On 10 May 2025, LOUD WOMEN Fest landed in Brooklyn for its inaugural New York edition, taking over the cavernous 3 Dollar Bill venue and turning it into a riotous, glitter-smeared, queer punk playground. From the moment the doors opened, a huge and buzzing crowd poured in and stayed right through to the final note – a testament to the sheer force of love and solidarity that made this event happen.
3 Dollar Bill is enormous. We walked in and thought, “How the fuck are we going to fill this place?” And then – somehow – we did. With help from multiple events in the building that day (including a Charli XCX rave and a Bear party featuring more furry butt cheeks than we’ve ever seen at a punk show), the place was heaving. Special mention to Vanna, our sound tech and total legend, who literally flew across the stage mid-set to save the day more than once. Punk as fuck.
Kicking things off was Ro Redfern, LOUD WOMEN’s own social media editor, whose emotionally charged folk-punk set opened hearts and ears right away. Armed with little more than a guitar, raw honesty, and impeccable melodic instinct, Ro set the tone for the day: passionate, uncompromising and full of love. Their voice – rich, vulnerable, and achingly beautiful – carried across the vast 3 Dollar Bill venue like a quiet rallying cry, reminding us that punk doesn’t always need distortion to hit hard. Ro’s set was a moving testament to the power of showing up as your whole self, and the perfect way to open a festival rooted in radical compassion.
Next up, transmedia pop-theorist Dubais brought serious Big Pussy Energy with an audiovisual spectacular that saw our stage manager Melissa don a cat mask and take to the stage as a dancing feline sidekick. With Nadia Buyse’s surreal charisma front and centre and cats aplenty on the screen, Dubais offered up a gloriously genreless set that had the room laughing, dancing, and wondering what the hell they’d just witnessed in the best possible way. And amid all the chaos and tap dancing, Nadia’s voice shone through – rich, expressive, and captivating – anchoring the whole spectacle in a surprising emotional resonance. A perfect reminder that punk can be hilarious, unhinged, and deeply moving all at once.
Indonesian hip-hop powerhouse Yacko brought radical energy and fierce flows, with a huge crowd hanging on every bar. Yacko, who also wowed us at LOUD WOMEN Fest London last year, gave us a masterclass in feminist firepower, tackling misogyny and reclaiming space with every track – and doing it all with infectious joy and razor-sharp wit. A definite highlight was ‘Woman King’, our collective favourite, which gave me another chance to bust out the dance routine (with varying degrees of coordination). Her set was a total rush of empowerment and defiance, and the crowd absolutely roared back in appreciation. Yacko’s performance proved once again that hip-hop belongs at the heart of the feminist punk movement – and that her crown isn’t going anywhere.
Slut Magic stormed the stage next, led by frontwoman Emma’s instantly iconic look: white shirt, devilish grin, and a strap-on dildo that could honestly have its own fanbase by now. With Hot Boyfriend shredding stage left behind an elaborate pedal cage that looked (and sounded) like a fifth band member, the band launched into a set of glam-punk bangers with razor-sharp precision. Fierce drummer Shannon held the whole thing down like a thunder goddess, while powerhouse bassist Jen drove the songs forward with pure muscle. Throw in a bubble gun, buckets of attitude and some of the tightest playing of the day, and you’ve got a band who redefine what the stage is for.
Sorry Darling followed with their tight-as-hell power pop (cf. Fraggle), serving up songs full of heartbreak, hope and humour with a sweetness that never tipped into saccharine.
Their dual vocals blended like butter and sugar into a dangerously moreish paste, coating every riff with just the right amount of emotion and edge. Liz and Steve both brought serious sparkle on guitar, trading melodies and harmonies with effortless charm and precision. Their onstage chemistry radiated across the room, backed by a rhythm section that kept everything tight and punchy. There’s something gloriously timeless about what Sorry Darling do — it’s power pop with brains, guts, and just the right dusting of glitter.
And behind the scenes, Liz and Steve are the reason LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC happened at all. From answering our very first hopeful shout out to helping secure the venue and building the line-up, they’ve been the NYC beating heart of this international effort. Their generosity extended beyond logistics too – they lent the Dorisses guitars and moral support, and were by our sides every step of the way. We are forever grateful for everything they’ve done to help us bring LOUD WOMEN to New York.
Then it was time for I, Doris. Armed with inflatable beach balls and crabs we’d panic-bought the day before from a Brooklyn Target, plus leis, coconuts and a cowboy hat we’d somehow squeezed into a single suitcase — alongside a full merch table, no less — we unleashed a set of mummycore anthems that got the room bouncing from the very first pun. (Special shoutout to Lucy Doris for creating the ultimate distraction at JFK airport so we could get it all through customs — but that’s a story best kept under our hats.)
We were genuinely stunned to discover that we have actual fans in New York, including one who stopped us in a New Jersey pizza joint the night before to say “I know you from the internet!”. Our lyrics are packed with cockney rhyming slang and hyperlocal gags that barely make sense outside a 3-mile radius of a Sutton chicken shop — and yet, here we were, singing about wizards’ sleeves and blokes from Morden in a giant Brooklyn nightclub, and everyone was right there with us.
