The spirit of the riot grrrl movement is alive and kicking in Galway. Shark School Presents Femme Fest will take over the Róisín Dubh on Thursday, 4 July at 8pm, and tickets are just €10 (available here). Cruel Sister, Affection to Rent, Vernon Jane, Red Sun Alert and Galway’s own Shark School are all playing this must-see event. Femme Fest is a night for the girls, non-binary kids and queers that have been told they don’t belong in a band, for the people who’ve been sidelined when all they want to do is join the mosh pit.
“Shark School Presents Femme Fest is a collection of the most badass, rockin, female-fronted bands in the country right now. This is a girly takeover of the Roisin Dubh for all to come and enjoy. This ones for all you rebel grrrls,” Shark School say of the night.
Nora Staunton (guitar, vocals), Peggy Ford (bass) and Cathal Curran (drums) formed Shark School in June of 2023 and have quickly made a name for themselves playing with celebrated Irish acts, including NewDad, The Love Buzz, Elaine Malone and many more. The group have played Whelan’s Ones to Watch and the Fall Right Into Place festival, as well as touring all over Ireland. They are known for their energetic sets, punctuated by their sarcastic wit.
Cruel Sister is the project of Dublin-based songwriter and producer Faith Nico. Described by Nialler9 as “bedroom shoegaze”, Cruel Sister’s sound, taking influence from Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and PJ Harvey, spans from dreamy indie rock soaked in reverb to the screeching distorted guitars and screaming vocals heard on her sophomore EP Turgid. Her songs are then brought to life at her live shows with her touring band—a four piece—where Cruel Sister’s careful songwriting meets chaotic performance.
A year old, five-piece Affection to Rent’s unique brand of grunge fuses dark winding vocal melodies with a warm wash of nostalgia. Between moments of thick and heavy execution to ethereal and personal numbers, their live sets are a cathartic experience with a contagious desperation that is “reminiscent of the very best Seattle grunge bands of yesteryear,” as per The GOO. Recently the band were long-listed for the Glastonbury emerging talent competition and described as “a breath of fresh air” by Under the Radar Magazine.
Jazz punk band Vernon Jane have long been an outspoken feminist force in the Irish music scene. Their sophomore album Chestpains and Sidepieces was released last year, and Atwood Magazine praised the focus single ‘Fall 4 Me’ for the way Vernon Jane “spill their souls in a moment of raw passion and stirring vulnerability.” Vernon Jane were featured on Sessions from Oblivion and played Loud Women Fest in London in 2023. The Thin Air put it best: “Vernon Jane are here to kick the living daylights out of you and your loved ones and teach you a lesson while you’re at it.”
Red Sun Alert is an up-and-coming post-hardcore band from Cork City. The four-piece outfit combines harsh vocals with angular guitar riffs and math-rock influences. Since forming in late 2017, they have been busy making a name for themselves around the country, playing venues and festivals all around ireland. As the band is gaining new fans abroad, they recently returned to the UK for another series of shows in celebration of their newest five-track EP Assume Power. Red Sun Alert continues to push boundaries and break down barriers, remaining steadfast in their commitment to creating a more inclusive and diverse space within the world of heavy music.