The alternative music community has always prided itself on being a welcoming and inclusive space for anyone and everyone. Even still, you just have to glance at festival lineups to see that it’s a male-dominated genre even though there are so many women out there rocking out on stage who deserve our appreciation this International Women’s Day – so let’s hear it for the women in rock music!
Poly Styrene
X-Ray Spex
On her 19th birthday, Marianne Elliot-Said watched an early Sex Pistols gig and immediately decided she would start a band – and so X-Ray Spex was born…and Poly Styrene. Poly Styrene represented the dawn of bold feminist punk music, rebelling against every feminine stereotype of the time. She would take to the stage as her authentic self: a mixed-race woman in brash, bright clothes and braces, screaming out to the crowd with loud guitars and an even louder saxophone.
A new documentary, Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché, airs on 6 March on Sky Arts and promises an in-depth look at one of the greatest frontwomen of all time.
Amy Love & Georgia South
Nova Twins
Nova Twins Amy Love and Georgia South are some of the more recent artists on this list but they are really making their mark. Their platform has been rapidly increasing from the countless tours they’ve embarked on as well as their collaboration with some massive names in the industry. Most recently, they’ve been working on Nova Twins Presents Voices For The Unheard, a compilation album featuring up-and-coming alternative POC musicians. Love and South work tirelessly to lift up other artists and their urban-punk sound is endlessly empowering to listen to.
Joan Jett
The Runaways / Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Joan Jett has been the undisputed Queen of Rock since she burst on to the California punk scene in 1975 at just 17 years old as part of The Runaways. Their music spread across the American underground scene and quickly experienced a meteoric rise to fame across the world. After The Runaways disbanded in 1979, Jett focused on her own musical direction of glam punk. Her most famous track Bad Reputation is a rallying cry for women in rock music – “a girl can do what she wants to do and that’s what I’m gonna do” quickly became a mantra of feminist punk.
Laura Jane Grace
Against Me! Lauran Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers
Laura Jane Grace, primarily known as the lead singer of Against Me!, is a trailblazer for a lot of reasons. She was one of the first visible punk musicians to come out as a transgender woman and has since used her platform to raise awareness of trans rights. As well as that, she is one of the most talented musicians around today – the band’s 2014 album Transgender Dysphoria Blues is a deeply emotional and unforgettable record. She has also published a memoir based on the journals that she has been keeping most of her life – she is an idol to many people in the alternative music scene.
Kathleen Hanna
Bikini Kill, The Julie Ruin, Le Tigre
Kathleen Hanna is as much known for her activism as she is her music. One of the founding creators of the riot grrrl movement, which combined feminism and punk rock, her music took inspiration from the women who came before her and has influenced many women who have picked up a guitar since Bikini Kill first sang Rebel Girl. The band were also among the first behind the ‘girls to front’ tradition at concerts – an idea which still stands today in a lot of live shows. Hanna is still working hard to fund education for girls all across the world and has spoken out about how we can make the riot grrrl scene more inclusive for trans women and women of colour.
Gail Ann Dorsey
You might not know her name but you’ll certainly know her music. She has been a session musician and touring bassist since the 80s and she was most famous for her time in David Bowie’s band from 1995 to 2016. As well as working with everyone from Bryan Ferry to Gwen Stefani, Dorsey has released solo albums. Currently, it seems as though she’s working on new music, so a new solo record could be on the horizon. She’s a rock legend whose sound can be heard on a lot of your favourite live performances and albums. Here, she is showing off her bass skills and gorgeous vocals with David Bowie at his iconic Glastonbury performance.
Ash Costello
New Years Day
Ash Costello is one of the most badass women in metal. A traditionally male-dominated genre, she proves that it isn’t just a boys’ club. Her presence on stage is unparalleled and the care that she has for her music and fans makes her stand out as an artist. Her latest album, Unbreakable, is an empowering and positive listen if you’re looking for metal with an optimistic edge, with lines like “Don’t try to tell me what a girl wants / Just shut up and give it to me” that just don’t hold back.
Vicky Greer
Featured image courtesy of Krys Amon on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to the image.
Vicky Greer
Vicky is a freelance entertainment journalist and modern languages student from Northern Ireland. Her greatest love is alternative music in all its heavy forms, and spends more time at gigs than anywhere else.