Are you looking for a DIY, loud, queer, anti-fascist, anti-racist, pro-choice, intersectional and feminist band to listen to? Look no further, The Menstrual Cramps are your people. Courageous, unafraid, politically engaged and absolutelly brilliant musicians. Punk will never die with bands like that lighting up grass root venues and radio waves. Actually, I’m pretty convinced that the genre’s future is super bright as more and more kids demand inclusivity, equality and show a middle finger to patriarchal zombie capitalism. Good for them!
“Abortion” single cover
Official bio: Formed in a broken bedroom in Bristol, on the verge of homelessness, and rife with anger, The Menstrual Cramps were born. Politics on the brain and injustices surrounding them, they jumped ship to a dive in London and recorded their debut album “We’re Not Ovaryacting” on distorted acoustic guitars, calling on the world to “Save the Badgers”, and “Cull the Tories”. Their debut music video for “My Bush Ain’t Ur Business” was removed from YouTube after some trolls reared their ugly heads and didn’t want people to reclaim their own breasts or bodies. Summer 2019 they were back with a new album, “Free Bleedin”, which features revolution demanding song “The Smash”, the powerful “No Means No” highlighting problematic r*pe culture, “Idols” which approaches the art world’s problem with abusers, demanding us to stop idolising our idols, and “I Like That Top” a catchy and comedic take on hipsters and gentrification taking over Bristol, which was also featured in the BIFA award-winning film Sweetheart (2021). In 2023, The Menstrual Cramps signed to Alcopop! Records and are back with new music, and they still aren’t here to take your shit.
When three years ago, two founding members of The Menstrual Cramps (Cooper and Robyn) decided to leave the band to concentrate on their studies, I was pretty worried that the group might call it a day. It was in the middle of the pandemic; we didn’t know how long the lockdowns would last and what the music business would look like afterwards. Complete stop of the industry was the proverbial last nail to the coffin for many grass root venues, bands and various artistic collectives from musical ensembles, community choirs to dance troupes. I’m very happy to report that my fears were unfounded. The Menstrual Camps regrouped and came back with a renewed strength to call out misogynistic bullshit and toxic masculinity. The band is now a quartet: Emilia on vocals, AJ on drums and the two new comers are Abi and Zam (bass and guitar). They are what Get In Her Ears called “a volcano of necessary rage”.
And that’s brilliant because in the age of skinny-white-rich-girlie brands put together by men with money at the big labels, we need strong, opinionated real artists in rock music. We need them not to be afraid to say what ails them. We need musicians that will not be bothered if they are seen as a nuisance or a problem by “the old boys’ club” as the recent report eloquently put it. We desperately need women, trans, queer and non-binary persons to tell their stories of coming from a working class, minority backgrounds, from all walks of life. The point of rock music is to rebel, aggravate, push limits, to call out entitlement, injustice and social inequality. The Menstrual Cramps understand it very well and hence their newest single is called “Abortion”.
The Menstrual Cramps by Fish Outta Water Media
Oh, I can already hear the moaning and groaning from men who will again send me messages and tweets that I’m mentally unstable cause I’m a feminist. This is a standard response we get every single time we feature a feminist band or write about songs that mention issues like sexual assault, rape, or access to health care. Abortion is a health care that all persons with a uterus and ovaries should be entitled to and no man, no government official should ever stand between us and our decision. Sadly, in the last couple of years, access to abortion has been restricted all over the world including the USA and our native Poland. This is paramount that young artists, performers, songwriters speak out about their experiences without shame or guilt. The Menstrual Cramps have my undying gratitude for speaking out, and so does the Alcopop Records for releasing the single without trying to soften the message and even proudly calling it “a fucking rager that pulls NO punches”.
Loud Women described “Abortion” as a song that is “unapologetically ripping through patriarchal control of wombs”. This single sentence is worth 10 000 words, believe me. It is the most accurate description I could think of. The Menstrual Cramps are not sugarcoating anything, this is a brutal, straightforward, unapologetic statement. If you don’t like MY decision about MY body, then simply fuck off. “It‘s always just some dude in a suit” they sing and ain’t that an honest truth, eh? Yep, there is always one conservative, entitled prick that wears a uniform: police officer, lawyer, councillor, politician or even a doctor that will question our rights to live our lives. And it is always the same discourse – we don’t know what we are doing, we are murderers, we don’t love our babies, we don’t understand the consequences. It feels like to them, like we are some sort of stupid, mindless creatures incapable of making a rational decision based on our individual circumstances. Our cognitive powers, our integrity, our rationale – everything is being questioned. We are called hysterical, hormonal, crazy, yet we are not. The decision of having or not having an abortion is never easy and nobody has ever taken it lightly. It is an actual medical procedure that can be very painful, I know it from my own experience.
The choice should always be there for any person who is pregnant. This is THEIR BODY and therefore THEIR CHOICE. Nobody should be pressured, mocked, humiliated, or accused. Every pregnant person should be given time, discretion and sound medical advice – cause no pregnancy is the same. Also, abortion saves lives. For example, ectopic pregnancies cannot be carried to term and can kill. If not removed in time, they can cause fallopian tubes to be ruptured leading to haemorrhages, sepsis and death. There is no way those pregnancies can be saved despite what anti-abortion lobby is saying. Also, there are many different reasons for abortion too – from economic to mental health, to simply not wanting children. Every person who has abortion deserves respect and why they are doing it, is sorely their business and nobody else’s.
Musically, “Abortion” is a fast paced, punk rock song with semi spoken, semi sung vocals and shouted refrains. Classical protest punk will delight all old schoolers, who are looking for a new band that plays according to the punk canon established in the early 80’s. The band does everything themselves – they write, produce and record their own material. “Abortion” stands at 2 minutes and 57 seconds, contains explicit language and I’m afraid that we won’t hear it on the BBC. However, the band is touring and I’m sure the mosh pits at their gigs are insane. I can imagine all the punk feminists jumping and shouting “fuck you” while the band is onstage. It’s gonna be a nice little riot. When they come to town near me, I will have to go and attend.
Kids, this is your friendly X-Gen’er speaking that could be your mother: GO AND LISTEN TO THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS! They are absolutely, bloody marvellous. A band that can play classic punk in the 21st century like there is no tomorrow, is a treasure. And they are also having fun. This is the type of band we all should be supporting. You want British music to thrive? Then go and help artists like them to succeed. Vote with your wallet and your legs. Punk put the UK on the world music map and The Menstrual Cramps are making us all proud.
Menstrual Cramps on socials:
https://www.themenstrualcramps.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheMenstrualCramps
https://www.instagram.com/themenstrualcramps
https://twitter.com/M_Cramps
https://www.youtube.com/TheMenstrualCramps
https://themenstrualcramps.bandcamp.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@themenstrualcramps
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ZV8lDOPUCh9tzkSQBVarI?si=aoav2R22Sl64ZII2Zk4fDQ&nd=1&dlsi=6bf3c412192f417c
Record label: https://ilovealcopop.co.uk/
You can also support them via PayPal so they can piss off transphobes and racists:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/themenstrualcramps
You want to send them an email?
Wearethemenstrualcramps@gmail.com
“Abortion” is out on Alcopop Records since 24th of January.
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 
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