Stories from the She Punks

Loud, fearless and (un)typical girls: Gina Birch (The Raincoats) and Helen Reddington (The Chefs), musicians and punk icons turned directors, serve up a fascinating documentary built on new interviews with the women who played instruments in punk bands in the 1970s.

In accounts laced with wit, honesty and insight, pioneering players including the Adverts’ Gaye Black (bass), Palmolive from The Slits (drums), Shanne Bradley from The Nips (bass), Jane Munro from The Au Pairs (bass), Hester Smith and Rachel Bor from Dolly Mixture (drums and guitar), bassist Gina and guitarist Ana Da Silva from The Raincoats, as well as many others, we hear about acquiring instruments, learning to play, forming bands and getting gigs.

"Stories of the She-Punks is a perceptive, humorous, illuminating, incisive and very necessary film." - Louder Than War

Special guests!

Screening includes a live performance from Hastings Punk Choir, who rehearse every Monday at the Electric Palace.

And after the film we'll have a live Q&A with Enid Williams, bassist with Girlschool band, featured in the film.

Enid began gigging at 14 in the all female rock band Painted Lady and in '78 the group became Girlschool. The band toured with Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Rush, Uriah Heep and played a headline slot at Reading Festival. Enid left the band in '82, gained a postgraduate music diploma from the Guildhall, ran a vegetarian cuisine company, toured with English National Opera, wrote and produced 4 short operas at the ICA, performed in West End Musicals and wrote and presented astrology for cable TV. Enid ran rock music projects in schools and with 'Rock Pop and Soul Singing' has taught hundreds of people to sing.

This film is screening as part of David Quantick's Summer Music Season 2023. Check out the rest of the films in the series!

This film is F-Rated. The F-Rating is applied to all films which are directed by women and/or written by women. Find out more about F-Rating.

Cinema Cats exhibition

Pop along before the screening (doors open 30 mins before the film start time) to see our Cinema Cats art exhibition, on display as part of Coastal Currents 2023 during September 2023.

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