LADYFEST TEN IS NEARLY HERE!

After tirelessly fundraising and planning an extravaganza, Ladyfest Ten is nearly upon us!

From Friday 12th til Sunday 14th November, London will play host to Ladyfest's 10 year anniversary, celebrating an entire decade of feminist arts and diy activism.

We will literally be spoilt for choice with a programme fit to burst with exciting events, live music, workshops, comedy, performance and theatre and a hell of a lot more! For full listings (still being added to), click HERE.



If Ladyfest is a new concept to you, READ UP! Many of our all-time favourite bands and artists started out with involvement in Ladyfest's (inc. Sleater-Kinney, Bangs & the Gossip), and the 'fest's continue inspire and unite feminists everywhere.

The Ladyfest Ten Manifesto:

"With Ladyfest Ten, we want to celebrate ten years of international diversity, support and discourse amongst feminist communities, comprised of artists, musicians, creatives and activists. In hosting this festival, we aim to:

10. Provide an original platform for iconic, established and emerging artists, comedians, musicians, filmmakers, thinkers, performers, crafters, writers, poets, dancers and more.

9. Highlight the continuing social, political and artistic impact and influence of DIY culture.

8. Continue to identify and engage with global feminisms.

7. Establish and strengthen connectivity across international Ladyfest movements.

6. Acknowledge our roots in diverse and inclusive counter-cultures.

5. Be a resource and point of inspiration, advocating the need for alternative role models.

4. Promote and develop participation and voluntary action as tools to empower individuals and communities.

3. Challenge established ideals, perceptions and boundaries through championing transgressive activism.

2. Encourage and support future evolutions/revolutions by building a positive legacy.

1. Celebrate the tenth birthday of Ladyfest in style: “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution”.

For tickets and more, visit the Ladyfest Ten SITE

Save The Arts!

I'd urge anyone who values creativity in Britain to sign the petition & to support this campaign to stop cuts in arts funding.

MORE INFO

SIGN PETITION

They Is Us Exhibition

One of Shebang's contributors, Reena Makwana, is taking part in a new exhibition which deals with a female response to the themes brought up by the science fiction genre. The London-based, female-friendly Nest Gallery has been working with the Sisters Burn to put together 'They Is Us' at the Sassoon Gallery, which will host eight artists' work, each centered around dealing with visions of the future and prophecies of the past.

Reena is joined by Chloe Bonfield, Millie Easton, Bronagh Fegan, Annabel Innes, Anna Lincoln, Lucy Porter and Mary Vettise.

For more information & dates, visit the NEST BLOG

Poster submissions wanted...

We've just heard that Print Club London's annual BLISTERS poster show will take place on the 3rd December, and they're after submissions!

What they say:

"The show will feature 40 illustrators. 40 editioned and hand signed prints. 40 pounds each. We are bringing together a mixture of established and emerging illustrators for BLISTERS BLACKOUT, a winter feast of hand pulled, screen printed posters and submission is open to everyone.

This year we are asking everyone to add a ‘glow in the dark’ element to their poster design. We will be ‘Blacking Out’ the venue at points during the opening night so your posters can really GLOW!

There's more info about us, the show, and the previous shows on the website."

MORE INFO HERE

Have Yr Cake & Eat It : Ladyfest Fundraiser

Shebang's resident DJs, Eagle Legs, have been asked to DJ at an upcoming Ladyfest fundraiser in London! Taking place on Saturday 21st at the George Tavern, we'll be spinning our riot grrrl & soul favourites, while live music will come courtesy of Betty & The Werewolves, The Lovebirds & The Voyeurist.

There'll be private view of the art exhibition from 6pm, and then the party will kick off at 8pm 'til 2.30am!



Please also visit the organisers' sites for information on all of the fun & interesting projects that they get up to, as well as more info on the night...

DIY WOMP

STORM IN A TEACUP

HAVE YOUR CAKE FACEBOOK EVENT

YOU can also join in with the exhibition, but be quick, entries must be sent on the 14th August! Call for submissions here

Birmingham Zine Fest Announced!

