I live sweat...

“…without this community I don’t know what I would be doing…” - Angela Hatcher of Poprocks and Coke on being a female promoter in the UK DIY scene

(Andy’s note: This piece is quite short, but it’s also concise. Enjoy!)

(Photo by Matt White)

After a recent experience at a show I was promoting, I was having a discussion with someone about what it’s like to be a female promoter in the DIY punk scene, and it was suggested that I write something about it, so when I saw that Andy had put out a call for contributors, I took the opportunity.

I’m lucky enough to be able to say that I have had very few occasions where I have felt unsafe at a show, although this may be due to how small the UK DIY scene is. I have however had many occasions where I feel like I am forced to prove myself due to my gender.

When I first became involved in the DIY scene I was 18 and had just moved to a new city that scared the shit out of me. Before this I was living in a small town, where the closest shows were an hour away, and my only form of transport was Arriva Trains Wales. Through going to these shows I now have a solid foundation of people around me, and I’m in a city I love. My point in saying this is to show that without this community I don’t know what I would be doing, and I know I’m not the only one who feels like this, so when I have people who make me feel like I have to prove myself to them it’s unsettling.

My main issue is with people thinking that a promoter is always male. When I am stood alone in a venue waiting for a band to show up, with it clear that I am the promoter, I am either overlooked or asked where “the guy putting on the show” is. There have also been occasions where I am working with a male promoter on a show and, having been introduced to the band as one of the promoters, the only time any member of that band have spoken to me all night was to get me to ask the male promoter a question for them as if I am unable to answer, then later hearing that they had asked the other promoter as they were unsure if my answer was correct.

It’s a widely known truth that we need to change the view that all band members are men, but it’s not often mentioned that there are woman working in different areas of the scene that deserve the same level of respect.

Angela Hatcher has been putting on shows in London/Kingston since 2007 under the name Poprocks and Coke, as well as being part of K-Fest for the last two years. Find her at oh-angela.tumblr.com