Kaparte Promotions present an evening of music and art with Gina Birch, supported by talented women musicians from UK and US Christy & Emily, Helen McCookerybook and Alana Sveta, plus artist Keira Rathbone most famously known for her amazing typewriter art! Gina Birch Gina Birch is a founding member of post-punk legend The Raincoats. 'Embraced by the dying punk movement, adopted by the fledgling Riot Grrrl scene and resurrected by Kurt Cobain at the height of his powers, the Raincoats were the proto-feminist girl group with great timing.' - Betty Clarke, The Guardian She then formed The Hangovers, and was asked to do the music for The Handsome Foundation's show, The Fear Show. She composed 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 her own label in the UK. In 2002 and 2007 she performed live at Ladyfest and continues to play solo and recently again with The Raicoats in UK and Europe. Gina is also an artist and filmaker who directed videoclips for New Order, Beth Orton, The Libertines, The Pogues just to mention a few. At present she is working on the documentary 'The Raincoats, Fairytale: A Work in Progress. The first part of the film was presented with great success a NFT1earlier this year. 'When I listen to The Raincoats I feel as if I'm a stowaway in an attic, violating and in the dark. Rather than listening to them I feel like I'm listening in on them. We're together in the same old house and I have to be completely still or they will hear me spying from above and, if I get caught - everything will be ruined because it's their thing.' Kurt Cobain, 1993 www.ginabirch.net www.myspace.com/ginabirch Christy & Emily The Brooklyn based duo made up of Christy Edwards and Emily Manzo creates beautiful, emotive, and rather weird folksongs for the digital age. While Emily is a conservatory-trained classical pianist who studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, the self-taught guitar player Christy moved from California to New York to join miscellaneous indie pop and punk groups (Lil' Fighters, The Totallys, Brue Force). She then met her keyboard-playing affiliate in Brooklyn/NY, where Emily is a very sought-after interpreter of contemporary composers (especially John Cage's piano music). Together they're able to develop lush vocal harmonies which could make stones melt. www.christyandemily.com www.myspace.com/christyandemily Helen McCookerybook Helen was the bass guitar player and lead singer with Brighton-based punk rock band The Chefs during the late 1970s and early 1980s. She later formed Helen And The Horns before continuing her career as a solo artist, writer and lecturer. She released 'Suburban Pastoral' on Rough Trade Records in November 2006, followed by 'Poetry and Rhyme' on Barbaraville in October 2008. On 19th June she will be releasing another album, 'Hamilton Square' in conjunction with Martin Stephenson, lead singer with the Daintees. Her first book (as Helen Reddington) The Lost Women of Rock Music: Female Musicians of the Punk Era was published in July 2007. The book features interviews with the Slits, Gina Birch, The Mo-dettes, Enid Williams (Girlschool), Dolly Mixture, Gaye Black (Adverts), Vi Subversa (Poison Girls), Rhoda Dakar, Lucy O'Brien, Attila the Stockbroker, Caroline Coon, Geoff Travis and the late John Peel. www.mccookerybook.com www.myspace.com/helenmccookerybook Alana Sveta Alana Sveta was born in New Mexico, and has been at this singing thing since early childhood. Recording since age 12, she has had several years of jazz training behind her having been taught by Bay Area Jazz Great Gail Dobson, mother of New York singer Sasha Dobson, and wife of the late and legendary jazz pianist Smith Dobson. Alana’s high school band, Gogonasty played a few shows around San Jose, CA in 2003 and 2004. Their one and only single “Don’t Cough” became the second most downloaded indie song on soundclick.com for two weeks in December of 2003. www.alanasveta.com www.myspace.com/alanasveta ***Typewriter art performance by Keira Rathbone www.keirarathbone.com ***Dj Tegid Jones