Music Festivals’ Glaring Woman Problem

[ghostsinthemachine]

Music Festivals’ Glaring Woman Problem

Music Festivals’ Glaring Woman Problem

Half of music festival attendees are women. But on stage, the numbers tell a different story.

Story by Alanna Vagianos
Graphics by Alissa Scheller
Wednesday, May 25, 2016, 1:00 PM EDT

It’s 2011 and I’m on a plane to Miami. I’m ready to soak up some sun and kick back at my sister’s apartment in South Beach. As an afterthought, I’ve agreed to go to one of the largest electronic music festivals in the world, Ultra, for the first time.

As I skim through the lineup — which included big names like Tiesto, Deadmau5 and David Guetta — I think to myself: Where are all the women?

I was about to fall deeply, madly in love with electronic music and the whole festival scene. But out of the dozens of festivals I went to after that first one, I never stopped asking the same question: Where are all the women?

HOW BAD IS THE GENDER BREAKDOWN, REALLY?

Move the sliders to pick what percentage you think each group makes up for all the 2016 festivals we looked at.

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This is true in all music festivals and music in general outside of the pop realm, women face a hard time. All you have to do is read the TTB thread to see that many men have a problem with female musicians that can hang. Not many out there. Shame too, because I love women musicians. From Ruthie Underwood (who was the first woman I ever saw "get down&quot to Janis, to Bonnie Raitt to the T Sisters or Baskery, I've always dug it. Carolyn Wonderland, man, the most amazing spirit, great guitar player and a voice like Janis and Aretha on a five day bender. Ain't nothing better than that. Or Cindy Cashdollar (The Texas guitar women check em out sometime) the baddest ass steel guitar player ever. Dave Alvin's drummer, is amazing Lisa Pankraetz. Shit nails it to the floor.

But most festivals book dude heavy artists. It's tough to be a musical woman when it comes to booking. Emmylou does well, Mavis does well, Grace Potter is doing well (and don't get me started on the hate for that girl, always by guys), but not much more than that out of the pop realm.



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[LisaM]

1. Too bad Lilith Fair is no more....

that always had a great lineup. I agree, I love to see women play at music festivals.

[ghostsinthemachine]

3. I think Lilith Faire kind of worsened things

Turned the men completely off from female musicians. Got the women interested more, but it was a woman's thing and was considered a lesbian thing as well. Too insular.

[HERVEPA]

2. Try looking at folk festivals. You'll find a much different story.

And the grounds will be clean at the end of the day.

[ghostsinthemachine]

4. Hardly strictly bluegrass (SF) is always

Strong on female artists. Emmylou, Natalie Mains, Niko, Hazel Dickens, lot there.