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 | |
---|---|---|---|
Blaster The Rocketman / The Rectors / Gringo Motel | 7:30pm | Kung Fu Necktie | 21+ |
Time | Venue | Age | |
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PRISM Saxophone Quartet (w/ Special Guests Leyla McCalla, Rez Abbasi, and Steven Mackey) | 8:00pm | Solar Myth | 21+ |
Lights / KiNG MALA | 8:00pm | Music Hall at World Cafe Live | All Ages |
American Aquarium / Justin Wells | 8:00pm | The Lounge at World Cafe Live | All Ages |
Time | Venue | Age | |
---|---|---|---|
Scott Churchman / Flanafi / Cold Court | 6:00pm | Spruce Street Harbor | All Ages |
Lily Seabird / Mary St.Mary / Shannen Moser | 7:00pm | Ortlieb's | 21+ |
Sloptart / Total Whine / Septic Bath | 7:00pm | Nikki Lopez | 21+ |
ZG Smith | 8:30pm | The Lounge at World Cafe Live | All Ages |
Time | Venue | Age | |
---|---|---|---|
Nympho (tape release show) / Positronix / Cult Objects | 7:00pm | Nikki Lopez | 21+ |
Haunt Me / Stare Away / Twin Princess | 7:00pm | Silk City | 21+ |
J Roddy Walston / Patton Magee | 7:15pm | Kung Fu Necktie | 21+ |
Courting / Slow Ficition / Friend / Monstera | 7:30pm | Foto Club | All Ages |
Ghostlike / Creek / Farewell Days / Skeever | 7:30pm | Ortlieb's | 21+ |
The Dissidents / Vitriolic Response / Kartel / Noogy / Nightfall | 8:00pm | Cousin Danny's | All Ages |
Pop Baby / Antique / Scuemi | 8:00pm | PhilaMOCA | All Ages |