# Female Band Members **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180 "2011-08-18T15:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/41 "2011-08-18T21:13:54Z")
dumb comment erased. Re-read the OP ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/42 "2011-08-18T21:14:56Z")
A while back I read a scoring system someone had created for how likely your band was to be successful. IIRC they gave two points for having a girl in the band and one more if she didn’t play bass, but you lost five points if she was dating another band member. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/43 "2011-08-18T21:19:01Z")
[Bellowhead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellowhead) is ten guys and Rachael McShane. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/44 "2011-08-18T22:53:47Z")
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals has Catherine Popper on bass (some backing vocals, but I don’t think she ever signs lead). I think she used to play with Ryan Adams & the Cardinals as well. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/45 "2011-08-18T22:55:31Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > That’s because nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee! She is a very pleasant person to talk to. Kind of sweet, one might say. ---
**Author:** ![cgg419](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cgg419/32/2847_2.png) [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/46 "2011-08-18T23:37:11Z")
nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/47 "2011-08-19T00:12:20Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > White Zombie Sean Yseult, oh how I love her. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/48 "2011-08-19T00:18:52Z")
[Kimberley Dahme](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_Dahme) has been the bassist for Boston since 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/49 "2011-08-19T00:53:42Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Breezy Peyton of [The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reverend_Peyton%27s_Big_Damn_Band) plays the washboard so hard that the band sells broken washboard fragments at their concerts. It’s kind of fucked up that they _sell_ those. Are they really hard up? ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/50 "2011-08-19T01:15:33Z")
From the days when metal was fun, the [Cycle Sluts From Hell](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeuNckmt7h8) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/51 "2011-08-19T01:19:01Z")
> [@the lone cashew](#): > > From the days when metal was fun, the [Cycle Sluts From Hell](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeuNckmt7h8) I was going to say that “Huh, that’s weird because by their name you’d think they were an all-girl band.” Yeah…turns out they are. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/52 "2011-08-19T01:44:56Z")
This seems as good a place as any to note non-singing female jazz musicians, because they almost always played in male dominated lineups: [Mary Lou Williams](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lou_Williams) [Marian McPartland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_McPartland) [Carla Bley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carla_Bley) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/53 "2011-08-19T02:04:46Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > It’s kind of fucked up that they _sell_ those. Are they really hard up? You can buy a whole used one [on their web site](http://www.bigdamnband.com/store). Along with a 78 RPM record of their new album and a “Washboard Tech” t-shirt. They autograph the pieces and sell them at the merchandise table along with the t-shirts and CDs. Why not? It’s a cool bit of memorabilia, [not unlike a guitar pick](http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHO-Genuine-Tour-GUITAR-PICK-PETE-TOWNSHEND-2002-/320738243291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aad7d32db). Presumably, if you’re right up front you can catch shards for free, and they are all totally cool about signing stuff. As far as “hard up”? I have no idea. Pretty much everyone on the road playing bars depends on the merch table. It’s the nature of the music business today. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/54 "2011-08-19T02:16:30Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I was going to say that “Huh, that’s weird because by their name you’d think they were an all-girl band.” > > Yeah…turns out they are. True, 4 women fronted, wrote lyrics - but male musicians wrote all the music and backed with instrumentals. So [Cycle Sluts From Hell](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeuNckmt7h8) are indeed a combination guy/gal band. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/55 "2011-08-19T03:47:27Z")
> [@the lone cashew](#): > > True, 4 women fronted, wrote lyrics - but male musicians wrote all the music and backed with instrumentals. So [Cycle Sluts From Hell](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeuNckmt7h8) are indeed a combination guy/gal band. Uh so now we’re including basically every girl group and female singer-non-songwriter ever? No sorry, it doesn’t fit the OP. If nothing else it is a band with a female lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![Levolor\_the\_Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc8723/32.png) [@Levolor\_the\_Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Levolor_the_Blind)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/56 "2011-08-19T05:15:28Z")
The Toadies had Lisa Umbarger on bass: [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkwD5rQ-_d4) ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/57 "2011-08-19T05:45:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Trying to think of bands that are mostly male and have non-lead-singer female members. You’re right, I did not read the OP closely, apologies ZipperJJ. ---
**Author:** ![JessMagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@JessMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessMagic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/58 "2011-08-19T07:25:16Z")
The Libertines had a female drummer, until she quit due to the on-tour madness. If you’re allowing the White Stripes, 50% of whom have willies, into this thread, then you have to allow the Magic Numbers: > **[The Magic Numbers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Numbers)** > > The Magic Numbers are an English alternative rock band consisting of two brother-and-sister pairs, from Hanwell in west London. The group was formed in 2002, releasing their debut album titled The Magic Numbers on 13 June 2005. Their follow-up album, Those the Brokes, was released on 6 November 2006; The Runaway was released on 6 June 2010, Alias was released on 18 August 2014, and their most recent album, Outsiders, was released on 11 May 2018. > The Magic Numbers consists of Romeo Stodart (le... [Two pairs of brothers and sisters!] ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/59 "2011-08-19T08:46:13Z")
Sly and the Family Stone. Surprised they haven’t been mentioned already. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180/60 "2011-08-19T11:44:14Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Interesting how many of the examples are drummers, though. I’ll add another - the Japanese metal band Maximum the Hormone. That reminds me of another one: Hadouken! (the exclamation point is part of the name) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-band-members/593180.md?page=4)