Shoes

I went to the ‘Making Her Mark’ exhibition at Hackney Museum.

Many incredible and courageous women are celebrated in the exhibition, but these shoes really struck me. They are so normal. They are smart, flat shoes. They are not fancy, they are not the shoes that you would imagine are ‘activist’ shoes. They are just normal shoes. I have shoes like this (for wearing on rare ‘smart’ occasions). Almost all women I know have these shoes.

Nicola Thorp got sent home from work for wearing these shoes. I’m not sure what Nicola Thorp’s job is, but it is not a firefighter or builder or mountaineer, (all of which are professions that these shoes are unsuitable for). Nicola Thorp got sent home for wearing these shoes because at her work place the dress code for women is to have high heeled shoes. This was in 2015.

Nicola Thorp decided to complain about this. She started an online petition, which led to unfair and sexist dress codes being discussed in parliament.

So, Nicola Thorp’s normal shoes, which look so normal, and not at all the shoes of an activist, are changing laws.

Hurrah for Nicola and her shoes!

 

 

Slowcoaches

The Moth Club August 27th 2016

Slowcoaches were the last band of the night. For the first half of their set there was a big pit of (mostly) women, dancing and good-humoured jostling. At some point the pit was taken over by aggressive men and the singer/bassist of Slowcoaches picked up her mic stand and stepped off the stage and placed her mic stand in the pit and claimed the space as hers. She was thrashing around, all the time playing like a maniac. A guy pushed her and she immediately turned to face him and gave him a don’t-fuck-with-me look. He withered. She won. Don’t mess with Slowcoaches, they own the whole bloody scene. They rule.

Skinny Girl Diet at the Moth Club Hackney

Last night I went to the Moth Club. I saw Parrots there a couple of weeks ago, it is near by, a nice atmosphere, cheap to get in (only a fiver!) and I like the gold ceiling there. Last night Ghost Car and Skinny Girl Diet played, both new bands to me. The gig was sold out and packed. Around 70% of the audience was female. I haven’t been to a gig with so many women for ages (ever?). Both bands were fantastic. Gold Car have an organ player who adds an amazing sound to the band and Skinny Girl Diet remind me of early 90s grunge-punk. An energetic pit was formed on most of the dancefloor for the whole night. I bought records from both bands afterwards.

 

Menace Beach at the Sebright Arms. 29th Jan 2015

They aren’t a menace and they aren’t a beach.
They are catchy tunes and violent energy.

Charlemagne Palestine and Rhys Chatham

At William Basinski’s Arcadia at St Johns Church, Hackney

Beak at Netil House

First time I’d been to Netil House, the sound was good. Beak were brilliant.