Women in Punk part 3 (from the Suffragette)

         

Caroline Coon centre. On the left dodgy French stereotype in beret. On the right Siouxie.

Caroline Coon... Was A typical middle of the road music journo for the safe boring Melody Maker in 1976. Then she discovered punk Rock courtesy of Anarchy In The UK and overnight was mesmerised by this new music. She quickly became one of the 'devils children' herself hanging around with punks, shagging punks ( Paul Simenon of the Clash and JJ Burnel of the Stranglers who then I think wrote a song about her 'London Lady') and writing about punks. Her 1988 Punk book charting the late 70s scene is for me the best on the subject written as its all happening and capturing the excitement. She even got nicked with the punks down the 100 Club. She is still a writer today and can be found on music programmes charting punks influence mainly portrayed as the old hack who knew the bands.
           

Jane pictured here thankfully not having to live up to her name with Roadent the Roadie !!!!

 Jane Suck.... was yet another freelance punkette who wrote for Sounds music paper giving invaluable column space to the growing underground Punk bands of the first wave. She too like Mark P. had an alias to hide perhaps her signing on identity or maybe just coz it was punk. The alias had its drawback as she explains in Jon Savages' Englands Dreaming " all i remember were the endless blowjobs; when you have a name like mine you have to live up to it" Thats one way of looking at it. Missing in action.      
 

The Drones. The futuristic punkette above on the cover of the Drones 1977 debut album 'Temptations' was a masseur at the massage parlour the record company the record company booked for the Lp's launch party. Each and every band member promptly went through the hostess like a dose of salts. Its not everyone who can say they have had Gangrene inside them !!! I know crap joke !!!

            

Blitzkrieg Bop.

All the way from Middlesborough came these North East punks who had Gloria on lead guitar. One single 'Lets Go' and she did just that !!!! Generously pictured here in photo stylee behind the band. Left to form her own band The Slaves. They never played. She got a job and she never played again.

                 
      Vermilion. London based writer for American magazine 'Search & Destroy'. Wrote a regular column on the English scene. A Biker chick she loved the anger and aims of punk and for some reason believed the revolution would come in a mixture of punk and bikers a sort of government by Motorhead !!! Released two singles on Step Forward, each terrible, a mixture of Curved Air and punk if you can imagine it ( click here for more) . Missing in action.          
                   
          Celia...was Celia Collin but her career was more famous for the fact that her backing band - The Mutations - were the Stranglers . The connection didn't stop there because she was discovered by their manager Dai Davies in a Chelsea restaurant. She was ' mixing Marlene Dietrich songs with Kinks and Velvet Underground songs. She was s o polite and English that I thought it would be really great to see her singing in front of a nasty dirty rock band like The Stranglers.The contrast would be incredible.' Caroline Coon in the Melody Maker July 77 opined 'Celia is set to stick at the top...Huge hit potential.' Unfortunately neither this nor the follow up single got anywhere. Missing in action.