Thank to Rowetta for sending this in.

Photographer unknown.

A promo photo of Something Shady. The blurb says:

Something Shady is a nine-piece women's band who formed in 1989 and have been playing in various venues around the north. The band has just returned from a tour of the north of Ireland. Something Shady cover a wide range of music, mostly original songs taking in all kinds of styles including country, rock and soul.

Guitarist Heather Greenbank remembers:

Here's the line-up - (there were many, so I've stuck everyone's name down!)

rosie garland - lead vocals
jules gibb - vocals
janet - backing vocals
tricia duffy - bass
heather greenbank - lead guitar
angie libman - rythm guitar and vocals
emma jarman - violin and sax
dawn - drums
sandra whetham -drums
val hinds - drums
liz quarty - congas
helen pillinger - sax
clem herman - sax
lorna - trumpet
sue frost - french horn
carole truman - trumpet
nicki tragen - sax

Photo: Kate Garner

Although she was born in Manchester, Lisa Stansfield is most closely associated with Rochdale. Stansfield's first solo album, Affection (1989), and its worldwide chart-topping lead single, "All Around the World", were major breakthroughs in her career. She was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Request was a music magazine given out at Musicland and Sam Goody stores in the US.

Wonderful flyer for Lucy Scher's Summer of Lesbian Love at the Hacienda, featuring DJ Michelle. Flyer design by Jay Scowl.

Scoot writes:

Before forming Lamb with Andy Barlow, (and well before her solo career) Louis Rhodes was one of Manchester's busiest music photographers. She had a studio on Clyde Road in West Didsbury where she would often take pictures of celebs such as Mark E Smith and Daniel O'Donnell!

This was her business card...

Nadine Andrews writes:

I DJed at Manto at a women-only night called Fish that was promoted by Renny O'Shea (co-director of Quarantine Theatre company), who was the only female working the bar at the time. I played mix of US house and garage and soul, hip hop. Up until then Manto and Canal St was very male and very hi-energy...so this was maybe a significant moment in the lesbian scene.

The night caused quite a bit of controversy due to the name, and the fact a fish was out on a platter as you came in. The pictures Renny put on the wall kept getting nicked. One was a cartoon style and later turned up, enlarged, on the wall at Flesh at the Haç - they'd nicked our visuals.

I played black music throughout the 90s on the women-only scene up until 2007-ish when I got sick of it. It was really hard to get a crowd that was knowledgeable enough about the music ("can you play E music" I would get asked. I used to keep my headphones on and pretend not to hear them) and although black women used to complain there was nowhere for them to go, when we did do stuff they didn't support it enough for the venue owners/promoters to want to keep it going.

Steph Kay had me as DJ at her night Climax at Generation X in one of the rooms for quite a while around 1995/6 before she opened up Vanilla. That was ok but I was forced into playing more disco and pop than I really wanted so I didn't enjoy it as much as my club nights at the Haç.

Photographer unknown.

Postcard sized flyer for the Intastella People tour with dates on reverse.

Cath Carroll's thoughts on the 'relative absence of women in rock's rich circle jerk' and a brilliant homage to Linder, taking in Buzzcocks and Morrisey along the way.

Taken from Sublime (Manchester Music and Design) Magazine 1992.

Photo: Paul Jones

Shots of Flesh at the Hacienda, Sep 1992, taken by Paul Jones.

DJ Paulette is image Number 10. Tran rights activist and performer Kate O'Donell is on image No. 2 in her guise as 'Angel'.

Excerpt from M-1 magazine - 'the magazine for Manchester's sexy, rich & famous

Photo: Peter Walsh

Flyer advertising an exhibition at Paradise Factory from 13th Sep - 3rd Oct 1993 called TRANS SISTERS.

This is trans activist and performer Kate O'Donnell in her former drag guise as 'Angel'.

Dumb at the Star and Guitar featuring Cathy Brooks on bass.

Bandit Queen were:

Tracy Godding - vocals/guitar
Janet Wolstenholme - bass
David Galley - drims

All Music review of Hormone Hotel:

The biting, aggressive swing of Hormone Hotel unfortunately never got the attention it should have upon the album's release in 1995, given the critical/commercial cachet of such acts as P J Harvey, Hole, and Elastica at nearly the same point in time. Bandit Queen's failure to make a mark was either surprising or, alternately, typical of an industry and media-base willing to go only so far but little more in accepting female-led bands. Regardless, all it takes is an initial spin of the opening track, "Scorch," - a great rocker that lives up to its name with a fierce yet controlled lead vocal from Goddings - to realize that Bandit Queen deserved a wider audience somewhere. Pat Collier and John Robb, each separately doing another fine job of of producing, bring out Galley's drum punch with both clarity and impact, while Goddings' guitar and Wolstenholme's bass kick and snarl just so. The trio whips up a series of tight numbers that draw on everything from reggae to the glorious Pixies/Nirvana loud/soft/loud combination.