BIRMINGHAM ZINE FEST SITE

Shebang updates coming soon, but for now...

COME TO THIS! SUNDAY IN BRIGHTON:



inc. zine table!

Shebang at the Art Is Proof Press Pop-Up Shop!

We're very excited to have been asked by the London-based Art Is Proof Press collective to have Shebang issues sold at their pop-up shop at Superette in London! The name might sound familiar - Superette was previously the home of the lovely Lady Luck Rules OK studio - but as the jewellery whizzes have moved on to pastures new, Superette will now act as an exhibition space, and the Art Is Proof Press gang have the pleasure of being the first to get in on the action.



From the 18th – 28th March, 'All My Best Friends Are…' will exhibit and sell affordable art, screen prints, books, zines and more from a selection of AIPP's favourite independent illustrators, designers and makers. Featuring work by Mark Pavey, William Exley, Leah Stewart, Charlie Duck, Hannah Waldron, Andy Forshaw, It’s Nice That, Owen Richards, Jiggery Pokery, Jess Bonham, DIY Couture, Fever Zine, Francesca Williams, We Are The Friction, Sally Hancox, Chloe Bell, Verity Keniger, Sarah King, and us!

Now I'll just be lazy and do some pasting from their event info page, as there's a lot going on over the fortnight...

"As well as exhibiting and selling an eclectic mix of fantastic work from our best pals, we’re going to be getting busy with some special events including cranking up the tunes and putting our meshes where our mouths are for a punk-rock print workshop and finishing off our residency at Superette with a Sunday Sale featuring Wonderleague’s amazing mix of deadstock, trading cards, accessories and zines, brought to you for one day only from the South Coast straight to London’s East End."

For full details of events, click HERE

Find Superette at:

66a Sclater Street
Off Brick Lane
London E1 6HR

xo

Interview with Girls

My oh so trusty dictaphone has finally bitten the dust... and taken with it an interview with the band Girls that I'd only gotten around to writing up half of. Ahhh technology! So I thought I'd post up the half of the interview that was rescued, just incase anyone wants to see it. To be totally honest, you won't be missing out on much; they weren't really the chattiest of guys & even if the recording had survived, it was pretty much just two guys munching radishes and mumbling short answers. Fun!

Girls are from San Francisco, and released their debut album last year, full of dreamy, sun-drenched love songs. For a while before they released anything I'd been listening to their song 'Lust For Life' pretty much every day; it might actually be one of my favourite pop songs from recent years (find it here), but the album was a little less bright. The band doesn't contain any females (despite their publicity shots showing them surrounded by women - it gets confusing as to who's who) - and consists of JR & Christopher Owens (& it looks as though some more members have joined since the interview).

This is also the half with the particularly standard, textbook questions.. I'm sure there was talk of Comet Gain & some anecdotes about their tour, but it's pretty hazy now. Anyway, here goes (this took place late October '09)...

Girls Interview

Why did you (two guys) choose to call yourself Girls?
JR: For no real reason, we just thought it sounded nice. We just liked it right away. We kinda had an idea of how we could go with the aesthetic for that kind of name. That was the first idea we had; we just said it and it sounded cool.. there wasn't much thought to it.

What influenced you when you were younger?
C: Just other people that I saw playing music made me want to play music.

People you knew, or bands..?
C: Ariel Pink was a band that made me want to start making music again, when I was like 25/26.

Can you remember the first record you bought?
C: The first record I bought was Melancholy & The Infinite Sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins.
JR: I can't even remember. Not sure. I think I've said different things in interviews but I can't remember to be honest.

Was there a specific album that got through to you when you were younger?
JR: Got through to me? That was a Black Flag single, with 3 or 4 songs on it. With Jealous Again, White Minority.. I always forget the other songs, 'cause Jealous Again was the one I really liked. That was like my introduction to punk music, and the record that I really thought was strange and exciting.

