felt most strongly in Leicester, where a 2022 project – now called the Riotous Collective – lit the fuse. She joined in from the outset.

“In the early days, there weren't any all-women garage punk bands here. In just twelve months, there seven emerged. Now there are 20 – and growing,” she explained. “Riotous chapters exist across the UK and internationally, from Finland to Australia, recording, playing shows, featured in festival lineups.”

This explosion doesn't stop at Leicester. Across the UK, women are repossessing punk – and changing the landscape of live music simultaneously.

Breathing Life into Venues

“There are music venues across the UK flourishing due to women punk bands,” said Loughead. “The same goes for practice spaces, music instruction and mentoring, production spaces. This is because women are filling these jobs now.”

They are also transforming the audience composition. “Women-led bands are performing weekly. They're bringing in broader crowd mixes – attendees who consider these spaces as safe, as belonging to them,” she remarked.

A Rebellion-Driven Phenomenon

An industry expert, from a music youth organization, stated the growth was expected. “Ladies have been given a ideal of fairness. However, violence against women is at epidemic levels, extremist groups are manipulating women to peddle hate, and we're gaslit over issues like the menopause. Females are pushing back – by means of songs.”

A music venue advocate, from the Music Venue Trust, notes the phenomenon altering regional performance cultures. “We're seeing varied punk movements and they're contributing to community music networks, with independent spaces programming varied acts and creating more secure, more welcoming spaces.”

Mainstream Breakthroughs

Soon, Leicester will host the first Riot Fest, a multi-day celebration showcasing 25 all-women bands from the UK and Europe. In September, Decolonise Fest in London honored ethnic minority punk musicians.

This movement is gaining mainstream traction. A leading pair are on their maiden headline tour. The Lambrini Girls's initial release, their record name, hit No. 16 in the UK charts recently.

Panic Shack were nominated for the an upcoming music award. Another act secured a regional music award in 2024. A band from Hull Wench played the BBC Introducing stage at Reading Festival.

This represents a trend born partly in protest. In an industry still dogged by misogyny – where all-women acts remain underrepresented and music spots are closing at crisis levels – female punk bands are forging a new path: a platform.

No Age Limit

In her late seventies, a band member is proof that punk has no seniority barrier. Based in Oxford musician in a punk group began performing just a year ago.

“As an older person, restrictions have vanished and I can follow my passions,” she said. One of her recent songs contains the lines: “So shout out, ‘Forget it’/ Now is my chance!/ I own the stage!/ I'm 79 / And in my fucking prime.”

“I adore this wave of older female punks,” she said. “I couldn't resist in my youth, so I'm making up for it now. It's fantastic.”

Kala Subbuswamy from the Marlinas also noted she couldn't to rebel as a teenager. “It has been significant to finally express myself at my current age.”

Another artist, who has toured globally with various bands, also considers it a release. “It involves expelling anger: feeling unseen in motherhood, at an advanced age.”

The Liberation of Performance

Comparable emotions inspired Dina Gajjar to create her band. “Performing live is a release you never realized you required. Women are trained to be compliant. Punk rejects that. It's raucous, it's flawed. It means, during difficult times, I say to myself: ‘I should create music from that!’”

Yet, Abi Masih, a percussionist, remarked the punk lady is all women: “We are typical, professional, amazing ladies who like challenging norms,” she said.

A band member, of her group She-Bite, concurred. “Females were the first rebels. We had to smash things up to gain attention. We continue to! That badassery is in us – it feels ancient, instinctive. We're a bloody marvel!” she stated.

Breaking Molds

Some acts conform to expectations. Band members, involved in a band, aim to surprise audiences.

“We don't shout about certain subjects or use profanity often,” said Ames. The other interjected: “Well, we do have a brief explosive section in all our music.” Julie chuckled: “You're right. However, we prefer variety. Our last track was about how uncomfortable bras are.”