The Raincoats, X-Ray Spex, and the Slits Members Form Supergroup

Members of the seminal punk bands the Raincoats, the Slits, and X-Ray Spex will perform as a supergroup at a London festival next month. “God Save the Queens,” organized by the Up Yours! collective, celebrates the 50th anniversary of feminist punk and precedes the opening of a new exhibit on the movement at the Museum of Youth Culture in Camden.

The Raincoats’ Gina Birch and the Slits’ Hollie Cook will play with X-Ray Spek’s Lora Logic and Paul Dean for one night only on October 16 at Electric Brixton. Punk historian Vivien Goldman, the author of Revenge of the She-Punks, will also appear at the festival alongside Akiko Matsuura, Rhoda Dakar, Hot Wax, and Celeste Bell, the daughter of pioneering X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene. Many of the performers featured on the bill have also contributed archival material, artwork, and more to the exhibit.

“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.”

Revisit the feature The Story of Feminist Punk in 33 Songs.

Hattie Lindert is an associate staff writer at Pitchfork. A former editor at Resident Advisor, she has written for Rolling Stone, The FACE and The A.V. Club, among others. She’s based in New York, and born and raised in Vermont. ... Read More