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Rock Goddess have announced that they’re retiring as a live band. The pioneering UK trio had been scheduled to perform at the Barcelona RockFest in Spain last month – on a bill also featuring Kiss, Megadeth and Judas Priest – but were forced to cancel the show after covid struck the camp.
The band have now said that they’re retiring from live shows altogether. In a statement on Facebook, they say, “With a very sad, heavy heart we have to announce we can’t continue in the present form of Rock Goddess. In this modern world our journey has been a little bit harder.
“Logistical and financial obstacles playing a big part. After the latest bout of bad luck getting covid in the camp, just before the major festival Barcelona RockFest, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. So sadly we announce our retirement on the live circuit effective immediately.
“We love our fans and appreciate everything you have done. Thank you to our Manager Richard Thompson, and his belief, dedication, and hard work. To our agent Martin Jarvis for his faith and understanding. To our father who started and managed Rock Goddess, without whom none of this would have been possible.
“To our family and friends who helped along the way since our reformation. And to the fans who have supported through thick and thin. Thank you. Really. Thank you! Without you, this would not have been the amazing, wonderful experience that it has been. To each and every one of you, we love you and are eternally grateful.”
Rock Goddess were formed in South London in 1977 by sisters Jody Turner and Julie Turner, and rode to popularity as the NWOBHM flourished. They initially disbanded in 1988 after third album Young and Free received a limited release, and there were brief reunions in 1994 and in 2009.
In 2013 they reformed again, and the original line-up returned to the stage for the first time in more than three decades with a show at Sala Monasterio, Barcelona, Spain, in 2015. Two years later they were finally able to release a fourth album, This Time.
Speaking of the band’s influence, in 2017 Jody Turner told Classic Rock, “I always said all those years ago that I hoped in 20 years’ time there’d be more girls in metal and metal girl bands. And there are. Not as many as I had hoped for, but hey! It’s not quantity, but quality that counts.”
“I’m incredibly proud to be in Rock Goddess and proud that we’re part of the NWOBHM history,” added Julie Turner. “If we have inspired anyone then that’s incredible and makes me quite emotional.”
Rock Goddess’s last live show was at London’s O2 Academy 2, in March 2020, shortly before lockdown.