#21

We’ll have to agree to disagree.

Let’s just say the prospect of putting quotas on art makes me very uncomfortable. It sort of ceases to be freedom of expression at that point.

#22

For some, yes. For others, it’s an opportunity to drink gallons of warm Carling and shout “bollocks” on a campsite.

Different festivals for different, needs?

#23

Oh fuck. Can I get an edit on that pls

#24

It ceased to be freedom of expression because it’s viewed via the prism of a highly sexist and racist capitalist system. If festivals just booked acts from the total pool of all acts then you’d be right, but they’re booked based on a metric that comes from who’s had the best management, label power, radio play and media push, which is very far removed from the notion of ‘art’.

For those guys the actual music being played is fairly low down the list and that’s fine. I’ve known someone who went to ATP in 2006 and saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs set only. They had a great time.

And Some people just come for that one headline act because it’s the only way they can get to see them live. Again, this doesn’t stop people making the rest of the festival varied and interesting.

1 Like
#25

Nah, it’s too funny :smiley:

2 Likes
#26

V Festival 2017 Lineup:

Pink
Jay Z
Rudimental
Pete Tong
Craig David
Ellie Goulding
Jess Glynne
Stormzy
George Ezra
Emeli Sande

That’s arguably the biggest capitalist shit-show on offer, yet there’s a perfect 50/50 split of male/female acts, and a 50/50 split on White/Minority acts.

So, yeah. I disagree.

#27

I’ve probably not listened to that much new music this year featuring women but overall about 60/40, partly due to the fact that a lot of the genres I listen to have a disproportionate number of male artists.

#28

last 5 or so things I’ve listened to either have female vocals or none. would imagine overall it skews pretty heavily male though

#29

Trying to work out who you’ve mistaken for a female artist here.

#30

“Rudimental are originally a four-piece from East London’s Hackney, but
in their live shows that core songwriting quartet is expanded with a
drummer, trumpet player and three backing singers, including various
special guest appearances (including Emile Sandé, Lianne Le Havas, among
others, but these seem to vary from gig to gig).”

#31

OK. Not that it disproves your point, but it’s pretty hard to claim that works out as a perfect 50/50 split.

1 Like
#32

Your point being that V is the biggest capitalist shit show on offer and it has an pretty even male/female act ratio.

#33

Only 11 acts at V Festival? That seems pretty lame.

#34

I expect they’ll announce more acts nearer the festival date. That’s usually how it works isn’t it?

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#35

it’s not the entire line-up which makes me ponder why they were selected…

#36

Looks like ther’s a fair split in the ‘undercard’ as well

http://www.vfestival.com/poster

2 Likes
#37

Yeah, that was my point really: it’s the full lineup.

Fair play to V for doing a good job on this. I’m not sure how Stomach thinks it means gender equality is conquered for all festivals mind.

Also, we have no idea AFAIK how these artists were picked and by whom.

#38

It’s not that surprising though. As someone has said up thread, the split among pop acts is pretty even (at least compared with some other genres) and V being a mainstream festival you’d expect to see this in the acts booked. I believe Melm Stomach’s point is that with V being a mainstream festival you’d expect it to be most in thrall to the horrible sexist capitalist system but this isn’t shown in the acts they’ve booked.

1 Like
#39

It’s an interesting take on what I was saying, which wasn’t really about exclusively pop. Stomach’s spent the whole thread trying to justify his opinion by switching angles. Suddenly it was a metal festival when the question of too few women come up, now it’s a pop festival because that suits his narrative.

The sexism of the industry is far more important to the world of guitar bands and the like in the Indie-rock world and it’s a lot more complicated than just holding up one festival. It certainly wasn’t the point of the original post.

#40

I had a number of points, though. And my point about V Festival specifically was to counter your opinion that music (and specifically festivals) had “ceased to be freedom of expression because it’s viewed via the prism of a highly sexist and racist capitalist system”, when to the contrary, true capitalism allows the best people in their field to rise to the top, regardless of what demographic the socialist left wants to pigeonhole them into.

The main stage line-up at V 2017 is a shining example of this.