Summer music festival in Percé, Que., loses headline act over 'passé' all-male lineup

A summer music festival in the coastal town of Percé, Que., was caught off guard by the backlash it received from people across the province, after announcing three days of shows that didn't feature any female-led acts.

Popular folk singer Émile Bilodeau, one of the festival's headliners, has withdrawn from the three-day event set for July 27 to 30, and many other people in the music industry are criticizing the all-male lineup.

"If you're hiring only one kind of person for your festival, I'm sorry, but that's not equal opportunity," said Emily Skahan, a Quebec musician who performs in English and French under the stage name Georgette.

"You can only name two women [who were contacted]. I challenge Festi-Plage to name me the other women they called to see if they're available."

After the lineup was released last Thursday, Skahan expressed her frustration on social media. She says it only took her a couple of minutes to type out a long list of female artists in Quebec the festival could have approached.

Skahan says it's discouraging to see women left out, especially after feeling like there had been some progress in the wake of the #MeToo movement, followed last year by a wave of denunciations and allegations of sexual misconduct against several Quebec artists.

"Why is this even a conversation? It feels so passé," she said.

Festival 'didn't see it coming'

On Wednesday, the festival issued a statement on Facebook, saying its efforts to offer inclusive programming that represents the diversity of Quebec's cultural scene fell short.

Festival president Ghislain Pitre told CBC that his team is made up of about a dozen volunteers who have the tough task of persuading festival goers and artists to make the trip to the Gaspé.

"We worked really hard to create a lineup that had enough variety … [incorporating] all different styles of music, to try to make everyone happy," he said.

"However, we're conscious of the fact we forgot to include any female artists. We didn't see it coming. We regret it," said Pitre. "But we didn't do it on purpose."

The festival says its organizing committee is "heartbroken" over Bilodeau's decision to drop out and is looking for a female artist to take his spot.

Pitre says they tried to renegotiate Bilodeau's contract, offering more money to add a female opening act and other female performers to his show. But he says the organizers decided to respect the musician's decision to walk away after he continued to criticize the festival online.

Skahan says she's glad Bilodeau took a stand and says he's always been vocal about creating space for women, Indigenous artists and other minority groups. While she says not all artists have the luxury of giving up the chance to play a festival, she says equal representation is something all artists need to strive for.

"It's a privilege to have a stage, an actual stage to stand on and deliver your message," she said. "I implore everyone in the music industry to be better. Our job is to be the fabric of the culture of the province."

Gaspé MNA weighs in

Méganne Perry Mélançon, the Parti Québecois MNA for Gaspé and the party's critic for the status of women, wrote an open letter expressing her disappointment in the lineup but recognizing the challenges of organizing events in her remote region.

"As a feminist, I was shocked," she wrote. "In Quebec, we have a multitude of female artists capable of attracting a crowd."

Mélancon said Quebec should require artistic and cultural events to meet a certain level of representation to qualify for government funding. She said she'd like the province to look at offering additional financing to organizations whose commitment to diversity stands out.

Pitre said the past week has been difficult for him and his team, but they plan to announce new additions to the lineup in the coming days and try to move forward on a positive note.

"Next year, women will be well represented in our programming," he said. "You can be sure of it."