50 Years of She-Punk review — a wonky and jubilant tribute to Poly Styrene The Times Stephen Dalton first night 50 Years of She-Punk review — a wonky and jubilant tribute to Poly Styrene At the Brixton Electric in London, matriarchy battled patriarchy as the children of punk legends paid tribute to the scene's feminist pioneers Hollie Cook, daughter of the Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook Keira Anee Stephen Dalton Sunday October 18 2026, 10.00pm BST , The Times Listen 0:00 / · 3:27 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save Today's Quizle Q: Test your knowledge The original punk generation may be collecting their pensions nowadays, but there was still an exhilarating buzz of rebellious adolescent energy running through this one-off concert celebrating the legacy of the late X-Ray Spex singer Poly Styrene. Titled 50 Years of She-Punk , this Brixton Electric gathering marked the opening night of a multimedia festival called God Save the Queens curated by the newly formed Up Yours! Collective, a non-profit group with a mission to honour punk's female pioneers and their contemporary counterparts. Born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, Styrene was notable not just for her unusually melodic, emotionally raw, reggae-infused take on punk-pop, but also as one of the movement's few black faces. She died of cancer in 2011, leaving only a slender body of work, but has been widely celebrated ever since as a trailblazing Afro-punk who scored Top 20 hit singles with catchy critiques of capitalism, consumerism, sexism and more. The Thread newsletter All the big cultural talking points, plus life, career, relationships and more Sign up with one click You've successfully signed up to the The Thread newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. The Thread newsletter Explore our newsletters This show was a family affair, primarily organised by the children of punk icons. Up Yours! was co-founded by Styrene's daughter Celeste Bell and Lauren Estelle Jones, whose father is the Clash guitarist Mick Jones. Both performed as part of the headline act, a pan-generational “supergroup” which also featured Hollie Cook, daughter of the Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. Alice Cooper: don't worry, the chicken came to no harm Poly Styrene's daughter Celeste Bell with the show's host Vivien Goldman Keira_Anee The evening also featured an all-ages bill of female-fronted, punk-influenced bands, including the young Hastings trio Hot Wax and black feminist combo Big Joanie. Both played seething, rumbling, guitar-bashing sets that owed more to 1990s riot grrrl pioneers such as Hole or Bikini Kill than to X-Ray Spex. Advertisement The Big Joanie bassist, Estella Adeyeri Keira Anee Big Joanie's glamazon bass guitarist Estella Adeyeri later bolstered the supergoup line-up alongside Bell, Cook, former X-Ray Spex saxophonist Lora Logic (aka Susan Whitby), Gina Birch of the Raincoats, and many others. Various guests also joined for one-off numbers, including Rhoda Dakar of Bodysnatchers and Specials fame, and Bishi Bhattacharya, who lent her voice and electric sitar to a sublime reworking of Germ Free Adolescents . Besides Styrene-penned classics including Identity and I Live Off You , this shape-shifting collective also tackled some punky-reggae deep cuts and off-beat cover versions including a gloriously wonky, twisty gallop through Typical Girls by fellow fem-punk pioneers the Slits. Gina Birch from the Raincoats Keira Anee Read more rock and pop reviews and interviews from The Times For the raucous finale, Jones dragged her rock-legend dad Mick on stage to share a joyfully chaotic mass sing-along of Styrene's signature battle anthem Oh Bondage! Up Yours! Skin from Skunk Anansie also joined the fray here, an oddly low-profile cameo for such a big star, arguably the most famous heir to Styrene's Afro-punk throne. But even if the musical menu was a little uneven, and some of the guests could have been better used, overall this felt jubilant, cheeky, ramshackle, egalitarian, and cheerfully amateurish. Very punk, in other words. ★★★☆☆ Electric Brixton , London Culture Music Pop music Pop & rock first night reviews Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save