A supergroup built from members of three of punk’s most influential bands is forming for a single night at a London festival honouring 50 years of She-Punk. X-Ray Spex, the Raincoats, and the Slits will each send a representative to the stage at Electric Brixton on Friday, Oct. 16, for a performance that organisers call a “vital, living continuation” of the movement.
The lineup pairs the Raincoats’ Gina Birch with the Slits’ Hollie Cook, alongside X-Ray Spex’s Lora Logic and Paul Dean. Punk historian Vivien Goldman and Celeste Bell, daughter of X-Ray Spex frontwoman and punk pioneer Poly Styrene, round out the group. Akiko Matsuura, Rhoda Dakar, Hot Wax, and more are slated to appear.
Goldman’s Statement
Goldman framed the project as a direct extension of her book Revenge of the She-Punks. “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.”
Bell’s Archival Work
Bell brought her own experience curating her mother’s archive to the project. “Curating my mother’s archive proved how important it is to protect female counter-cultural history,” she shared in a statement.
“Through Up Yours! Collective, we’re taking that legacy out of the archives and putting it where it belongs: centre stage. Bringing this vision to life through both the exhibition and joining the iconic she-punks on stage is an incredible full-circle moment.”
Logic’s Multi-Dimensional Art
Lora Logic connected the stage performance back to the visual art that defined the movement. “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.”
Big Joanie and Essential Logic
The night is not limited to the supergroup. Big Joanie and Essential Logic will also perform at the October event, which precedes the opening of a flagship exhibition at the Museum of Youth Culture in Camden on Oct. 23.
What the Festival Covers
Beyond the performances, Up Yours! God Save the Queens! aims to document and curate the often overlooked contributions women have made to punk. The exhibition will feature never-before-seen images.
The festival celebrates She-Punk through:
- Artwork
- Photography
- Fashion
- Archival material
The project brings together the visual side of a movement that organisers describe as “a driving, evolving force.”
A Full-Circle Night
The combination of performers reads as a deliberate statement. Birch and Cook represent two of punk’s most prominent acts. Logic and Dean bring the noise-driven energy of X-Ray Spex. Goldman and Bell bring the historical context. Together, they cover the range of what She-Punk has meant.
The festival’s organisers have set a high bar for themselves, and the lineup matches it. This is a rare chance to see these figures share a stage, and the material around it — the exhibition, the archive work — suggests organisers are treating this as more than a one-off show.
The night at Electric Brixton is a statement of intent. The female narrative in punk is not an afterthought. It is the driving force.
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