All images by Bridget Corndog via Recycled Rainbow.
As we march (sometimes slowly) forward towards more diverse music lineups on stages around the country, there's still a huge number of instances where all-male lineups appear. From the smallest of local shows right up to the biggest of music festivals, we've still got a long way to go for more equal representation on lineups. And ask one of the many people pushing tirelessly towards making that happen and raising concerns whenever an all-male lineup does pop-up, what happens when they do ask a booker or band why it's all dudes, and what response they get. We'll wager it's something along the lines of:
- We asked some girls to play but they weren't available.
- There's not enough girl acts out there.
- We couldn't find a band that suited the vibe.
...And many more similarly lazy excuses.
Well rejoice, lazy lineup bookers, because as usual the people fighting for diversity on lineups have once again done all the work for you (in Perth anyway), with the creation of the Diversity Database. Originally started up by artist/writer Xanthea O'Connor, local crew Recycled Rainbow have taken the reigns to help it grow further:
"A Diversity Database of Perth musicians that identify as the following: femme/non-binary, LGBTQI+, Aboriginal / Indigenous / Torres Strait Islander, person of colour and disabled. It extends to bands, solo artists, promoters, DJ’s/producers, dancers, performance artists, crew members, visual artists (capable of making poster/ album art) and presenter’s / MC’s."
It's still in its fairly infant stages (although already packed with dozens of artists to choose from), and you can even add to it yourself. So click on the image below, bookmark the document and keep it in mind next time you're putting a lineup together - it's not hard to broaden your horizons a little, and who knows, you may even find your new favourite band.
