Photo credit: Cheri Clouds
Bristol-based punk band, The Menstrual Cramps, have just launched their new queer thirst Women’s Euros anthem, “Kiss On The Pitch,” via Alcopop! Records. The release is timed to coincide with the start of the football tournament this year, and comes with a music video. Watch it below and find out more.
Stream “Kiss On The Pitch” here: https://bfan.link/kiss-on-the-pitch
Commenting on the single, vocalist Emilia Elfrida says: “This song is about queer love, and my working class roots of growing up playing and going to football matches every weekend. It moves away from the toxic masculinity of football that I grew up with, and moves towards the inclusivity of women’s football, the progression and successes that they continue to have, and ultimately, that I would like to date a footballer! Happy Pride and happy Women’s Euros!”
“Kiss On The Pitch” was recorded by Danny Guy at Alpha Delta Studios, mixed by Danny Cummings at The Propagation Station Studio and mastered by Jesse Cannon, and the official video was directed, filmed and edited by Cheri Clouds with video assistant AJ Murdoch. The band have partnered with Bristol anti-fascist, pro-inclusivity women’s team Easton Cowgirls for the single and will be donating proceeds from their forthcoming TMC football shirts to the club.
“We wanted to showcase our hometown of Bristol and our amazing local community,” says Elfrida of the video, “including the incredible Easton Cowgirls football team and The Plough pub. The Easton Cowgirls are an inspirational football team; they are intersectional and anti-fascist, and they do so much for the local community and football in general. They are exactly what a football team should be in 2025! Our drummer’s fiancée, Cheri, filmed and edited the music video, which we filmed over two evening shoots at our local park, and of course, The Plough.”
Easton Cowgirls are a women’s/non-binary football club based in Easton, Bristol. They are part of a global network of clubs that recognise all people’s right to equality, irrespective of their age, class, culture, disability, gender, race, religion, or sexuality. Their anti-homophobic, anti-racist, anti-fascist and anti-transphobic ethos is at the core of the club and is what distinguishes them from other football teams. The club are currently raising money for their men’s 4th team, which is largely composed of asylum seekers—help is needed with transport and kit, and donations can be made here.
A DIY queer punk band from Bristol, UK formed in 2017, The Menstrual Cramps are known for their feminist, anti-fascist, and pro-choice stance. Their music is loud, raw, and unapologetically queer, making a powerful statement that is shaking up an often stale punk scene. The band signed to Alcopop! Records in 2023 and took 2024 by storm with their EP titled ACAB. Having recently played Manchester Punk Festival, Bearded Theory, Bristol Pride, 2000 Trees, Truck Festival, Boomtown, and Shambala Festival, they still aren’t here to take any sh*t!
The Menstrual Cramps Live Dates:
July 5th – The Joiners, Southampton – Supporting Catbite
July 19th – The Blue Moon, Cambridge
August 1st – Moor Beer, Bristol
August 2nd and 3rd – Green Gathering Festival
August 9th – Boomtown Festival
August 29th – Burn it Down Festival
September 5th – Loud Women Festival Bristol
September 6th – Loud Women Festival London
Tickets on sale now: https://www.themenstrualcramps.com/tour
More from The Menstrual Cramps:
Formed in a broken bedroom in Bristol on the verge of homelessness, and rife with anger, The Menstrual Cramps were born with politics on the brain and surrounded by injustice. Jumping ship to a dive in London to record their 2017 debut album We’re Not Ovaryacting on distorted acoustic guitars, they called on the world to ‘Save the Badgers’ and ‘Cull the Tories’. Their debut music video for “My Bush Ain’t Ur Business” was subsequently removed from YouTube after some trolls who didn’t want people to reclaim their own breasts or bodies reared their ugly heads, and they won the 2017 LOUD WOMEN Hercury Prize alternative to the Mercury Prize.
By the summer of 2019 they were back with a new album, Free Bleedin’, which featured revolution-demanding song “The Smash,” the powerful “No Means No” highlighting problematic rape culture, “Idols” which approaches the art world’s problem with abusers, 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). The record was named in the LOUD WOMEN People’s Vote Readers’ Choice Award 2018.
The Menstrual Cramps closed out 2023 on a high with a run of dates supporting fast-rising Isle of Wight punk trio Grade 2 (Hellcat Records) alongside appearances at Femrock 10th Anniversary, Nice As Pie Festival 2023, Rock Against Violence 2023, and more. New single “Antagonistic” follows on from 2023’s storming return “Body Politics” and 2024 follow ups “Abortion” and “Class War,” with key radio spins from Amy Lamé at BBC 6music and John Kennedy at Radio X, and the track landing on Spotify’s All New Punk playlist. For their last single “Class War,” the band partnered up with Manchester-based, DIY, vegan friendly, nano-brewery Courier Brewing Company for the release of their own beer, with 50p per pint for every keg sold being donated to LGBTQ+ charity akt.
Never ones to shy away from shining a spotlight on political issues through their music, The Menstrual Cramps proved that they also take their real-world activism deadly seriously when they made international headlines earlier this year with their Bands Boycott Barclays campaign, targeting the Barclaycard sponsorship of The Great Escape Festival over ties to arms companies supplying Israel. This action directly resulted in The Great Escape ending their partnership with Barclays—a huge win for the BDS movement. Over 150 artists pulled out of the festival in solidarity, with international press coverage, alongside public solidarity from notable names including Brian Eno, Massive Attack, and Jeremy Corbyn. Kicking off 2025 as they mean to go on, they still aren’t here to take your sh*t.
The Menstrual Cramps are:
Emilia Elfrida (they/she) – Lead Singer/Songwriter
AJ Murdoch (she/her) – Drummer
Jenna Scaramanga (she/her) – Guitarist
Follow The Menstrual Cramps:
www.themenstrualcramps.com
www.instagram.com/themenstrualcramps
www.facebook.com/TheMenstrualCramps
www.twitter.com/M_cramps
http://themenstrualcramps.bandcamp.com