Punk Legends Join Forces for One-Night London Festival Set
Gina Birch of the Raincoats, Hollie Cook of the Slits, and Lora Logic and Paul Dean of X-Ray Spex will perform together on October 16 at Electric Brixton as part of the God Save the Queens festival. The event marks the 50th anniversary of feminist punk and coincides with a new Museum of Youth Culture exhibit in Camden. Punk historian Vivien Goldman and other artists will also appear, with many contributors providing archival material for the exhibition.
The October 16 concert at Electric Brixton unites musicians from three foundational punk acts, marking a rare collaboration between artists who helped define the genre's feminist edge in the 1970s. The event precedes a Museum of Youth Culture exhibition in Camden, for which several performers have donated artwork and personal materials. Celeste Bell, daughter of Poly Styrene, is also scheduled to appear, connecting the original wave of punk to its present-day legacy.
Vivien Goldman's book on women in punk serves as a conceptual anchor for the festival, which she describes as bringing that written history onto the stage. Lora Logic frames her participation as completing a creative circle, noting that punk's energy always spanned visual art, fashion, and music simultaneously. The one-night format underscores the rarity of this gathering.
This event could reinforce public recognition of women's foundational role in punk history, which mainstream narratives have often overshadowed. Younger audiences may encounter these artists' contributions through the museum exhibit and live performance, potentially reshaping how the genre's legacy is taught and remembered. The collaboration may also inspire similar reunion projects, strengthening community ties among aging punk scenes while introducing archival materials to new generations.