‘Leicester is the all-women punk rock band capital of the UK’

Leicester has seen a wave of all-female punk rock bands in the past few years, changing the city’s music scene, according to its musicians.

About 27 all-female bands have grown from a movement founded by Ruth Miller and her desire to see older women being part of the music industry.

She set up The Unglamorous music project, which taught women to play instruments and form bands, in 2021. The aim was to get older women playing gigs.

Ms Miller died from breast cancer in October 2023, but those she inspired formed a not-for-profit, member-led community organisation called the Riotous Collective, which has about 80 members and continues to grow.

The collective encourages women to feel safe both playing and visiting music venues at night, even when alone.

Janet Berry, whose stage name is Planet Janet, said: “Leicester really is the all-women punk rock band capital of the UK.”

The 56-year-old was one of the first to join up with Ms Miller in 2022 after answering an advert that promised to turn older women with very little music experience into punk rock band members in just 66 days.

She said it was just what she needed after suffering with midlife and the menopause.

“It’s that idea that you become invisible and that people don’t listen to you any more,” she added.

“I was being talked to about pensions and retiring – and I really felt that’s not the end.”

Ms Berry had never been to a music studio before, but she was put together with a few other women and they formed Velvet Crisis the same day.

Just 66 days later, the band performed at a local music venue on International Women’s Day.

“I found that it just really helped with my memory and also my mental health – just being able to sing about what’s really frustrating you that day,” Ms Berry said.

“I’m still me but I feel so much happier.”

The Riotous Collective runs regular taster sessions for would-be female punk rockers.

Michelle Haggerty-Wood and Lou Baker, who run a podcast for women navigating the menopause, both decided they needed something new in their lives after turning 50.

Ms Baker said: “We’re trying everything that we’ve ever wanted to try, and we’re not saying ‘no’ – we’re saying ‘yes’ to everything.”

Christine Riedhofer, whose stage name is Whizzy McFly, sings and plays guitars in a Riotous Collective band called The Boilers.

She has taught a number of new recruits in the last three years and joked: “It’s really easy.

“I teach them an E chord and tell them that’s all you need.”

The 62-year-old is proud of the way women have grown in confidence, both in playing and going out to gigs in the city.

She said: “It’s like, a lot of times, women were very iffy about going out in the nighttime, and now with all these women bands, people will go out, they’ll know they’ll be in a safe space.

“And I think that’s the biggest thing.”

She added: “If men can go out there and have fun playing music, why can’t we?”