Smiling Policewoman, Unhappy Horse

 

Splodgus Maximus

Here is a round up of interesting things that I've been involved with and that are happening over the next few weeks.

After a Covid booster yesterday, I'm completely einsturtzende. Every joint in my body is letting me know it's there, and it's damned if it's going to do any work today.

Luckily, my head is functioning!

Here are some upcoming things:

https://www.docnrollfestival.com/films/punk-brighton/

I remember a really fun day of filming and reminiscing a few years ago and I'm full of delight and admiration for Kevin's fortitude in finishing this. He managed to get a whole lot of us together to slice through the stone of history and show a facet of how the whole scene worked. It's all about that isn't it? Personal recollections and significant moments that build an individual's life story. There are some interesting characters here, but alas no Dick Damage, who was possibly the most universally loved punk musician in Brighton!

You can see more about the scene in general on this site: www.punkbrighton.co.uk (check out the letters about Dick) or even in a chapter of my book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-lost-women-of-rock-music/helen-reddington/9781845539573.

Read on down too- my new music tells the punk story, and specifically the Brighton punk story, from a very different and personal perspective. 

Next up is a screening of Stories from the She-Punks, the documentary me and Gina made in 2016 that coined the phrase that has now entered general circulation as a description for women-with-attitude. 

We'll be doing a Q&A at this event, but if you can't make it, it's on Youtube here, now in HD: https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesFromTheShePunks

Tickets for the screening: https://upyourscollective.com/product/stories-from-the-she-punks-screening-qa-djs/

Then, then, then, I'm off to Glasgow for this gig now being co-promoted by the mighty Glasgoespop:

Lorraine Lucas is a song writer runs songwriting retreats all over the UK and originally hails from Glasgow. She puts on the Folkestone Songwriting Festival, which is where we met, and I'm delighted to welcome her to the bill. 

I will be playing my new set of songs about the ups and downs of the Brighton punk scene, and the punk scene in general. It was liberating for women in some ways, and terrifying in others. The hot and cold tap: you mix it the way your memory dictates. This set of songs will strike a chord (ahem!) with anyone who has participated in an underground scene, whether as an audience member, performer, poster or zine maker, whatever. It just happened to happen to me in Brighton. Those spaces (now called meanwhile spaces) where temporary access whether given to or taken from, allowed permanent life-changing events to happen, and were a catalyst for all sorts of things. 

Anyway: come and listen!

Tickets: https://wegottickets.com/f/26674/

The night after, I'll be in Todmorden at the Three Wise Monkeys supported by the wonderful Sunbathers, who will be promoting their new album Answers on a Postcard released on Adrian Goldberg's label. Adrian is a huge supporter of independent music and musicians and it's a marriage made in heaven for their album to be released on his label, Jenny's Feather Factory (read about it here: https://adriangoldberg.substack.com/p/jennys-feather-factory)

Next, I'll be part of a panel on Saturday 14th November at the Louder than Words Festival in Manchester. It's such a busy, vibrant event that's full of ideas and inspirational talks by both authors who write about music, and musicians who have recently written their autobiographies. The panel on Saturday is Molly Tie (Rebel Grrls: https://loudwomen.org/2026/06/08/book-review-molly-tie-uncovers-the-hidden-history-of-women-in-punk-in-rebel-grrrls/), Penny Kiley (Atypical Girl: https://pmpress.org.uk/product/atypical-girl-punk-rock-liverpool-and-trying-to-be-normal/) and me, interviewed by the magnificent John Robb (too many books to mention! But here he is: https://johnrobbofficial.com/). 

On the Sunday, I'll be interviewing Zoe Howe about her re-issued and revised book on The Slits: https://omnibuspress.com/products/typical-girls-the-story-of-the-slits-omnibus-remastered?. It's a  wonderful book, and Zoe is a trusted biographer not only of The Slits but also of Poly Styrene. She co-wrote the script for Paul Sng's documentary about Poly and was also a core member of the team that created this book: https://omnibuspress.com/products/dayglo-the-poly-styrene-story?. She is a very interesting raconteur and I'm very much looking forward to what she has to say.

I'll also be playing some 15-minute mini-sets before some of the interviews with other authors- other songwriters will be doing this too and it makes the whole weekend's event full of surprises and fun.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/louder-than-words-festival-2026-weekend-passes-tickets-1972783266857

There is more to come: gigs playing the new songs in Bristol, Rochester, London and Brighton. 

I will write about those ones closer to the dates!

STOP PRESS: Jane Duffus has just been in touch about her latest zine, Zine Things Happen. As well as all kinds of interesting music stuff, she interviewed me about what she calls my punk embroidery. Oh I love that! Here's the link: https://www.janeduffus.com/shop/zine-things-happen-4

Sunday Afternoon At The Betsey Trotwood: Helen McCookerybook, Robert Rotifer

Afterwards, I mean after all the buzzing and the tiredness, we realised that one day somebody will write a book about The Betsey Trotwood and the way it hosts all manner of gigs and parties so very modestly in the weekend wilds of Farringdon.

