Superjesus singer Sarah McLeod says the Australian music industry is still very much a 'blokes game'
Rocker Sarah McLeod has revealed that, when it comes to sexism in the Australian music industry, little has changed in decades.
As frontwoman for The Superjesus, McLeod has enjoyed a 30 year career that has spawned four studio albums and three ARIA Awards.
Speaking to he Daily Telegraph, McLeod, 52, who is also chair of advocacy group Women In Music, said that there had been little done to redress gender imbalances within the industry.
'Things have changed marginally but since I took on this role and I'm looking at the statistics, I see total imbalance everywhere,' she said.
She said that statistics have shown that when it comes to festivals, female representation clocks in at around 'five percent or ten percent.'
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The Superjesus were certainly no strangers to the Aussie festival circuit, being regular fixtures on the liked of Livid, Homebake, and the Big Day Out.
She admitted that while once thinking the band missed out on festival slots due to lack of talent, she has since changed her tune.
'I used to think we didn't get chosen for festivals, or another female-fronted band didn't get picked, because we weren't good enough,' she told the publication.
'But over the years I've realised that it is still very much a blokes' game, and we play it the best we can.'
It was a similar sentiment that McLeod expressed when talking to The Music in 2023.
'It still is very much a male-dominated world, and I don't think it's changed as much as it should have, but at least we're aware of it now,' she said.
'The discussions are open, but it's still very much a male-dominated world.'
She added that in the early days of The Superjesus she felt like just one of the guys, until choosing to embrace her femininity on stage.
'I used to think we didn't get chosen for festivals, or another female-fronted band didn't get picked, because we weren't good enough, But over the years, I've realised that it is still very much a blokes' game, and we play it the best we can,' she added. Pictured: The Superjesus in 2001
'I was very much a scrappy little tomboy for the first ten years of my career. And I just became one of the fellas, and I was cool with that, she said.
'But it wasn't until a good decade in, where I was like, "Wait a minute, I'm going to stretch my femininity here and embrace my power.
'I don't need to be one of you guys. I've got something else I could be, something better".'
Sarah caused a stir, back in 2014, after she hit out at a touring festival, from which The Superjesus were dropped, for being too male-centric.
In a post to Facebook at the time, McLeod claimed that The Superjesus and the Baby Animals, fronted by Suze DeMarchi had been culled from a Day On The Green tour to make way for iconic UK rocker Billy Idol.
'Guys, I'm sorry to say this and we do not know why this has happened but The Superjesus and the Baby Animals have been booted off A Day On The Green in favour of adding Billy Idol,' she wrote.
'So it's now Billy, Cheap Trick, The Angels and The Choirboys. They will refund your tickets if you are no longer interested in attending this sausage fest.'
'It still is very much a male-dominated world, and I don't think it's changed as much as it should have, but at least we're aware of it now,' she said. 'The discussions are open, but it's still very much a male-dominated world'
In a response to The Music, A Day On The Green promoter Michael Newton said gender did not play a role in the decision.
'I did not even think about it being a gender issue. It's bullshit, to be honest,' he said.
The Superjesus are currently riding high off the back of the release of their fourth studio album in March.
The self-titled album debuted in the top ten of the ARIA Album chart upon release marking their first top ten berth since 2000's Jet Age.
The single, Something Good, given the remix treatment by Paul Mac, is also currently sitting at number 15 on the ARIA Club Tracks chart.
Hot on the heels of their latest success, The Superjesus are now embarking on a national tour.
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