The Raincoats Showcase

Curated by Casa da Música

July, 4th – 20h00 – 20h30 – SHOWCASE, by The Raincoats

Description:

‘Within a minute, they seem to have trashed every female stereotype in rock and roll… I was amazed’ – Griel Marcus, ‘Rolling Stone’ 1980.

The Raincoats, seminal post-punk band, ‘godmothers of grunge’ and inspiration to a generation of riot grrrls, are celebrating over three decades of doing things the way they think they should be done. In 1977 Gina Birch and Ana da Silva met and formed The Raincoats and their journey has led them to becoming one of the most important underground bands Britain has ever produced. The Raincoats created a sound that, while inspired by punk and rock music that had come before was uniquely and uncompromisingly powerful and female, and which has held a fascination over all those lucky enough to have stumbled across it. The famous story is of course that of Kurt Cobain travelling to the Rough Trade shop in Talbot Road in 1992 in an attempt to replace his worn out copy of The Raincoats LP, a trip that in the end led to reissues of the band’s back catalogue and the offer of a tour with Nirvana that sadly never took place. The Raincoats have always impressed; in 1980 John Lydon announced in Trouser Press, ‘rock’n’roll is shit…music has reached an all-time low – except for The Raincoats.’ The Raincoats inspire in their fans a kind of generous enthusiasm and genuine respect that is rare and difficult to explain. Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth in the sleeve-notes to the 1993 reissue of Odyshape, ‘It was The Raincoats I related to most. They seemed like ordinary people playing extraordinary music. (…) They had enough confidence to be vulnerable and to be themselves without having to take on the mantle of male rock/punk rock aggression…or the typical female as sex symbol avec irony or sensationalism. Thus, together with a Q&A session and the launch of his book, The Raincoats structure the central programming of KISMIF Conference 2018 – crowning it with a unique moment on Portuguese soil – a showcase. Ana da Silva returns to her homeland bringing Gina Birch to this special moment of celebration of the underground, riot girl and DIY cultures with the decisive contribution of a Portuguese woman.

Website: www.theraincoats.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.raincoats/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theraincoats.net

Twitter: @RaincoatsThe