Written evidence submitted by anonymous (MiM0024)

 

My submission relating to misogyny in the music industry comes under your call for evidence regarding the expectations that are on women working in the music industry compared to men, as well as, on a cruise ship, how differently the female band I was working in was treated compared to how the other male bands were treated.

I hope this helps and I’m sorry I’m not sure how to write all of this down. I’m sure I’m forgetting some things, but I hope it gives an idea.

 

Last year, I was working as a drummer on one of a well known cruise line company's new ships. I had never worked on a ship before and was expecting a big change in how gigs worked compared to in the UK, however it felt like I went back in time.

My main encounters of misogyny were from the MD of the ship. The ship had several bands and soloists and the MD of the ship oversaw the whole music department. I was the band leader for one of the resident bands which was the company’s first ever female band. This MD of the ship was my direct line manager and was there to help and support each band leader with any troubles, questions, etc.

 

To start, passing remarks from the very beginning were frequent. To note a few:

“When I heard there was going to be a girl band, I said ‘good luck to them, it’ll be nothing but drama’” – MD of the ship.

“They can’t be real” – MD, regarding a band member’s breasts.

“Hot girls playing music, can’t wait” – Office staff member. 

“Put some slap on” – Entertainment office supervisor.

“Don’t tell me how to do my job!!!” – our venue sound engineer when I or a band member had a simple request e.g. ‘can there be more reverb in the house?’

“Oh, here we go again, don’t bring me your drama” – MD, when I would come to the office with a simple question (just like any of the other band leaders would do each week).

 

The Entertainment manager at one point told me that she didn’t want a couple of the band members to be kept on their contracts because they were “difficult”. I feel that this term “difficult” is used often in the music industry to describe women who are merely asking for what they need. Some of the band were so anxious to ask for anything (such as a day off if they were sick) because they would be seen as ‘difficult’ and their contract might not be extended. This led to band members getting more sick.

 

As the contract went on, the MD of the ship made it very clear that he thought we shouldn’t be there and he went out of his way to make our jobs more difficult. E.g.

“You’ll just have to make it work” – after receiving un-readable scores for a performance that night. Un-usable as in, the keys didn’t match, full bars were missing in the bass charts, the drum notation was just words and rests, the keys charts had so many mistakes, and we had an hour rehearsal with the guest singer. The MD would never have put up with sub-standard charts in his theatre band, but again, it felt like he enjoyed watching us struggle. We ended up writing out leadsheets that everyone followed, but our MD, laughing, calling us ‘babies’ to everyone in the office and the crew bar felt humiliating and degrading.

 

“Too much cock, not enough sleep” – MD regarding why one of our band members had a severe panic attack and had to be taken to medical. She was very young and was prone to panic attacks. For him to make this comment to me, while she was being escorted to medical in a wheelchair, was beyond inappropriate.

 

“How are you getting along with your aggressive little twat keys player?” – MD, in front of the whole office, when we had a dep keys player later in the contract. The MD took a disliking to them because they were confident and stood up for our band.

 

There was a crew bar where most of the musicians would go after their shows in the evening. Here, the MD would get drunk and say horrible things about many of the musicians. He would even slag off my band’s playing right to my face but have no constructive criticism, just insults.

He was also highly inappropriate at times and made sexual remarks to one of the band members who was vulnerable and 25-30 years his junior. I didn’t hear this firsthand so I don’t feel I can remark much further on it.

 

After months of this, I went to the HR of the ship and reported all this behaviour, but I got the following response: “Is this your first ship?” “You seem quite sensitive; he was probably just treating you like one of the boys. Take it as a compliment”. 

 

Sept 2022