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An 18-year-old woman was raped at T in the Park last month. A young woman who bought a ticket, waited excitedly for the event and turned up determined to listen to her heroes play music and enjoy herself: just like the rest of us.
And sadly, it is far from an isolated incident this summer. In Sweden around 50 incidents of sexual assault were reported across two of the country’s biggest festivals. Festivals, indoor gigs and music club nights have all been plagued by such reports in the past 18 months.
Is it really getting worse?
The good news, if you can call it that, is that there is no evidence the number of incidents themselves is increasing. Safe Gigs for Women founder Tracey Wise believes the reason more incidents are coming into the public conscience is largely down to new media and technology bringing an old problem to light.
“I think there has been a definite increase in reports of harassment since Safe Gigs for Women started,” she explains. “I don’t think harassment is a new issue though. In the 16 years since I went to my first festival, I have experienced numerous examples of harassment.
“However, I think that social media is really behind why we are hearing more reports. It is now easier than ever to communicate with more people, venues, bands etc, and hence, easier to report unwanted experiences.”
Frank Turner, who wrote an open letter about the problem after female fans emailed him about harassment at one of his gigs in May of this year, echoes this sentiment.
“Actually I suspect that, in the longer view, it's probably getting better,” he says. “What's changed is that it's become less socially acceptable, and so people speak out about their experiences more. From talking to older female friends of mine, it was a lot worse in the 1980s.”
Galling and frustrating
But the fact that it may not be getting worse is, of course, no cause for either celebration or complacency. That half of the population are not safe at musical venues across the world is totally unacceptable. And although wider reporting is undoubtably a good thing, it does lead to more women feeling unsure about going to see live music as they read about the appalling things that are happening to others. So what can be done?
Turner says he was compelled to write his open letter as he found the situation he read about from his female fans’ correspondence “galling and frustrating”. But he believes that artists and promoters alike can, and have a responsibility to, prevent similar incidents in the future.
“I'm always wary of telling anyone else what they should be doing on any topic,” he explains. “That said, I think if you're an artist and you're aware of the situation, I find it hard to see why you wouldn't say something about it.
“It should, in my view, be a community effort. Fans, artists, security and venue people are all aiming for the same thing (or should be): a safe and fun environment for people to let loose. I think everyone has a responsibility to speak up if they see this shit going down.”
Wise is thankful for artists like Turner speaking out as they “have a much bigger audience than I could ever reach”.
“And when I consider that the band I had gone to see where the act happened that prompted our inception was at the Manic Street Preachers – a band known for their statements against misogyny and for women’s rights – it seems even more crucial to get bands on side,” she continues.
Collective action
But Safe Gigs for Women is about a lot more than just getting the word out through musicians. And Wise has been busy working on a network that will hopefully lead to tangible action being taken to prevent harassment at venues.
“We aim to engage with venues, gig goers and bands as a three way process,” she explains. “Venues need to take this issue seriously, and there are some fairly simple changes that can be made to make this work.
“These include better provision of water and better use of air conditioning. This will stop people getting so drunk as quick and then acting in a way they might not normally do. We will be looking at how we can encourage venues towards a set standard of practices, and are keen to get festivals working with us too.”
These may seem fairly basic concepts, but they are practical steps towards a solution that go beyond simple condemnation. Engaging with those from the venues who can make a difference is a key part of the fight. Another force Wise hopes to harness is that of the togetherness of music fans.
“If you think of music as a community, whether it be a metal gig, punk gig, indie – these are scenes very much based around a sense of being different and finding their own sense of self,” she says. “In that respect they act like a community – looking out for everyone.”
Collective action appears to be the best way to combat the very serious issue of harassment and sexual violence in the long-term. It’s heartening that there are those taking real steps to address the issue and I would encourage anyone who wants to help to organise in any way possible to make a difference.
In the meantime stay vigilant, treat others with respect and hopefully we can work towards an environment where everyone can enjoy music equally and safely.
