FEATURE:
Feel the Drop!
IN THIS PHOTO: Charlotte de Witte is a hugely accomplished and respected D.J. and artist who runs her own label, KNTXT
Highlighting Incredible D.J. Queens and Inequality in the Industry
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I am going to start out…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kylie Minogue at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow in May 2025/PHOTO CREDIT: Martin Grimes/Getty Images
with one of my favourite subjects to talk about in music. Not one I am happy to talk about. In the sense it is gender inequality, as it is unshifting and not tackled enough. Not by men in the industry or those in power anyway. In terms of the most pressing incident of sexism and gender inequality in the mainstream is festival line-ups. I will come to D.J.s and the world in which they operate and how things are unequal there. Festivals this year will see a split. Smaller or boutique festivals will have women headlining their main stages. Primavera Sound in Barcelona has women headlining June, though it seems like a slight step back for them in terms of the percentage. Also, in the U.K. Reading & Leeds has taken a step forward. Though it has taken decades for them to actual get close to gender equality concerning their headline acts. And one feels 2027 will see them slip back to their male-heavy ways. Festivals like Isle of Wight always are hugely male-heavy and that will continue to be the one. So many festivals stuck in the tar of prehistoric times and unwilling to move or recognise the sexism. And how boring it having male-heavy headliners. Glastonbury are the leaders of the major U.K. festivals when it comes to their bill being gender-balanced. However, as I have said before, in their fifty-plus years I think there have only been thirteen headline acts featuring women. Either as a solo act/dup/band. Consider the number of headliners is well over a hundred, that is a massive issue. 2024 was the first year two female headline acts were booked. 2025 took it back to one out the three acts. I don’t think they will ever have an all-female Pyramid Stage. Unbelievable that it is so regressive in an age where women are dominating and there are so many ready to headline. I argued how Kylie Minogue should have been booked this year. I don’t she was even considered.
Only one female headline was over the age of forty. Festivals also have an ageism issue when it comes to female headliners. Often only booked for certain festivals or a Legends slot, most major festivals still book younger women to headline, whereas men do not have those same barriers. The inequality, sexism, ageism and lack of progress is sadly not going to improve whilst the gatekeepers are around and calling the shots. Excuses are made when festivals are challenged on their inequality and sexism – pipeline issues, women ask for too much money, few are available etc. etc. blah blah blah – and it is all crap. Women are available and are not pricing themselves out or refusing to headline. They are not being asked. Simple as that. I shall park this subject until more festival line-ups are revealed. My hope is that big players like Reading & Leeds continue to move in the right direction and Glastonbury books more female Pyramid Stage headliners and considered those over the age of forty too. Life for women in music is constantly challenging. Apart from sexism, misogyny, lower pay, less attention and this attitude they are inferior – whereas the quality of the music and critical reviews suggests they are owning music and putting male artists to shame! -, they face sexual assault, abuse and violence. Last year, I was lucky enough to interview some amazing D.J. queens. I approached a few, but two amazing women came through and provided fascinating insights. Rowena Alice. One of two incredible British D.J.s I interviewed, sections of her interview really took me aback. You can read the whole thing here. I asked about female D.J.s getting paid less, sharing credit with male producers, facing harassment and abuse:
“I think most women in the industry will tell you they’ve faced some version of this - being underestimated, talked over, second-guessed, or flat-out offered less money for the same work. I’ve definitely felt it myself. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s painfully obvious. Even though things have improved as more women push through, the issues are still very much there.
What hits hardest for me is the male aggression and harassment I’ve had to deal with whilst literally just trying to do my job. I got punched in the face by a guy after a set who waited outside for me, but I still played another set the next day. There’s nothing more punk than being a girl and a DJ.
It’s become even clearer recently when I’ve been hanging out at my male partner’s DJ sets and seeing the difference in how people treat him when he DJs, compared to how they treat me when I play.
Another example: just last Saturday, I asked a man to step back slightly so he wouldn’t spill his drink over the club’s very expensive decks. He exploded at me, got right in my face, and had to be removed by security. He then waited outside, brought his mates back, started kicking off, and the venue ended up shutting the night down early for safety. Security rushed me out a back exit because he was outside threatening to “fuck me up.” Sadly, this isn’t a one-off. I’ve dealt with variations of this more times than I should have to. Some venues (like this one on Saturday) handle it brilliantly; some don’t. And, honestly, some will just avoid booking you again because it’s “easier” than dealing with the fact you’re a woman on the lineup and potential issues that may arise from that.
But here’s the thing: the more women, non-binary people and queer people you see behind the decks, the more the culture shifts. Representation changes everything - for audiences, promoters, bookers, and the whole scene. I don’t think the industry is doing enough yet, but I do see more people and venues trying and moving things forward. Slowly, but it’s happening.