Mid-set, Drummer Doris (Tee) took the mic to deliver a powerful, heart-rending message about global queer solidarity and the urgent need to protect and uplift our trans siblings — a moment that cut through the party atmosphere like a lighthouse beam. Because as much fun as we were having, this whole international riot grrrl love-in was built on something deeper: our belief in a global punk community that shows up for each other, loud and proud.
Cristy Road and her band Choked Up were next, bringing bilingual pop-punk brilliance with a deep emotional core. Their songs tore into the air with righteous fury and love, and Cristy’s magnetic presence had us in the palm of her hand from start to finish — not to mention her legendary punk credentials as illustrator of our gorgeous LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC poster. Cristy also kindly loaned I, Doris a vintage keyboard from the ’90s, which added some gloriously retro sounds to our set — even if it needed a bit of creative jimmying to keep the wires talking. Total punk generosity from a total punk hero.
Typhoid Rosie took the stage with a full arsenal of papier-mâché props – weapons, severed limbs, who knows what else – and a setlist of high-octane, hook-laden punk anthems. Their mix of storytelling, sass and singalongs was one of the day’s highlights, and frontwoman Rosie had the whole room under her spell from the first chord. In true punk sorceress style, she pulled both me and Yacko up on stage to join in a rowdy singalong, sealing the set with a joyful chaos that perfectly captured the spirit of the fest – DIY, defiant, and delightfully unhinged.
Eevie Echoes & the Locations upped the ante with a powerhouse set of queercore bangers, delivered with full-throttle energy, vulnerability, and righteous punk spirit. From the moment they launched into their first track, it was clear we were witnessing something special — the kind of set that hits you in the gut and lifts you up in the same breath. Eevie’s vocals were raw and impassioned, her band tight and urgent, each song delivered with the conviction of a manifesto and the fire of a band with something to say and no intention of holding back.
The crowd roared their support — fists in the air, voices raised — and Eevie responded in kind, throwing herself into the performance with fearless abandon. At one point, she climbed the lighting rig, like a queer Spiderpunk surveying a room packed with chosen family. It was a moment that perfectly captured the spirit of the set — defiant, electrifying, and completely uncontainable.
Their songs blend fierce activism with emotional honesty, and in this space — surrounded by a loving, sweaty, screaming crowd — their set landed like a rallying cry. Cathartic, joyful, and politically potent, Eevie Echoes & the Locations gave us a centrepiece performance that will be talked about in LOUD WOMEN circles on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.
Then came ShyGodwin, who levelled the whole room with a ferocious, flawlessly tight set that left jaws on the floor and hearts pounding. From the first note, they were a sonic battering ram — sharp, urgent and unrelenting. We already adored them when they played LOUD WOMEN Fest London 2023 as a duo, but seeing them now as a full four-piece is a revelation. They’ve evolved into something even more potent, and we weren’t ready.
Fronted by the formidable Lee and Jasmine, whose vocals blaze with fury and soul, the band tore through a set packed with razor-sharp riffs and anthemic hardcore-punk breakdowns. It was physical and visceral — the kind of set that grabs you by the collar and drags you into the pit, whether you planned to or not. Their bassist Jazman deserves a paragraph of her own — frankly, the coolest person on the planet. Laying down earth-shaking basslines with effortless swagger, she somehow managed to radiate calm in the middle of all that glorious chaos. Someone backstage said, “If I were a bassline, I’d want to be played by her,” and honestly, same.
The whole band moves like one animal, each member locked in with the other — wild but precise, furious but joyful. ShyGodwin summon music like a storm. This set was era-defining. They are the future of hardcore, and we’re counting the days until the rest of the world catches up. World domination is not optional at this point — it’s inevitable.
Desert Sharks closed the night with a set so electrifying, it felt like the room grew fangs and a spine of steel. With sheer swagger and unshakeable style, the Brooklyn four-piece took to the LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC stage like it was built just for them — and honestly, by the time they launched into their first song, it felt like maybe it was.
Their grunge-soaked garage rock came crashing out with tidal force: snarling guitars, pounding drums, and soaring vocals that filled every corner of the cavernous venue. There’s a unique power in a band playing their hometown on a night like this, and Desert Sharks absolutely harnessed it — feeding off the room’s collective high and giving back triple the energy in return.
Every track hit hard, but when they dropped into their final song, ‘Deeper’, something shifted. It was the kind of closing number that doesn’t just wrap up a set — it burns it into memory. The crowd surged forward one last time, the lights hit that sweet spot of moody chaos, and for four glorious minutes, the entire room swam in fuzz, fury and feminist catharsis. It was the perfect end to a day that already felt historic — and Desert Sharks made sure we walked out with hearts racing and ears ringing.
We knew throwing a festival in a city we didn’t yet know would be a challenge, but the New York punk community threw its arms around us. Special shout-outs go to our newly-formed Team LOUD WOMEN NYC who pulled the whole event together like absolute pros. The New York DIY scene proved itself rich with warmth and community spirit – and a lot of glitter. We even found time to hang out with scene legends Tab Grrrl and Bad Static, who organised a killer gig the night before, supported us on the Saturday, and hosted a DIY riot grrrl zine meet-up in the park the next day. Community in action!
To everyone who came, who danced, who screamed, who brought zines or hugs or snacks: thank you. To Liz, Steve, Alexa, Ro, Melissa, Kayla, Keila, Kelly, Lucy, Lenie and Tee: you made this happen. Shall we do it again sometime? Yeah. We fucking shall.