Tin Music and Arts

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DJ set list: Killer Queen @ Grrrls Night Out, Coventry, 08/03/24

Photograph of a home-made DJ booth designed to look like an ancient Celtic chariot, with the name Boudica embossed on the front.

Back in the day, I had another blog where I posted all my DJ set lists. That blog no longer exists outside of the Wayback Machine because it was hosted by the University of Warwick and universities hate to host websites for too long, it seems (see also: Leeds and Sheffield taking down the trans pregnancy project websites once that sweet, sweet UKRI money stopped coming in).

However, I still like archiving things, so for the sake of posterity, here is my headline set from last night’s amazing party for International Women’s Day at the Tin in Coventry, hosted by the awesome women at Boudica Festival.

Blondie – Atomic
The Selecter – Missing Words
Azealia Banks – 212
underscores feat. gabby start – Locals (Girls Like Us)
100 gecs – mememe
Hole – Celebrity Skin
The Cardigans – My Favourite Game
Indigo Girls – Closer To Fine
Dolly Parton – 9 to 5
Beyoncé – Texas Hold ‘Em
Le Tigre – TKO
The Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name
Miss Eaves – Thunder Thighs
St Vincent – Digital Witness
SOPHIE – Immaterial
Annie Lennox – Walking on Broken Glass
Wet Leg – Wet Dream
Mitski – Washing Machine Heart
Gloria Jones – Tainted Love
Bananarama – Venus
Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth
Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best
Black Dresses – In My Mouth (request)
Wargasm – Do It So Good
Nova Twins – Antagonist
Janelle Monae – Make Me Feel
Billie Eilish – bad guy
Aretha Franklin – Think
Skunk Anansie – Weak
Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill
Evanescence – Bring Me To Life
Nightwish – Over The Hills and Far Away

I believe this was my first DJ set in almost nine years and I will admit I was pretty nervous! Even worse, most of my old equipment is buried in a box somewhere due to multiple moves over the last few years, so I really had to wing it. At the same time, I used to play a lot back in the day. Between that, a usb stick stuffed with days’ worth of music, and some hard work in preparation, it all felt very natural once I was on stage in Boudica’s amazing home-made Iceni chariot booth. I really enjoy figuring out what an audience wants to hear and then taking them on a ridiculous journey with that, and once the adrenaline kicks in it’s one hell of a trip.

I’m hugely grateful to Boudica for inviting me back to Coventry and providing such a supportive environment. It was exciting to dance to brilliant sets from new DJs before stepping up myself, reflecting Boudica’s commitment to supporting women and non-binary people in picking up new instruments and skills. Most of all, I’m thankful to everyone who turned up to party.

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DJ set in Coventry for IWD – 8 March

I’m excited to announce that I will be headlining Boudica Festival‘s party for International Women’s Day on Friday 8th March!

The event will take place from 8pm to late at at The Tin in Coventry.

Here’s the blurb from Boudica:

Poster for the Grrrls Night Out event at the Tin Music and Arts, Coventry, on Friday 8th March, 8pm to late. The poster features a disco ball with waving arms, feet, and an open mouth. It states that the event will feature DJs spinning pop, rock, riot grrrl and more, plus visuals and crafts.

Killer Queen returns to the Tin for one night only! Killer Queen aka Ruth Pearce is a Glasgow-based trans feminist DJ, known for genre-bending rock and pop sets that bring together classic tunes and contemporary hits. Ruth has been previously spotted spinning the decks at queer clubs, protest after-parties, and activist conferences across the country, including Reclaim the Night, Women’s Aid, Queer Fest Leeds, Birmingham pride, and Nine Worlds Geekfest. In Coventry she founded and performed at the Killer Queen queer rock club from 2009-2013, and was part of the Revolt! collective which ran riot grrrl nights at the Tin from 2012-2017. These days, Ruth can usually be found found shouting in the rock trio Dispute Settlement Mechanism, playing bass in the noise pop band wormboys, and/or moonlighing as a professional scholar in the field of transgender studies.