What’s important is that the responsibility shouldn’t fall on underrepresented artists to fix the problems we didn’t create”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Rowena Alice
An amazing and prolific D.J., the fact Rowena Alice shared an experience so many women face. They are these amazing D.J.s who are highly skilled and have this deep passion for music. They travel all over the place, work insane hours and have to keep the energy sky-high for a set. On top of that, they look around and see male counterparts get paid more and appear more frequently and higher up on line-ups. Women facing threats and assault. Rather than celebrate these queens and their skill, commitment and the way they are fighting for equality, recognition and respect, instead, I do still think there is too much focus on men in the industry. Even though big publications feature more women on their covers and on their ‘ones to watch’ lists, I think there is imbalance when it comes to the value women bring and how awe-inspiring they are and how that translates into pay, opportunity, safety and greater rights. From festival inclusion, rights around maternity and protection at venues. Carly Wilford is another amazing D.J. who kindly gave her time for an interview. Someone I have unending respect for and I feel, like Rowena Alice, is going to achieve some huge things (I see her singing D.J.s and artists, releasing loads of albums and doing podcasts (as she has one of the best speaking voices of anyone I know) and help get equality for D.J. sisters. The thing is, women should not have to solely fight for an issue that was created by men! Like with Rowena Alice, I asked Carly Wildford, I did pose that question about inequality and sexism. Whether the industry has made any progression:
“This is such a tricky conversation, because in all honesty, over the last year it seems to have taken a real step backwards. We had got to a place where line-ups were hugely diverse, but now I’ve noticed that sometimes I can be the only female on there again. The calibre of diverse talent globally is stronger than it has ever been, so really there are no excuses. The diversity conversation isn’t new. So many of us have been fighting for it for a long time, and we should never not appreciate the progress that has been made, especially when it comes to respect in the booth and on dance floors. Things were very, very different ten years ago and trust me, we have come a lot further than we realise. As an industry, I think it’s more about ongoing awareness and day to day decisions when it comes to programming line-ups and highlighting the next wave of talent. I still feel so proud of where the industry is at and how many powerhouse women are at the helm because, for that, it’s never been stronger”.
Shortly after that intervbiew was published in November, Wilford shared shots of the interview and highlighted the ongoing inequality and how passionate she is to shout about it and campaign. It received a lot of support and praise.
I also spotlighted D.J. queens such as Olivia F (Firth), AZZECCA, Linska, KSMBA, and JAGUAR. I have previously written about the legendary DJ Paulette. MixMag’s list of ones to watch this year features a majority of female/non-binary D.J.s. In terms of those being highlighted and tipped for success, there is this shift in the media. One only needs to see the sets of my amazing two interviewees and the women they shouted – including Hang the DJs, Savannah, She They Press Play, BIIANCO, DREYA V, HoneyLuv, SYREETA, Arielle Free, Hannah Laing, Tini Gessler – and those I have mentioned to realise that their sets are absolutely incredible. Uplifting, life-affirming, unifying, eclectic, fantastically inventive and always defined by drive, passion and stunning talent. It is only right that so many queens coming through are being heralded and spoken about highly. However, this is not being reflected quickly in an industry where so many female D.J.s ace inequality, sexism and abuse. Features and pieces like this, this and this that tells of gender inequality facing D.J.s, those in Electronic music and beyond. Throw into the mix iconic queens like Peggy Gou, Charlotte De Witte, Honey Dijon, Amelie Lens, Deborah De Luca, Nora En Pure, Lilly Palmer and a growing number of wonderful and hugely inspiring women, and it bring hope that the sheer power and force of their combined talent will accelerate balance and change. Again, a male-created problem, why is it women who have to address and fix this?! In a more positive sense, I do think that there should be a book published highlighting the amazing D.J. queens from the past few years. I wonder if there has been a documentary where women talk about their experiences of inequality and discrimination (and assault) as a D.J. but also their highlights, when music entered their life, and their favourite venues and cities. There have been documentaries that investigate and spotlight misogyny and sexism across music, though I am not sure whether a new one has been produced where female D.J.s – and non-binary D.J.s – talk about their careers and experiences. Maybe something that icons like JAGUAR and DJ Paulette can help bring to the screen.
As I often struggle to get to these amazing venues where these D.J.s play, and so many of them play abroad or in clubs that are pretty intense – and for someone who struggles with tightly-packed venues and that stress -, it would be wonderful to see established queens and the amazing new crop together on an epic bill. A lot of festivals where D.J.s appear tend to push them into smaller tents and they are lower on the bill. Specialist festivals still are not great when it comes to gender balance. Last year saw festivals like FEMMESTIVAL feature an all-female D.J. line-up. Among the sixteen women featured were Kayleigh Noble, Violet, Roma Radz and Billie-Angela. Miss Monique and DJ ReRe are two of my favourite D.J. queens. The thing is, it is great that there is a special festival. How there are shifts at others where more women are on the bill. It is important that all festivals that feature D.J.s give women more headline slots and include more on the bill. It would be great for this year to have a massive one-off event where pretty much every D.J. I have mentioned gets together. This amazing summer event where it would be in the open, but you would have female D.J.s collaborating and at the forefront. Some might say it is excluding men and sexist in itself. It is not. Instead, it gives access to people to see all these women in the same spot. Highlighting their incredible sets and talent, it would be a singular point of reference and awareness for industry bosses and gatekeepers who need to realise the depth, wealth and diversity of female talent. In terms of age too. I do think there is also an ageism when it comes to booking female D.J.s. It would be wonderful if someone curated this incredible line-up of these inspiring and phenomenal women. Changes will not occur overnight, and issues like abuse and pay inequality needs to be tackled urgently. However, a bill where women are at the front and the crowd feel protected, united and safe would be amazing to see this summer. Though I realise it is probably too late to execute something this big with only six or seven months to go until the peak time to mount this. However, as would be proved, these women are among the best and most important D.J.s in the world. Salute these queens and…
FEEL the drop!