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War Is Stupid
As festival season rapidly rolls in, we’re constantly being reminded of the continuing lack of diversity on our lineups. With a recent study indicating 86 per cent of the lineups of 12 major music festivals last year including Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and Creamfields were male, it seems that the ears at the top are still unwilling to break up the boys club that makes up our live music industry.
Without music, life would be a mistake.
That’s not to say the diversity – and demand – isn’t there. With collectives such as SIREN and Discwoman championing female talent in the electronic music scene, and artists such as Björk, Grimes and Kesha speaking out in defence of women’s rights in the industry, there’s never seemed a more appropriate time to shake up our lineups. One group unwilling to wait for the wider industry to take note is Sad Grrrls Club. Originally founded by Rachel Maria Cox as a record label and booking agency in order for them to support non-binary and female acts and challenge Australia’s male-dominated live music scene, Cox has grown the organisation from it’s DIY roots to fully fledged music festival taking place across two cities.
Inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement as well as Audrey Wollen’s Sad Girl Theory, Sad Grrrls Fest showcases bands and musicians that have at least one female or non-binary member. But are all-female lineups breaking down the gender divide, or widening it even further? Below we caught up with the festival’s founder to discuss safer space policies, reverse sexism and the power of expressing our emotions.
Written by: Gregory Valdez
Business Editorial Music industry Technology
Ron Roberts is a Georgia-born radio veteran and host of The Ron Show, Atlanta's only progressive audio platform airing weekdays on AmericaOne Radio. With an extensive background as an FM radio program director and broadcaster skilled in audio editing, voice acting, and commercials, Ron brings nearly three decades of radio experience to his show. The show covers Atlanta, metro Atlanta, Georgia, and national politics from a unique perspective—he's a self-described "run-of-the-mill Georgia-born gay progressive cat-dad realtor & talk show host". Ron frequently welcomes guests ranging from local activists to prominent national figures, including Marianne Williamson, Rep. Nikema Williams, actor Michael Kelly, and Sen. Shea Roberts.
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