Sweat, fags & archives / women in punk

judit csobod

almost didn’t go.

i mean, single-day conference, complicated travel — bus to airport, flight to birmingham, train to birmingham new street, another train to nottingham. the week was already mad: international women’s day stuff, community bike-work teaching non-male folx sunday after, deadlines piling up.

but… then i saw who was behind it: legendary rough trade providing venue, punk-feminist organisation new rosa, and initially punk scholars network (they pulled out later). activist-artist-academic energy. not rigid. not boring. right up my alley. i decided to go.

and honestly? travel was less painful than expected. arrived in nottingham. knew nothing of the city except vague robin hood memories. a bit of research revealed: nottingham is quietly, stubbornly rebellious. historically and now. reading a 9-year-old article from the guardian felt prophetic as i threw myself into the weekend.

first night — stumbled on a full-house diy byob show in a converted fruit warehouse, five mins from buzzing city center. sold out. organizers let me in generously. squeezed through the door, barely. three local openers absolutely killed it. women on stage (still few but present). camaraderie thick in the air. i quit before the main show — needed to prep my presentation overnight.

the next day — the conference itself. magic. punk-feminist community embodied. beautiful venue. packed turnout. a badass organiser. a mix of presentations: nottingham anarchist-feminist history, feminist zine archives, book launches, research talks, promoter accounts interviews, and an afternoon gig. crowd? enthusiastic, supportive, loved shit craft. and yes… here i brag a little:

i. both my zines now live in nottingham feminist archives.

ii. gina birch (the raincoats) quoted me directly about what it felt like starting punk as women in the late 70s.

iii. smoked a fag with mick jones’ (the clash) rad daughter.

evening — another local badass took me to a show of locals. and for the first time in ages, i felt a scene with grown-ups (40s, 50s mostly) who still cared, still screamed, still radical. not nostalgia, not past glory. real energy, adult responsibilities and all, still furious, still alive.

thanks, rebel nottingham.
thanks, fierce new rosa sonia.
thanks, all of you amazing people who made me never leave nottingham off my RADar.

judit csobod is the PhD Researcher on Improvising Across Boundaries and based at UCD. Follow Judit on Instagram (@girlwithoutaruler).