Women can’t sing rock

Pub bars female vocals

A PUB has barred bands with female lead vocalists – because regulars say they can’t sing rock.

Despite the example of Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Chrissie Hynde and countless others, live music venue Doctor Browns is refusing to lift the “sexist” ban.

Manager Paula Rees said: “We had female singers on in the past and customers just didn’t like it – we’re a rock bar and they don’t think that women should sing male rock songs.

“The regulars won’t come in if there’s a female singer. I’ve been told that some women can sing and some can’t, but they can’t sing heavy rock.”

The pub in Middlesbrough says it will only relax the rule if a band has a big following. Singer Hannah Sowerby said Doctor Browns had cancelled gigs for her bands – Revenant and Syndicate 66 – after discovering they were fronted by a woman.

She said: “I haven’t been allowed to play because I’m female. It is a sexist attitude from the regulars and there’s no excuse for it in 2017.”

Another female singer said: “It’s true that many don’t think a woman can sing rock. We have to work twice as hard as men to achieve the same thing. I’ve seen male singers who aren’t very good either.”

A spokesman for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission said that the pub’s ban was not illegal but pointed out some of the most successful musicians in the world were women.