Goddings' proud, in-your-face and often openly lesbian lyrics exude a smart sass, while her lower-voiced singing could draw comparisons from Chrissie Hynde to Lynn Canfield, yet still has its own timbre and feel. Among the many highlights is the menacing "Give It to the Dog," which switches between a slowly building verse interspersed with sudden guitar bursts and the more conventionally slamming chorus. The slightly queasy "Overture for Beginners," with its heavily reverbed guitar and Goddings' sweetly wistful vocal (singing some distinctly unsweet lyrics) anchored to a charging, lovely chorus, is simply a treasure; it is perhaps the biggest should-have-been hit from the album. When the chorus of "Big Sugar Emotional Thing" completes the couplet with "My heart goes zing, zing, zing," another perfect blow for rock's heartfelt simplicity at its best is struck.

Sleeve by Vinnie.

Photo: Jon Shard

Flesh resident DJ Kath McDermott DJing in the main room at the Haçienda circa 1994.

Famously described as 'Manchester's answer to Tony Humphries', Kath had many different residencies across the gay scene in Manchester, including at Paradise Factory and later, Homo Electric at Follies.

A press article on women DJs from June 1994 taken from Pulp, which was Manchester Polytechnic's student magazine.

Text: Charlotte Sargeant
Photos: Sean Twamley

Interviewed for the piece are Hillegonda Rietveld, Nadine Andrews, Kath McDermott - all DJs - and Lucy Scher, who co-promoted Flesh at the Hacienda and the World at Home.

Nadine Andrews says in the piece, when asked if club crowds expect a certain image:

'I wear what I like. I don't dress up to look really sexy or feminine. I found if you're good at mixing, you can scratch and cut in, then the kind of guys who hang round the DJ box will give you respect.'

And on the subject of black music in clubs:

'One problem I have come across through DJing, playing the black music I play, is that there isn't as much money in it as there is for house DJs.

I think a lot of white promoters are actually scared to promote black music because they think if it pulls a large black crowd there will be trouble. This is partly caused by ignorance and racism, but it is a real problem we are facing at the moment.'

Photographer unknown, but may be Kevin Cummins.

This is a promotional photo for a US campaign. Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris also play in New Order, of course.

Article about Fame Costs. Taken from the Kate O'Donnell archives.

Design: Stan Chow

Probably the only, female all-star dj line up on the mix gender club circuit.
Inspired and supported by Doodlebug.
Infact... its name is from Doodlebug catch line, a stepper's delight of a night!
truely great sessions here in a gem of a short lived city centre venue.

Inkie Spellbound's initial drum'n'bass affair was born here.
a gem.

UK tour flyer. Promoting second Silvertone release Solar Race E.P.

M.E.N. Article about female fronted rock and pop bands, including Solar Race and Pullover.

Photographer unknown.

Jo Greenwood of Hoop La Baby performing at the 'In the City Unsigned' final at Temple Theatre, Dublin.

Photo: Paul

Band photo.Shot taken in rehearsal room. The Warehouse, Middlewood St Salford. Late 1997.

Brian Percival writes:

BETTE DAVIS AND THE BALCONETTES

John Peel favourites Bette Davis and The Balconettes formed in 1995 by Sam Ingelson and Tracey Rees Cook in response to every boy they knew being in one crap band or another. The first two gigs followed quickly with Sean joining on drums but without rehearsing. Brian Percival soon joined on guitar followed shortly after by Eugene Wolstenholme on Farfisa Organ.

They recorded 5 singles between 1996 and 1998. Finishing up on Damaged Goods records alongside Billy Childish and Holly Golightly. They were feted by John Peel who dedicated the whole show in which they did a session to the band. Leaving the mic open so that he could drum along to one of the songs. He also played songs on the show by THE Bette Davis and also Betty Davies the funk singer. John Peel also delighted in playing the expletive full 'Shopping on the Internet' by the band at Glastonbury.

Record of the Year 'On The Wire' radio show. '97
Single of the Week 'Melody Maker
Single of the Month 'Record Collector'
No. 15 John Peel Festive Fifty.

They split in 1999 because they said they had made their point. Anyone can be in a band.