This will be my first DJ set in several years(!) However, I’ve been constantly listening to new music, so am very excited to be once again getting behind the decks – especially in my old stomping ground of Coventry.

You can buy your tickets here.

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So much to see! wormboys tour Midlands

I’m playing Leamington, Coventry, and Derby with wormboys this week!

Poster in vibrant yellow and pink, featuring a fancy dog in a sweater. Text reads: So Much To See! All the way from Leeds: WORMBOYS. Jackdaw With Crowbar, RobinPlaysChords, Laserbun. 14th July, Leamington Irish Club. 8pm/£5.
Poster in greyscale with pictures of people in silly outfits and/or pulling faces. Text reads: Rolling Head Promotions present a night of noise and weirdness. Duck Thieves, wormboys, We Are A Community, Septic & The Tanks. Friday 15 July, 7:30pm, The Tin Music and Arts. £5 advance/£7 doors/pay what you can.
Colourful poster with two worms, each with one large eye. Text reads: Outta mind presents... Wormboys, Dusker, Gianatan Scali. Sat 16th July 2022. Doors at 7:30pm - £6. DJ and room for dancing 'til late. Dubrek Studios, 67 Bridge Street.

I kept back posting about this after contracting a nasty bout of covid, but since I am now (mercifully!) better, our mini-tour is going ahead.

The dates are:

14th July – St Patrick’s Irish Club, Leamington. Doors 8pm.
15th July – Tin Music and Arts, Coventry. Doors 7:30pm. Advance tickets here.
16th July – Dubrek Studios, Derby.

We’d love it if you came to share the joy of noisy pop music with us! However, there is still a global pandemic on (no matter what the assorted mess of Conservative leadership candidates might like us to think) – so if you’re coming, please look after each other by testing before the gig and wearing a mask.

QUEERPOCALYPSE
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QUEERPOCALYPSE

Today is Trans Day of Visibility, apparently. I have felt very strange about this day since it became a Thing over the last decade, as visibility is double-edged sword for many of us. With visibility comes community, and increased access to trans and queer arts, culture, politics, ideas. But in the last few years this has met with a cultural and ideological backlash. We are more visible to those who hate us, those who fear us, those who would cause us harm.

Last year I wrote some lyrics about this dichotomy, which are now part of a new song from noise/punk band Dispute Settlement Mechanism. It’s called Queerpocalypse.

 

One of the great things about being in a band is that the process of creation is always  collaborative. I like that this enables us to express ourselves, be that as queer, as trans, as woman, as people, in different ways that come together as a whole. Communicating through riffs and percussion which tell their own stories alongside lyrics and vocal performance.

This, at least as much as my research and formal writing, is the visibility that matters to me in 2020.

I fear your hate inside
I fear the turning tide
I fear your time will come
I fear you think you’ve won

moral panic
moral panic
moral panic
moral panic

you fear with desperate pride
you fear the turning tide
you fear our time will come
you fear that we have won

well guess what?

this world is ours
this world is ours
this world is ours
this world
is ours

Queerpocalypse is available as part of the compilation album Songs From The Vaults. All proceeds from digital sales of the album (available from £5) go towards supporting important Coventry venue and community centre The Tin Music and Arts through the COVID-19 crisis.

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Gigs in March and April

I’m playing some super cool gigs with my two bands over the next couple of months! You should totally come and see us play.

85063535_2769728823121741_5866758282172956672_nSunday 8th March
Tin Music and Arts, Coventry

I’ll be shouting at Boudica Festival’s International Women’s Day event with the noise rock/punk experience Dispute Settlement Mechanism.

We’ll be sharing a stage with Human Resources, Paradise of the Titans, Jen Haigh, Nyotaa, and the Yap Collective.

Muncie Girls poster
Sunday 29th March
Gullivers, Manchester

I’ll be playing bass in fuzzy pop rockers wormboys at this super cool gig where we are supporting Muncie Girls!

We’ll also be playing alongside the awesome Perkie and Bleach Body.

 

Wednesday 22nd April
Wharf Chambers, Leeds

Another exciting wormboys gig – we will be supporting DIY supergroup Somnia on their UK tour.