Where did we have James's first solo gig? There, on Burns Night in 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKiJYwMvlik&t=352s

Where did we celebrate his life? There, on Burns Night earlier this year.

There have been so many great gigs, both as an audience member and as a performer.

I'd thought my new album would be out by now, or at least well on the way to production. But life has twists and turns, and I took a message at The Rebellion Festival in Blackpool from Tiny Global Records to say they were ceasing trading- and so would obviously not be able to release my next record as we'd agreed. 

By then I'd already asked Bizarro Promotions to set up a small tour, staring with Sunday's gig, to promote the (by now ghost) album. We'd decided to invite Robert Rotifer to play too, with his Radical Friendship Theory project, because he had his album to promote. Would Kenji come along and sing?

Yes!

What a treat for all of us.

I've been re-playing, mixing, re-singing the album for months and it was a blessing to actually physically rehearse the songs with Ruth on bass and additional vocals. She suggested three rehearsals, which was a great idea because it allowed us to work out the backing vocals really well and it's a big ask for her to suddenly have to learn both those and bass lines for twelve brand new songs in a very short space of time. She completely rose to the occasion though, but more about that in a bit.

We'd not known how many people would turn up but there was a last minute ticket flurry and the lovely little room was packed to the gills. Robert started off, with Ian on drum (nattily covered with a tea-towel, the drum not Ian) and Alan Crockford on bass duties. The set passed in a dream, with Kenji's wonderful vocals soaring across the audience and pin-drop silence as we all listened. Ian and Robert sang backing vocals on some of the songs, Ian sang a song, Michael J Sheehy sang a song (sung by John Howard on the record) and so did I (oh so high!). He had a wonderful reception for what was really a one-off set; the songs are so strong that they work with any combo of his musician friends.

Listen to Kenji singing The Words here: https://spinoutnuggets.bandcamp.com/track/the-words

I don't know what I was expecting for my set. It was a very risky thing to do, to play a whole new set with no 'oldies' at all, but the songs have to be in sequence. They are also incredibly emotional to sing, because they unearth memories not only overtly but also subliminally. And some of them are fast! I sweated! But Ruth provided steady bass and gorgeous harmonies, Terry Tyldesley (Kat Five) came and did the vocals she contributed to the record for one song and Robert also joined in for a song he plays on. Then it was down to me to tell the up-and down stories of Brighton punk, which will actually be celebrating its anniversary next year. At the very end, my glasses started to slip off my nose, finally hitting the floor just before the last two lines of the song. A spectacular end! (ahem)

Video of London Land by Steve Worrall:

What could be a better end to the afternoon than to play Balloon with Robert, a calming but politically relevant song that we used to do in our McCookerybook and Rotifer incarnation.

It's Tuesday and I'm only just coming down. What intensity! A weekend of catching up with  Kenji and Till, and a gig that exceeded everybody's expectations, attended by members of Would-be-Goods, Railcard, Jetstream Pony, Hefner, Birdie, and many other friends from the musical community and beyond (hello Joan! Hello Gaye and Eric!). And Gideon Coe, too, and his partner who both provided such positive feedback that I'll move a mountain to get these songs released.

And yes, my brother James would have been there, of course he would. We lived through so much together in those Brighton days. I'm glad Andy, our little brother, came along. I'll be brave enough to invite the rest of the family next time. I am proud to have made a set of songs that tell the truth, the dark and the light, of what it was like to be a punk in Brighton 49 years ago; and big thanks for Ruth for putting in the work. 

Roll on the next gig, in Glasgow, on the 12th of November, where the indefatigable Lorraine Lucas will be supporting me with her new songs: https://wegottickets.com/f/26674

I slept for ten hours last night.

Photos from Terry Tyldesley: with Terry afterwards, and with Robert and Ruth

Well...

... what a fabulous afternoon. Stuffed to capacity, well played Robert and band, we had an amazing reception, great conversations afterwards. More tomorrow (I'm so tired!) 

On the way to the gig with Kenji, by Till

During the gig

After the gig with almost everybody

Betsey Trotwood, Sunday Afternoon

 At The Betsey Trotwood this Sunday afternoon from 2 p.m.

