Poly Styrene was the first woman of color in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism, and everything she saw unfolding in late 1970s Britain, with a rare prescience. As the frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, the Anglo-Somali punk musician was also a key inspiration for the riot grrrl and Afropunk movements.
But the late punk maverick didn’t just leave behind an immense cultural footprint. She was survived by a daughter, Celeste Bell, who became the unwitting guardian of her mother’s legacy and her mother’s demons. Misogyny, racism, and mental illness plagued Poly’s life, while their lasting trauma scarred Celeste’s childhood and the pair’s relationship.
Featuring unseen archive material and rare diary entries narrated by Oscar-nominee Ruth Negga, this documentary follows Celeste as she examines her mother's unopened artistic archive and traverses three continents to better understand Poly the icon and Poly the mother. (Celeste Bell & Paul Sng, UK, 2021, 89 min.)
Time | Venue | Age | |
---|---|---|---|
(Film) WIRED FOR CHAOS w/ Harley Flanagan in attendance / plus live performances from YDI and Minefield | 7:00pm | PhilaMOCA | All Ages |
Ouija Macc / Sinizter | 8:00pm | Nikki Lopez | 21+ |
VCTMS / Crystal Lake / Not Enough Space / Face Yourself | 8:00pm | Underground Arts | 21+ |
Time | Venue | Age | |
---|---|---|---|
Bob Log III / Jim E. Brown / Ecology: HomeStones | 8:00pm | PhilaMOCA | All Ages |
Time | Venue | Age | |
---|---|---|---|
Tower (kcmo) / Hi Helga / T.F.F.N.I / Quik Stop | 8:00pm | Nikki Lopez | 21+ |
Time | Venue | Age | |
---|---|---|---|
West Philadelphia Orchestra | 5:00pm - 8:00pm | Penn Museum - Stoner Courtyard | All Ages |
Lifeguard | 7:00pm | Warehouse on Watts | All Ages |
Death Drive / God Called In Sick / 3tho / Elijah Machina | 8:00pm | Nikki Lopez | 21+ |
Jazz Jam w/ Orrin Evans *CANCELED* | 8:00pm | The Lounge at World Cafe Live | All Ages |
Time | Venue | Age | |
---|---|---|---|
Snooper | 6:00pm | Spruce Street Harbor | All Ages |
Jae Skeese / B.A Badd / Focus The Truth / Emi P | 7:00pm | Nikki Lopez | 21+ |
Countdown From Ten / Dumb Waiter / This Temper | 7:00pm | Ortlieb's | 21+ |
Os Mutantes / Pinc Louds (Moved to PhilaMOCA) | 8:00pm | PhilaMOCA | All Ages |
Time | Venue | Age | |
---|---|---|---|
Dolphin Hyperspace / My Trio | 7:00pm | Ortlieb's | 21+ |
Axioma / Garbage People / Quiet Man | 7:00pm | Kung Fu Necktie | 21+ |