Middlesbrough pub and rock music venue; Doctor Brown's; has caused outrage after implementing a ban on female fronted bands, stating their customers believe that women can't sing rock music well.
The story gained national attention after The Northern Echo published a damning article on the situation. Consequently, residents and musicians have started to boycott the venue.
I contacted Doctor Brown's to hear their side of the story. Had the situation been blown out of proportion on social media, or were outdated, sexist attitudes being called out?
Paula Rees, the pub's manager cited that the Northern Echo had lied and "twisted her words" and she was eager to talk to me to "set the record straight". She said that was more than happy to talk, asking me to ring up later when the pub was a little quieter.
Rees also confessed that she wasn't a "big rock fan" and was just going with what her customers wanted, stating that they had indeed banned female fronted bands, as they weren't "bringing big crowds in". She added that the ban did not extend to solo artists, just bands fronted by women.
However, when I did ring, I was met with a cold reception and asked to email her instead. After three days of pestering her for a response, I received this somewhat incoherent message:
Unfortunately, this response does suggest that the venue are simply backtracking and are reluctant to justify or apologise for their actions. They're denying the claims made in the Northern Echo and they've told me conflicting information.
As well as being vague and dismissive, this response contradicts what singer Hannah Sowerby had told the Northern Echo. Sowerby stated that Doctor Brown's had cancelled gigs for her bands (Revenant and Syndicate 66) solely because they were fronted by a woman, despite being having a loyal fan base.
Sowerby stated that the ban was a result of "a sexist attitude from the regulars and there's no excuse for it in 2017".
Teeside based singer-songwriter Jacob Diaz-Wright has played at the pub in the past and has stated that the ban is 'ridiculous'.
"Doctor Browns is meant to be a music venue but decides to kowtow to an old-fashioned clientele, which excludes half of the populations - it makes no sense to me at least.
I don't think the landlady is a misogynist though. She's just trying to keep her punters happy and in doing so losing loads of custom.
The scene in Middlesbrough and Teesside is great. Check out venues The Twisted Lip, The Slater's Pick, Storytellers, Head of Steam, Sticky Fingers, TS One and Alchemy. They're definitely not daft enough to ban the women, as arguably all the best singers on the scene are female.
It's just a 'your loss' situation for Doctor Brown's - who knows the next Janis Joplin might play at a more accommodating place" stated Diaz-Wright.
In short, the situation is undeniably sexist. Are the owners evil or malicious? Not particularly. They're definitely out of touch with the local scene (and arguably not very socially aware) or it's all part of a twisted PR stunt.
The most unnerving aspect of the situation however, is how clueless the venue is to what they have implied through this ban. It pejorates the view that women are below men and dismisses the skill and talent that so many female musicians possess.
To redeem themselves, they need to acknowledge the error of their ways and should make a public apology to the Teesside music scene and to any of the women they've treated unfairly. Ideally, they should host an event for a woman's charity or similar.
After talking to Paula Rees, I genuinely believe that they aren't bad people. Just naive people that were unaware of the repercussions of their actions and clueless about the current social climate and the role of women in rock. Regardless - I shall not be bringing my custom to the venue any time soon.
FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC
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