Live Review: LOUD WOMEN Fest 2025

Having attended LOUD WOMEN Fest every year for the last four years, it’s become a non-negotiable part of my annual gig calendar. Every year, I get to see bands I adore, discover incredible new artists, and soak up the electric, empowering atmosphere. 2025 was no different — if anything, it felt even more special as the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary.

As with previous years, my only regret is that I wasn’t able to attend the full day’s events due to work commitments — but I did manage to catch nearly all of the evening’s line-up.

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, LOUD WOMEN Fest is organised by the brilliant Cassie Fox and her international feminist CIC, LOUD WOMEN. It’s one of many inspiring projects she runs, alongside an e-zine, regular live music nights, radio shows, and more. The festival’s mission is simple but powerful: to bring more femmes, non-binary, and trans musicians onto stages and into the spotlight.

I keep coming back year after year not only for the music but because the atmosphere is unlike anything else. LOUD WOMEN events — and especially this festival — are welcoming, inclusive spaces where everyone is celebrated. They’re full of inspiring, creative people who make my heart sing. If Rebellion Festival is punk Christmas, then LOUD WOMEN Fest is surely feminist Christmas.

This year’s festival was once again held at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, and I arrived just in time to catch Be N!ce, whose blend of punk, metal, and grunge provided a much-needed jolt of energy after travelling straight from work. By the end of their set, the crowd had formed a small but mighty mosh pit — which, being the coward I am, I gingerly watched from a safe distance!

Next up were the LOUD WOMEN house band, I, Doris, who I’ve now seen five times — including at Rebellion this year. Featuring festival organiser Cassie Fox as frontwoman, their self-described “mummycore riotpop kitchenpunx” vibe couldn’t be more apt. With their sparkly pinnies, hilarious and heartfelt songs about HRT, masturbation, and beach bodies, and of course the iconic DORIS pledge (if you know, you know), they always deliver a fun, uplifting performance. Any set that ends with a reworked cover of one of my favourite songs, “Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill — cheekily renamed “Rebel Doris” — is a guaranteed winner in my eyes.

From there, the energy shifted again with Bad Static, an all-female punk band from New York who completely stole my heart. Their politically charged songs tackled themes like body autonomy, catcalling, and queerness, all delivered with raw riot grrrl-inspired ferocity. Extra kudos for their incredible silver sparkly outfits. Their song “Peach” has been living rent-free in my head ever since:

“DON’T FUCK WITH ME, I’LL BRUISE YOU LIKE A PEACH!”

Continuing the riot grrrl vibes, Hot Wife took to the stage next with a blistering set of “revenge songs”. Their dirty guitar riffs and cheeky, grungy punk vocals immediately hooked me — another new discovery now firmly on my playlists.

As if the evening wasn’t already amazing, things really kicked into high gear with Twat Union, who I’d recently seen at Rebellion. Even knowing what to expect, they were still one of my highlights of the evening. Their cheeky, hilarious punk songs revel in smashing taboos, opening with the innuendo-laden “Little Pink Drill” — complete with actual props, starting with a pink drill and climaxing (pun fully intended) with a guitar being shredded using a vibrator.

But they didn’t stop there. There was also a glittery blood-splattered towel for their song about period sex and a full bottle of cranberry juice chugged on stage to accompany the absolute banger that is “UTI” (yes, it’s about urinary tract infections). It was chaotic, subversive, and utterly brilliant.

The final band I caught turned out to be my favourite of the night: Loose Articles. I’d vaguely heard of them before, but nothing prepared me for how much I’d love their unique blend of punk, chaos, anger, humour, and infectious rhythm. It’s hard to fully capture their sound in words — all I can say is it was impossible not to dance. One of the highlights was when they brought the microphone lead into the audience and used it to create a spontaneous limbo party. Pure joyful mayhem!

In conclusion, LOUD WOMEN Fest continues to grow bigger, bolder, and better every single year. Even after a decade, it shows no signs of slowing down. For me, it’s more than just a festival — it’s a celebration of community, creativity, and unapologetic feminism.

Here’s to Cassie Fox and everyone who makes this event happen. Long may LOUD WOMEN reign — and I’ll see you all in 2026!