Tonight a mixed crowd wait in anticipation for a talk and stripped back set from arguably the first DIY /indie band The Raincoats; the occasion is the release of a new biography by Jen Pelly.
The evening starts with a reading from the book, the beautiful pros, romanticise what must have been often bleak time (most members lived in squats), while capturing the excitement of the first years of punk and what makes The Raincoats so lasting and ground-breaking.
Singer Ana Da Silva’s first comment about the bands story is “we where in a band, then we broke up”.
The other members in a riveting inspiring talk expand this humorously modest retelling.
The band who where formed in 1977 shun nostalgia, saying things are better now, with new technologies it really is possible to “do it yourself” and get your music heard all over the world.
Although the questions being asked by the audience are mainly about feminism, you can tell by their annoyance by such questions and by listening to The Raincoats’ music that as well as feminism the band represents the energy of youth as well as the joys and pitfalls of love and friendship.
Hearing their story is inspiring and life affirming, and anecdotes starring Mick Jones of The Clash among others give a sense of what it was like to live in the capital at such a monumental time.
“Be true to yourself” and “find your own adventure” are among some of the advice offered to young musicians by da Silva
One of the reasons why the band maintain such a diverse fan bass is the fact that Kurt Cobain was a huge fan, listing them as one of his top ten bands of all time.
I ask da Silva off stage about this connection and she comments on how amazing and important Cobain’s legacy is to the band, in the 80s the only way you could get Raincoats records in the USA was through rare exports, by championing the band Cobain ensured Raincoats LPs a CD reissue.
Any doubt that band are not relevant are dismissed with a jarring performance perhaps even rawer without a drummer.
Yowling heartfelt renditions of ‘In Love’, ‘Fairy Tale in a Supermarket’ and their classic cover of The Kinks’ ‘Lola’, although familiar induce chills.
When describing what makes the band so special Gina Birch says that the sound is a mixture of “sweetness and dissonance “ and if it was “too sweet or too dissonant it wouldn’t be the Raincoats”.
What ever the formula the audience tonight know they’ve seen something special.
Words: Peter Johnstone
Photos: Caitlin Macintyre
