Iconic rock band Foo Fighters are set to kick off their "Everything or Nothing at All" UK stadium tour next week, with stops in Manchester, Glasgow, London, Cardiff, and Birmingham to showcase their latest album, *But Here We Are*.
The band will be supported by a variety of artists during their UK stint, with 70% of these acts being female-fronted outfits or solo artists.
Welsh alt-rock band Chroma, who will be opening for the Foo Fighters, have spoken out about the ongoing misogyny and abuse faced by women in the music industry. They have called for increased efforts to create a safe working environment for female musicians.
Katie Hall, lead singer of Chroma, shared her personal experiences ahead of their performance with the Foo Fighters. She recounted an incident where a man approached her male bandmates during a show and stated his intention to have sex with her.
Recalling the incident, Hall said, “This bloke had come up to both of you [Zac and Liam] and said, ‘I’m going to have sex with Katie after the show.’ The boys came up to me and said, ‘Katie, do not go near that man.’ I know the boys have got my back a hundred percent, but it’s still wild.”
"Knowing What We Can Do Better"
The band spoke as part of the Welsh Government’s flagship campaign to end violence against women, aptly titled "Sound."
Launched in 2023, Sound is a community-led platform encouraging young men to take personal and collective responsibility in ending violence against women and girls.
Bassist Liam Bevan and drummer Zac Mather discussed the responsibility of men in the industry to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to misogyny and abuse and the importance of working together to create a safer environment for their female counterparts.
Zac stated, “It’s about knowing and learning how, as men, we can do better to respond when individuals say something inappropriate.”
He added that it’s important men can respond safely and call out other men, if they say or do
something inappropriate.
“It’s important to have those difficult conversations with men without feeling like you’re putting yourself
in a dangerous position where they may become violent with you, or disregard what you’re saying.
Katie said: “It’s the only way things can really change, in terms of misogyny and men calling out other
men’s bad behaviour. It is important to sound it out because that person might not be aware of the full
picture or aware that they’re even doing it.”
‘That fear is real.’
In 2023, the band released an album called ‘Ask for Angela’, named after a campaign which has been
implemented across bars, clubs and other licensed businesses across the UK, including Wales. It
allows people who feel unsafe, vulnerable, or threatened to approach a member of staff and ask them
for ‘Angela’, indicating to staff that they require help.
Katie said: “I saw the campaign poster on a toilet and thought it was interesting because it recognises
that even in this modern age, there are still risks for everyone
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