FEATURE:
Bill of Rights
IMAGE CREDIT: Reading Festival
Why Is There Still Huge Imbalance and Inequality When it Comes to Booking Women and Non-Binary Artists as Festival Headliners?
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ONE of the most alarming aspects…
IMAGE CREDIT: Glastonbury Festival
of modern live music is how there is a gender disparity when it comes to festival headliners. Apart from Glastonbury and a few other festivals, the news is still the same: male artists are dominating and taking the majority of the headline slots. There are festivals with gender-balanced line-ups, but there are very few that are providing headline slots to female and non-binary acts. Glastonbury’s booking of Billie Eilish is a seeming island in a sea of male headliners. There is the classic argument that people lean towards when it comes to explaining this sort of imbalance and oversight. They will say that the men are male acts are booked because they are most successful and profitable. I would disagree. Look at the quality of music being put out by women over the past few years. It is not the case that festivals are only booking stadium act. From Little Simz and Taylor Swift, through to Halsey, FKA twigs, Charli XCX, and Wolf Alice, there are so many female artists/female-led artists who are deserving of a headline opportunity! I know there is another issue that many women are defined by their gender and want to be referred to as an ‘artist’ rather than a ‘female artist’. Not to be defined or labelled. Another argument people make is that, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. People are going to festivals and not boycotting them because of a lack of women headlining.
There are so many weak and tired arguments as to why the status quo remains. At a time when so many festivals are not doing due diligence and the line-ups are skewed in favour of male artists, there are no excuses! There are plenty of women and non-binary artists who are commercial and can attract punters. When it comes to quality and variation, every festival has options. From marvellous bands led by women to the solo acts, duos and trios who could easily helm a festival, what is holding organisers back!? I could list dozens of artists who could be added to festival bills as headliners this year! Even though there are some female/non-binary artists headlining this summer, there are not many. Those few dozen names are newer acts. Toss in legends and established artists, and there is a veritable database and banquet of waiting artists. Logistically, financially and artistically, no festival can put up barriers and keep booking men as headliners. It seems almost redundant to call on festivals to change their ways, as they seem invulnerable to rationale and the obvious! Although there has been some improvement in terms of the gender balance across festivals in general, there is still a gulf when it comes to headline slots. Some might say that, so long as the gender balance is closer to 50/50, then why would it matter much if men were the headliners. Complete Music Update respond to a new BBC study that shows just how bad the situation is:
“A new study by the BBC has found that just 13% of headliners booked to play UK festivals this summer are a female solo artist or an all-female band.
Critics say that, despite efforts to shift the gender balance of festival line-ups in recent years, this shows that promoters are still not taking the issue seriously enough. Others argue that much has actually changed, especially when it comes to full festival line-ups, even if there is more to be done, especially when it comes to headliners.
According to the BBC, a study of the UK’s biggest music festivals found that 149 headline acts – or 74.5% – are male solo acts or all-male bands. Meanwhile, 24 headliners – or 12% – are bands featuring a mix of male and female musicians, with just one headline act identifying as non-binary.
It was partly in response to another BBC study in 2017 – which showed that 80% of festival headliners in the UK were male – that the PRS Foundation launched its Keychange initiative.
Since then, more than 300 festivals have signed a Keychange pledge to achieve a 50/50 gender balance on their line-ups by this summer. And while some have now reached that target – or are moving towards it – others still lag behind. And, clearly, any positive moves occurring lower down the festival line-ups are not really being reflected at the top.
In part, this is down to wider systemic issues in the music industry, Keychange Project Manager Francine Gorman tells the BBC: “Women and gender minorities have had access to far fewer opportunities than their male counterparts over the years, and therefore it does take a little bit of time to build artists to the status that they’d be able to take a headline spot”.
“I think the progress that has been made over the last couple of years is going to pay off”, she adds. “We are going to start seeing a lot more women and gender minority headliners across stages in the future. There does seem to be some myth flying around the live music industry that women artists don’t sell tickets, but I’m yet to see any evidence to support this. In fact, the evidence that I have seen is quite the contrary”.
One festival to meet the Keychange target is Standon Calling, although three of its four main headliners this year are all-male acts.
“When we signed up to Keychange back in 2018, we pledged that we would commit to ensuring 50/50 gender balance on our line-up by 2022”, says Standon Calling founder Alex Trenchard. “At the time this felt like a huge challenge, but we’re delighted to say that we’re on track to exceed that figure with 54% of acts on our 2022 line-up identifying as female or non-binary”.
“Our line-ups are stronger and more diverse than ever”, he adds. “We’re delighted to be leading the way amongst the industry, showing that gender balance in festivals in 2022 is both possible and a key component of curating an exciting line up”.
Responding to the latest BBC study, Paul Reed, CEO of the Association Of Independent Festivals, says: “While gender inequality in music is often easiest to see on festival line-up posters, this is a problem that exists right across the talent development pipeline, with festival main stages at the very end of that process”.
There is not a simple explanation as to why festivals resist women and non-binary artists as headliners – nor is there a simple solution. I would say festivals needs to address things and understand that there is ample quality and range when it comes to non-male headliners. These acts can bring in huge crowds. Even if festivals are always balanced with regards gender, headline slots are important. They are a big reason so many people go to festivals. They recognise excellence. Changes and steps being made (slowly) in terms of a gender equality across festivals, but it is clear that there arer big problems still that should have been tackled and have not yet been. It is simple to book women and non-binary artists to headline. There does not need to be a vote held or any sort of process. It is as easy as inviting them to play. Unless I am missing something obvious?! For all the supposed progress, there is huge ignorance and a wave of tiring and illogical questions and excuses barring equality that could happen very quickly. The lack of women and non-binary artists headlining festivals is shameful! It is entirely the faulty of the industry – and not the artists themselves. Equality needs to happen very soon, as it is perfectly clear that…
IT is long overdue.