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Some women in punk rock have used their music and lyrics as platforms for feminist ideologies, and to oppose the sexualization of female musicians and societal policing of women's bodies and sexual agency.
- Gender Equality
- Iconic Female Performers
- ‘Commanding Yet Aloof, Entirely Modern’
- ‘Decisive Musical Roles’
- ‘They Had Enough Confidence to Be Vulnerable and to Be Themselves’
- ‘Girls Invented Punk Rock, Not England’
For all its faults and inconsistencies, however, one of punk’s more lasting achievements was its success in beginning the process of balancing rock’n’roll’s gender equality scales. Thanks to the era’s liberating “Year Zero” approach, aggressive, all-female bands such as The Slits, or single-minded, charismatic individuals the likes of Siouxsie Siou...
Meanwhile, on the other coast, two iconic female performers were about to come to the fore in the burgeoning and highly competitive New York City punk scene, centered primarily upon two legendary clubs, CBGB and Max’s Kansas City. Later hailed as one of the world’s first “art punk” albums, Patti Smith’s legendary, John Cale-produced debut LP, Horse...
A group of highly individual female punks also rose to prominence during the simultaneous UK punk explosion. Initially one of the so-called “Bromley Contingent” that followed Sex Pistols, Siouxsie Sioux quickly formed her own band, Siouxsie & The Banshees, with fellow Pistols acolyte Steve Severin, and soon proved to be one of the most confident an...
Crucially, punk also encouraged the idea of women occupying decisive musical roles within the band framework, rather than merely providing a pretty face center stage. Underrated first-wave punks The Adverts were one of the first UK outfits to play London’s legendary punk haunt The Roxy, but their frontman was the cynical, intense (and male) TV Smit...
In turn, both The Slits and The Raincoats directly inspired some of the most iconic female rock performers of the 80s and 90s. For almost 30 years, Kim Gordon was bassist (also sometimes vocalist and songwriter) with enormously influential NYC art-punks Sonic Youth; in her sleevenotes for the Rough Trade/DGC reissue of The Raincoats’ second LP, Ody...
To their immense credit, most of the iconic women whose pioneering records shaped the world beyond punk have remained vital and continue to embrace the future. Sadly, Poly Styrene passed away in April 2011, but with Banga and Blondie’s Ghosts Of Download, both Patti Smith and Debbie Harry fashioned modern-day critically acclaimed releases; meanwhil...
- Tim Peacock
- 40
- 3 min
- Patti Smith, Patti Smith Group. Advertisement. Years active: 1974–1979. Who they were: One of the most influential bands on the New York City punk rock scene.
- Debbie Harry, Blondie. Years active: 1974–1982, 1997–present. Who they are: Pioneers of the American punk rock and new wave scenes in the 1970s. Founded by lead singer Debbie Harry with guitarist Chris Stein, the band is known for combining an eclectic mix of genres, including punk, pop, disco, rap, and reggae.
- Siouxsie Sioux, Siouxsie and the Banshees. Advertisement. Years active: 1976–1996, 2002. Who they are: The unofficial founders of post-punk. Formed after singer Siouxie Sioux met her future bandmate Steven Severin at a Roxy Music concert, Siouxsie and the Banshees were initially lumped into a scene that journalists dubbed the ‘Bromley Contingent’.
- Beth Ditto, Gossip. Years active: 1999–2016. Who they were: A three-piece from Washington, USA, Gossip stormed gained international success for their critically-acclaimed debut album ‘Standing in the Way of Control’.
Jul 8, 2021 · These seven women changed punk rock forever. We look back at the careers of Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett and more.
Mar 2, 2023 · Siouxsie to The Slits - punkgirldiaries covers famous and more obscure women of punk and post-punk; Fashion, gigs, records and sexism in the music industry.
Oct 4, 2023 · These completely female and female fronted punk bands aren’t simply the best when it comes to their authentic punk sound and punk influences, but rather for their leading ladies’ contributions to the traditional and modern punk movements as a whole.
People also ask
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Apr 27, 2020 · Women in Punk Today. The punk scene has left an enduring legacy that helped women all around the world express feelings of assertion, defiance and unbridled creativity. Notably, punk rock has also been used as a political vehicle for women.
