The Raincoats, the Slits, and X-Ray Spex have a history of making noise together, and now they’re doing it again. Members of all three bands will form a supergroup for a one-night-only show at Electric Brixton on October 16, celebrating the 50th anniversary of feminist punk.
The festival is called “God Save the Queens,” and it’s organized by the Up Yours! collective. It runs ahead of a new exhibit on the movement at the Museum of Youth Culture in Camden. The show brings together musicians, historians, and artists who shaped the genre over five decades.
The Super Group Lineup
Gina Birch of the Raincoats and Hollie Cook of the Slits will join X-Ray Spex members Lora Logic and Paul Dean for the performance. That’s a lineup built on three distinct bands, each with its own legacy in the feminist punk scene.
Punk historian Vivien Goldman, author of Revenge of the She-Punks, will also appear at the festival. Other contributors include Akiko Matsuura, Rhoda Dakar, Hot Wax, and Celeste Bell, daughter of pioneering X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene. Many of those performers have also provided archival material, artwork, and other contributions to the exhibit.
Goldman’s Statement on the Book
Goldman framed the festival as a live extension of her book. “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,” she 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 on the Circle Completed
Logic had a personal take on the project. “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,” she said.
“For me, the creative expression of the movement was always multi-dimensional; it was visual art, clothes and noise all at once.”
The Camden Exhibit
The exhibit at the Museum of Youth Culture in Camden opens following the festival. It draws on material from the performers themselves, who have contributed archival material, artwork, and other items from their careers.
The festival organizers describe it as a celebration of 50 years of feminist punk, with the exhibit serving as a permanent record of that history.
The One-Night Only Performance
Electric Brixton hosts the show on October 16. It’s a single evening, which makes this a unique opportunity to see this lineup together.
The fact that the supergroup is performing for one night only adds a sense of urgency.
Key Facts Box
- Festival: God Save the Queens, organized by Up Yours!
- Date: October 16
- Venue: Electric Brixton
- Exhibit: Museum of Youth Culture in Camden
- Anniversary: 50th anniversary of feminist punk
- Performers: Gina Birch, Hollie Cook, Lora Logic, Paul Dean, Vivien Goldman, Akiko Matsuura, Rhoda Dakar, Hot Wax, Celeste Bell
This is a rare moment in punk history. A one-night-only supergroup formed from three legendary bands, celebrating a movement that has rarely received this kind of formal recognition. The exhibit at Camden will stand as a permanent record of that culture, and the festival at Brixton will mark the occasion with a live performance that brings together musicians who made the history themselves.
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