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The male-dominated nature of the music industry, particularly the rock and alternative music scenes, has been highlighted once again, with the recent announcement of Slam Dunk festival’s 2025 line-up featuring only two female-led acts causing disappointment and frustration amongst fans and musicians alike. Cherym, a punk trio from Londonderry, Northern Ireland, spoke out about their experiences of being overlooked and constantly having to prove themselves in an industry that is still a “boys’ club”. The lack of diversity in the industry is not limited to gender, as other marginalised groups such as black and trans people are also often overlooked.
Campaigns such as the 50/50 gender split pledge, which saw dozens of festivals aim to achieve equal representation by 2022, have fallen short, with only one in ten headlining acts at the UK’s top music festivals being women that summer. The Keychange manifesto was presented to the European Parliament in 2018, calling for increased efforts to improve representation and this year saw the release of a second manifesto, renewing the call for equality, diversity and equity in the music industry.
Despite continued efforts to increase diversity and representation, gatekeeping and stigmas surrounding the kinds of music women should make still persist, with women musicians often having to prove themselves and fight for recognition. However, outside of the rock and alternative scenes, women are breaking records, with Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Glastonbury all achieving significant milestones in 2024.
Cherym, Panic Shack and ARXX are all calling for better representation in the alternative scene, urging festivals such as Slam Dunk to actively embrace diversity and inclusivity from day one. Aspiring artists need to see what is possible in order to embrace all the possibilities and this can only be achieved with increased representation and diversity.
While progress has been made, there is still a long way to go to achieve equality and equity in the music industry. The voices of musicians such as those in Cherym, Panic Shack and ARXX must be heard and listened to in order for change to occur
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