All new songs from me- The Darkside Truth, about the Brighton Punk Scene in 1977
I'll have badges!
and Robert Rotifer's Radical Friendship Theory
Tickets here: https://wegottickets.com/f/22135/

One Fifth Of An Oompah Band Plays 'Barbie Girl' At The South Bank, London

 

On Sunday Afternoon at The Betsey Trotwood

https://wegottickets.com/f/22135

At The Barbers

 

Pilot Flying

Well, I've sent off the pilot after editing it today. I found a great site that has free bleeps (I had to bleep out a name), after trying and failing to say 'bleep' loudly enough to use. It was really good fun listening to them to find the right one.

Drudge-wise, I thought the central heating was broken, called out The Chap and realised that I hadn't turned on the thermostat! It needs to be serviced anyway, and he's coming back to do that later in the week. 

My daily dunce moment was counterbalanced by the fact that the vacuum cleaner was badly blocked, and the obstacle was in the curve of the pipe that was unreachable by the longest bamboo garden cane that I could find. So I unscrewed it from the machine, and ran water from the cold water tap through it- and the water pressure drove out a sock that had jammed itself into the crook of the pipe. After hanging the pipe from a tree branch to dry, the machine has been reassembled and works perfectly. Boring, eh?

I should be re-doing the final replacement vocal today, but I've had a 'flu jab and I feel like a spaceman on the moon: big steps for womankind, oddball announcements and the sensation of a space helmet that only allows a person to look in one direction. Instead, I put the songs in order, typed up the lyrics and made a data sheet. It's so close to being finished, just a whisker. Funny to have got to this point just as Kev's film Punk Brighton is completed and out there to watch. It's going to be screened at The Duke of York's in Brighton on Wednesday 28th October, and The Rio, Dalston on the 29th: https://riocinema.org.uk/Rio.dll/WhatsOn?f=2886423

L to R: me, Johnny Piranha, Dave from the Depressions, Tony from Flesh, Rose Barnard, Stu Jones from Attrix records, Phil from The Lillettes, Johnny from Johnny and the Lubes.

Woman Selling Baskets

 

Amended Gig Poster

11/10 Betsey Trotwood with Robert Rotifer
wegottickets.com/f/22135
12/11 Old Hairdresser’s Glasgow with Lorraine Lucas
wegottickets.com/f/26674
13/11 Todmorden with The Sunbathers
14/15 Louder Than Words, Manchester
22/11 Bristol Knowle Club with Anna Kissel
26/11 Rochester Micro Brewery with Allan Crockford
29/11 Supporting Nat The Hammer at the Servant Jazz Quarters (album launch)
18/12 Brighton Prince Albert with Asbo Derek both supporting each other

wegottickets.com/f/23920 

Faffing

I've already been faffing today- did I choose the right banjo take? Would the clawhammer be better, scratching away? I tried it, and it isn't- but I'll do just a vocal and clawhammer mix for fun later on.

I've been running through the songs: my smashed fingertip still a bit dicey but it'll do for the gig next Sunday.

I'm also within sneezing distance of finishing the pilot community radio show I'm doing. I've interviewed Molly Tie and Johny Brown (postcard from Newcastle and postcard to Newcastle), Little Bruv has chosen some tracks from the area and done mini-intros, I've scripted and recorded mine, and now I think I'll do a jingle! Currently the washing machine is on, so not till later when the swishing's finished.

Yesterday evening I didn't an interview with Jane Duffus for her zine about the punk embroideries that I do. Jane embroiders too. It's a slow, but very therapeutic, process and it's the first time anyone's interviewed me about my arty stuff!

Giggling

 11/10 Betsey Trotwood with Robert Rotifer

https://wegottickets.com/f/22135

12/11 Old Hairdresser’s Glasgow with Lorraine Lucas

https://wegottickets.com/f/26674

13/11 Todmorden 3 Wise Monkeys with The Sunbathers

22/11 Bristol Knowle Club with Anna Kissel

18/12 Brighton Prince Albert with Asbo Derek

https://wegottickets.com/f/23920

Badges for Bandcamp

It's Bandcamp Friday, and I've got the Darkside Truth badges up on Bandcamp now:

https://helenmccookerybook.bandcamp.com/merch/the-darkside-truth-badge

Finishing Post In Sight

I've done a bit of everything today: singing, playing guitar, chopping up sound waves, moving parts of songs around, deleting, cutting and pasting. And panicking, too. What if something happens to my computer before I've finished? I can remember everything I've done and could reconstruct it all if I had to, but...

Then I began to edit the community radio pilot show till I realised that I'll have to write a script to link the interviews, and that really felt like a job for tomorrow. The project is open and ready to go, which is better than it was a couple of weeks ago when it felt like an enormous hill to climb. A structure, a structure, so many things need a structure! There have been scaffolders out the back in a neighbour's garden. I feel like a mental scaffolder: the construction without the clanging. Anything to make sense of the scribbled lists that feather the chaotic nest of my planned projects.

Ho hum, all the rest is private and ever more so now that Google has set Ai loose on everything it provides to the public!