Gina Birch of the Raincoats, Hollie Cook of the Slits, Lora Logic and Paul Dean of X-Ray Spex will reunite for a one-night performance at Electric Brixton on October 16. The concert is part of “God Save the Queens,” a London festival organized by the Up Yours! collective to mark the 50th anniversary of feminist punk. The event will also introduce a new exhibition on the movement at Camden’s Museum of Youth Culture.
Punk historian and author Vivien Goldman will join Akiko Matsuura, Rhoda Dakar, Hot Wax, and Celeste Bell, Poly Styrene’s daughter, at the festival. Styrene fronted X-Ray Spex and remains a pioneering figure in feminist punk. Several artists appearing on the bill have contributed archival material, artwork, and other items to the exhibition.
“When I wrote Revenge of the She-Punks, it was about mapping out the global lineage of women who used music to dismantle stereotypes and claim their own space,” Goldman said in a statement. “This festival, and the incredible night we are putting together at Electric Brixton, is that book coming to life on stage. It’s a vital, living continuation of that rebel culture, proving that the female narrative in punk is not an afterthought; it is a driving, evolving force.”
Logic added: “Contributing previously unseen artwork to the exhibition while also stepping onto the stage to play these iconic songs again feels like completing a full circle and is incredibly special. For me, the creative expression of the movement was always multi-dimensional; it was visual art, clothes and noise all at once.”