UK Punk Era Singer To Play One Show In NZ

31 March 2006

UK Punk Era Singer To Play One Show In NZ

Gina Birch, original punk Feminist and founding member of 1970's UK all girl punk band THE RAINCOATS to play one show in New Zealand. Thursday 13 April with Chris Knox and the Nothing

Gina Birch says, "I'm playing this show in Auckland as I am in town visiting family. Chris Knox has organised the gig and will be playing a set too, so it should be a swinging night. The Odeon is an old funeral parlour.. extra good vibes!"

About GINA BIRCH (in her own words) I started The Raincoats (in 1978) with Ana (da Silva) when I was 19, totally inspired by what was happening in punk, and especially seeing The Slits. We had a fine time, toured, made couple of albums, before I started also playing in Red Crayola with Mayo Thompson, Lora Logic and Epic Soundtracks. The Raincoats then made a third album, our last for some time.

After a couple of years Vicky (Aspinall) and I formed a band called Dorothy and we recorded an album and released a few singles on Chrysalis records via Geoff Travis's label Blue Guitar. Then I went to film school at the Royal College and started making films more seriously. I had been inspired by seeing Derek Jarman's super 8 films when he visited my art school, so had been making a lot of super 8 for a while.

When I graduated from the Royal College, I was continuing to make music videos having made Daisy Chainsaw's Love Your Money amongst others and was just making one for The Pogues, when I got a phone call asking if The Raincoats would go on tour with Nirvana!! As Ana and I hadnt played for ages, it was quite a strange request but we thought, mad to do it, madder not to! So we enlisted a new violinist as Vicky didn't want to do it and Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth on drums.....

anyway things didnt go quite according to plan and very sadly Kurt died. We did make one album for Geffen. I was asked to do the music for The Handsome Foundation's show, The Fear Show and came up with a few tracks that then became the basis for the album Slow Dirty Tears, which was released on Kill Rock Stars in the US and on my own label in the UK (1998), with some money left over from Geffen.

I loved being on Kill Rock Stars and playing at Ladyfest in Olympia. I started to record a new album, but have been extremely slow as I now have two children, make music videos for lots of bands, including Beth Orton, the Libertines, and New Order. I have started to play quite a few shows recently and am now keen to finish the record.

GINA BIRCH (solo) and Local legend CHRIS KNOX plays with his band THE NOTHING Thursday 13 April Odeon Lounge, Mt Eden, Auckland $10 Door sales

www.myspace.com/ginabirch

ENDS

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