Unprecedented access? Women instrumentalists in punk bands 1976-1984: an exploration

Reddington, H. 2004. Unprecedented access? Women instrumentalists in punk bands 1976-1984: an exploration. PhD thesis University of Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design https://doi.org/10.34737/93411

TitleUnprecedented access? Women instrumentalists in punk bands 1976-1984: an exploration
TypePhD thesis
AuthorsReddington, H.
Abstract

This study has been undertaken because of a gap in popular music and subcultural history. The significance of the first large influx of women into rock music, as punk instrumentalists in the late 1970s, has been underplayed; instead, women punks have been stereotypically documented. Girls' and womens' roles as producers of music, and their consequent contribution to the sound of punk music, have been subjected to a collective amnesia.

Four areas of literature have been reviewed to clarify the reasons for, and extent of the gap: writings on subcultures and scenes, writings on women in rock and pop, writings on the socio-political context, and writings on punk.

One of the main foci of the study has been to identify the reasons for the fading away of the presence of women instrumentalists in the early 1980s. I wanted to discover why this phenomenon had such a short time span.

The primary research involved a newspaper survey (300 local papers were contacted across Britain) from which 24 useful questionnaires were gleaned; I interviewed 15 women who were in bands at the time, as well as a radio DJ, record company owner, band manager, and several male band members and political activists from the scene. Fanzines, music papers and the feminist magazine Spare Rib have also been referred to extensively. I have also had my own recollections of the time to draw upon.

Following the literature review, the study is divided into sections on Access (enabling and empowering factors), Media Gatekeepers and Cultural Intermediaries (external controls and filters), The Brighton Scene (a case study of my own local punk enviromnent), Noise, Violence and Femininity (the practice of music making by these women, and the resistance to it), the Aftermath (exploring factors contributing to the ending of the moment), and Conclusions.

Year2004
File
PublisherUniversity of Westminster
Publication dates
Published2004
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.34737/93411

Related outputs

The forgotten revolution of female punk musicians in the 1970s
Reddington, H. 2004. The forgotten revolution of female punk musicians in the 1970s. Peace Review. 16 (4).

Hands off my instrument!
Reddington, H. 2004. Hands off my instrument! in: Randall, A.J. (ed.) Music, power, and politics London, England Routledge. pp. 143-155

'Lady' punks in bands: a subculturette?
Reddington, H. 2004. 'Lady' punks in bands: a subculturette? in: Muggleton, D. and Weinzierl, R. (ed.) The post-subcultures reader Oxford, UK Berg Publishers. pp. 239-251

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/93411/unprecedented-access-women-instrumentalists-in-punk-bands-1976-1984-an-exploration


Share this

Usage statistics

135 total views
1038 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.