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When asked about the most punk gesture she's ever pulled off, Cathy Loughead doesn't hesitate: “I played a show with my neck broken in two places. I couldn't jump around, so I bedazzled the brace instead. That was an amazing performance.”

Loughead belongs to a expanding wave of women redefining punk music. As a recent television drama spotlighting female punk airs this Sunday, it reflects a phenomenon already thriving well outside the television.

The Spark in Leicester

This drive is felt most strongly in Leicester, where a local endeavor – now called the Riotous Collective – lit the fuse. She joined in from the start.

“When we started, there existed zero all-women garage punk bands in the area. Within a year, there we had seven. Currently, twenty exist – and growing,” she stated. “Collective branches operate around the United Kingdom and globally, from Finland to Australia, laying down tracks, gigging, appearing at festivals.”

This boom isn't limited to Leicester. Across the UK, women are repossessing punk – and changing the landscape of live music along the way.

Rejuvenating Performance Spaces

“Numerous music spots around the United Kingdom thriving thanks to women punk bands,” noted Cathy. “So are rehearsal studios, music teaching and coaching, recording facilities. This is because women are in all these roles now.”

They are also transforming the audience composition. “Bands led by women are gigging regularly. They draw more diverse audiences – ones that see these spaces as secure, as intended for them,” she added.

A Movement Born of Protest

Carol Reid, from a music youth organization, stated the growth was expected. “Females have been promised a vision of parity. Yet, misogynistic aggression is at epidemic levels, radical factions are exploiting females to peddle hate, and we're gaslit over issues like the menopause. Females are pushing back – through music.”

Toni Coe-Brooker, from the Music Venue Trust, observes the trend transforming community music environments. “We're seeing broader punk communities and they're feeding into community music networks, with local spots booking more inclusive bills and creating more secure, more inviting environments.”

Entering the Mainstream

In the coming weeks, Leicester will stage the inaugural Riot Fest, a three-day event featuring 25 all-women bands from the UK and Europe. Recently, an inclusive event in London celebrated punks of colour.

This movement is entering popular culture. A leading pair are on their maiden headline tour. Another rising group's initial release, Who Let the Dogs Out, reached number sixteen in the UK charts lately.

One group were nominated for the 2025 Welsh Music Prize. Another act earned a local honor in last year. Hull-based newcomers Wench performed at a notable festival at Reading Festival.

It's a movement born partly in protest. Across a field still dogged by misogyny – where women-led groups remain underrepresented and live venues are closing at crisis levels – women-led punk groups are forging a new path: a platform.

No Age Limit

Now 79 years old, one participant is proof that punk has no expiration date. From Oxford musician in a punk group started playing only recently.

“Now I'm old, there are no limits and I can follow my passions,” she declared. A track she recently wrote includes the chorus: “So yell, ‘Fuck it’/ This is my moment!/ The stage is mine!/ At seventy-nine / And in my top form.”

“I adore this wave of older female punks,” she said. “I couldn't resist when I was younger, so I'm making up for it now. It's wonderful.”

Kala Subbuswamy from the band also said she hadn't been allowed to rebel as a teenager. “It's been really major to release these feelings at this point in life.”

Chrissie Riedhofer, who has traveled internationally with various bands, also considers it a release. “It involves expelling anger: going unnoticed as a mother, at an advanced age.”

The Power of Release

Similar feelings inspired Dina Gajjar to establish a group. “Performing live is a release you never realized you required. Women are trained to be obedient. Punk defies this. It's raucous, it's raw. As a result, when bad things happen, I say to myself: ‘I'll write a song about that!’”

However, Abi Masih, drummer for the Flea Bagz, said the punk woman is all women: “We're just ordinary, working, talented females who like challenging norms,” she explained.

Maura Bite, of the Folkestone band the band, shared the sentiment. “Ladies pioneered punk. We had to smash things up to be heard. This persists today! That rebellious spirit is part of us – it seems timeless, instinctive. We are incredible!” she stated.

Breaking Molds

Not every band conform to expectations. Julie Ames and Jackie O'Malley, involved in a band, strive to be unpredictable.

“We don't shout about certain subjects or use profanity often,” noted Julie. The other interjected: “However, we feature a small rebellious part in each track.” Julie chuckled: “You're right. However, we prefer variety. Our last track was on the topic of underwear irritation.”