Despite the incessant sexism towards the band reported by Rolling Stone – solely because the male-dominated rock world didn’t think female musicians could match their male counterparts — Fanny was an incredible live band. If you have any doubt about their musical chops, you can check out their live performances online and be blown away.
That musical energy and technical ability landed Fanny some choice spots touring the world. According to The New York Times, the band toured with big names like Jethro Tull, Humble Pie, The Kinks, and Slade. In fact, when touring with the legendary Deep Purple, Fanny once had to go on as headliners for a very disappointed crowd but rocked hard enough to win them over. As noted by Variety, some critics have speculated that a failure to capture their incredible live energy on their recordings may have contributed to their inability to break through to superstardom (aside from, you know, all the sexism).
Still, according to Louder, that didn’t mean their live shows were seamless triumphs. Jean Millington notes that many fans showed up initially for the novelty of a rock band that was all-female, making the first 10 minutes of every show difficult to get through. Then, typically, the audience would start to realize just how good they were and get into it. Interestingly, the band’s experience was completely different in Europe, where they felt audiences were much more receptive.
