The "godmothers of grunge," post-punk rockers The Raincoats blew minds and won hearts with their raw vocals, animal energy, and jangly guitars shortly after forming as an all-female group back in the late 70s. Brits Anna DeSilva, Gina Birch, and Palmolive (of The Slits, who later left the band) were true iconoclasts, from the music they made all the way down to their refusal to shave their legs. But, curiously, the story about how The Raincoats unwittingly instigated the riot grrrrl movement and defined the post-punk sound has never been told on the big screen.
UNTIL NOW! Instead of waiting around for somebody else to come along, bassist Gina Birch kept true to punk’s DIY ethos and made her own damn movie about her band. The documentary, called Fairytales: A Work in Progress, showcases live footage -- most of it unseen -- and interviews with the many musicians and artists who have cited the band as a major influence. As the story goes, Kurt Cobain was an adoring fan of the band. In the liner notes of Insecticide, he wrote about meeting Anna DeSilva in her cousin’s antique shop while on a search for a duplicate copy of their debut album (TMT Review). He went on to constantly praise the group, encouraged them to reunite, and played a major role in getting their albums reissued so their music could reach younger ears.
The documentary will feature new interviews with Anna DeSilva, Gina Birchvocalist, journalist Vivian Goldman, Goeff Travis from Rough Trade Records, Beth Ditto of The Gossip, Peaches, No Bra, Chicks on Speed, Sonic Youth, Andy Gill from Gang of Four, and former bandmembers Viv Albertine and Palmolive (of The Slits), and Jane Woodgate (of The Modettes).
Dates of its stateside release have yet to be announced, but it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to guess that anyone with a decent amount of respect for post-punk will be eagerly awaiting. Watch the trailer for the film here.
