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When asked about the most punk act she's ever done, Cathy Loughead responds instantly: “I performed with my neck fractured in two spots. Unable to bounce, so I decorated the brace instead. It was a fantastic gig.”

She is part of a rising wave of women redefining punk music. While a upcoming television drama spotlighting female punk broadcasts this Sunday, it echoes a movement already flourishing well past the screen.

The Spark in Leicester

This momentum is most palpable in Leicester, where a recent initiative – now called the Riotous Collective – lit the fuse. Loughead was there from the start.

“When we started, there were no all-women garage punk bands locally. In just twelve months, there we had seven. Today there are twenty – and counting,” she stated. “There are Riotous groups around the United Kingdom and worldwide, from Finland to Australia, laying down tracks, performing live, appearing at festivals.”

This boom extends beyond Leicester. Throughout Britain, women are taking back punk – and transforming the scene of live music in the process.

Breathing Life into Venues

“There are music venues around the United Kingdom thriving thanks to women punk bands,” she added. “The same goes for practice spaces, music instruction and mentoring, studio environments. That's because women are in all these roles now.”

They are also transforming the audience composition. “Female-fronted groups are playing every week. They're bringing in broader crowd mixes – attendees who consider these spaces as protected, as belonging to them,” she remarked.

A Movement Born of Protest

Carol Reid, programme director at Youth Music, stated the growth was expected. “Females have been promised a dream of equality. But gender-based violence is at alarming rates, radical factions are exploiting females to spread intolerance, and we're deceived over subjects including hormonal changes. Ladies are resisting – via music.”

Toni Coe-Brooker, 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 independent spaces booking more inclusive bills and establishing protected, friendlier places.”

Entering the Mainstream

In the coming weeks, Leicester will host the first Riot Fest, a three-day event including 25 women-led acts from the UK and Europe. Recently, Decolonise Fest in London honored punks of colour.

The phenomenon is gaining mainstream traction. A leading pair are on their debut nationwide tour. Another rising group's debut album, their album title, hit No. 16 in the UK charts this year.

One group were shortlisted for the an upcoming music award. Another act won the Northern Ireland Music Prize in last year. Hull-based newcomers Wench performed at a notable festival at Reading Festival.

This represents a trend originating from defiance. Within a sector still plagued by misogyny – where women-led groups remain underrepresented and live venues are shutting down rapidly – women-led punk groups are forging a new path: opportunity.

Ageless Rebellion

Now 79 years old, Viv Peto is testament that punk has no expiration date. From Oxford musician in her band picked up her instrument only recently.

“As an older person, all constraints are gone and I can pursue my interests,” she said. One of her recent songs contains the lines: “So shout out, ‘Who cares’/ Now is my chance!/ The stage is mine!/ At seventy-nine / And at my absolute best.”

“I adore this wave of older female punks,” she commented. “I wasn't allowed to protest during my early years, so I'm making up for it now. It's fantastic.”

A band member from the Marlinas also said she hadn't been allowed to rebel as a teenager. “It has been significant to release these feelings at this late stage.”

A performer, who has toured globally with different acts, also sees it as catharsis. “It's about exorcising frustration: going unnoticed as a mother, at an advanced age.”

The Liberation of Performance

Similar feelings inspired Dina Gajjar to form Burnt Sugar. “Standing on stage is an outlet you were unaware you lacked. Females are instructed to be obedient. Punk defies this. It's raucous, it's raw. This implies, when bad things happen, I think: ‘I should create music from that!’”

However, Abi Masih, a percussionist, said the punk woman is any woman: “We are typical, career-oriented, talented females who enjoy subverting stereotypes,” she said.

Another voice, of the Folkestone band She-Bite, concurred. “Women were the original punks. We had to smash things up to gain attention. This persists today! That badassery is within us – it feels ancient, elemental. We are incredible!” she stated.

Breaking Molds

Not all groups fits the stereotype. Two musicians, involved in a band, aim to surprise audiences.

“We avoid discussing certain subjects or curse frequently,” commented one. The other interjected: “Well, we do have a brief explosive section in all our music.” Ames laughed: “Correct. But we like to keep it interesting. Our last track was regarding bra discomfort.”