Women rockers make their mark

6/20/09More than 19,000 people welcomed back No Doubt with roaring cheers as Qwen Stefani, the female lead singer, stepped on the Comcast Center stage in Mansfield, June 20. Back with her band after a five year hiatus, she rocked harder than ever.

At 39, Stefani has just as much energy as Hayley Williams, 20, the fire-red haired lead singer of the punk band Paramore. Opening second, first was Janelle Monae, Paramore had the crowd on their feet and singing along with Williams to every word.

"It wasn't really different," Amy Skinner from Quincy, said about the concert having female lead singers. "They still rocked out like guys do."

Williams head banged to a beat of her own. She not only is the front-woman of Paramore, like Stefani is for No Doubt, but she also plays guitar and keyboard. Williams sparks a trend in the music world where women are leading bands and playing instruments.

All similar in style, but different in music, the three lead singers have one thing in common; they rock as women.

"I think women singing made it better because of the kind of music it was," Matt Fuller, a Wentworth student, said about the concert. "They both put on a good show."

In the past the idea of a front-woman leading a band, both on stage and in the media, would be strange. Things have changed and women are much more accepted in the punk-rock world. They bring a strong energy on stage and connect with the fans. Some people think female lead singers make no difference on stage.

"I didn't even notice all the bands had female singers until you just mentioned it," Skinner said. " It didn't affect the concert at all."

Bands with female singers, such as The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The GO! Team, seem to becoming more popular. According to E! News, female singers and guitarists Aly & AJ, from the Disney channel, designed girl guitar controllers for the popular video game Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Now girls too, can rock out with a controller designed specifically for them.