Was it just the sound that you were interested in, or also the politics and everything that comes with it?
JR: No, I mean... I probably didn't... because of the song called 'White Minority', I didn't know if they were a racist band when I was younger. I was kinda torn about it when I first heard it, because I didn't know anything about it... and the cover. I think that's why I bought it. There's a cheerleader who's going to kill her boyfriend; she has a gun to her boyfriend's head. It's bright yellow. I still have it... I remember becoming really uncomfortable with it because of that song, but within a few weeks of asking people, and asking my older sister I found out. I think that was the first piece of vinyl I bought. My first single was probably Teddy Pendergrass or something; I was really into 80s R&B, not like Motown, just really pop stuff.



When it came to naming your album 'Album', was that similar to naming yourselves Girls; just something you came up with?
JR: Yeah, it made sense afterwards. We had a couple weeks where we were trying to figure out what to call it, and we both had ideas but I think neither of us liked them. It got really melodramatic; I felt like I was coming up with an emo album or something. A little too serious. I think Chris just had a mock-up of the album artwork and had put 'Album' where the title was going to go...
Christopher: ...and then we were just like, let's call it what it is. The Girls' album.
JR: We rationalised it. There are also pictures of our friends inside who are girls, and it just seemed like a photo album.

How do you feel about being lumped in with all of this “lo-fi” music?
JR: I don't like it, and I don't think Chris likes it either. The idea of lo-fi music is weird, 'cause I like Ariel Pink, but I think he's doing the same thing we did which was making do with what we had...

(ends at 6.17 mins in. I'm such a professional.)

Eagle Legs loves Dance Magic Dance!

We had a fab night on Saturday with the Dance Magic Dance ladies at Girls Girls Girls, & loved watching Betty & The Werewolves, Peter Parker & The Racket tearing up the stage!


Betty & The Werewolves

For a full review of the night, visit DMD's blog. They put on great shows all the time, so those of you based in London should definitely join them for future events! We're hoping to make it up again soon, & have The Racket's Brighton gig on the 7th April (with Hunx & His Punx at the Albert) pencilled in our diaries! We're also hoping to include them in the next issue of Shebang, which is being worked on right now.

xo

London friends!

.. we're coming to see ya!



On Sat 6th March, the Eagle Legs DJs (Liv & Ru from the Shebang team) will be playing records at The Old Blue Last in London as part of the Girls Girls Girls nite! The magnificent Peter Parker, Betty & The Werewolves and The Racket will also be playing live... expect riot grrrl classics, soul shakers & swoony indie love songs.

Free entry! Doors at 8pm x

BRIGHTON ZINE FEST THIS WEEK!



Wow time flies! From Thursday (18th), the BZF will be in full effect, kicking things off with a trading night & pot roast on Thurs evening, and continuing all the way 'til Sunday with a range of zine-related events. The full timetable is up on the BRIGHTON ZINE FEST SITE, but here's a brief overview...

Thursday : Swapshop - zine trading & potluck dinner at Coachwerks
Friday : Gig - The Arteries / Social Club / Rooftops / This Business Is Closed / Sauna Youth at Cowley Club
Saturday : Zine Fayre at Hanover Community Centre (we're sharing a table with FEVER!)& evening soiree at West Hill Hall with vegan dinner & alt. cabaret
Sunday : Sunday roast & possible film showing at the Cowley.

Last year's 'fest was our first & favourite so far, so this week is bound to be a blast! For full details of the zine's taking part, click HERE.

See you Saturday!

New year, new plans

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!



Time for a Shebang update. 2009 wasn't the best for productivity for the zine, as Lynsey & I were moving house, changing jobs & doing internships (me), running an art cafe (Lynsey) and generally not really having time to sit down and write, let alone get the third issue finished. So here's the news on Issue #3 as I know a lot of people have been asking about it recently. So far, the majority of the content is finished; we just need a few final bits and pieces and then we can do the illustration call out. The main problem is raising the printing money, as we're still only two thirds of the way there (and it ain't cheap!). Our offer of BOTH issues for £7 is still on, so please take advantage of it if you haven't already, as until we've sold more of the first 2 issues we can't go ahead with the third. Offer is on our online shop HERE. Please help us out! Both issues are also available at our usual stockists.

I guess if we're still behind on the costs in a few months, we might have to start looking into including advertising, which is a little bit heartbreaking.

Anyway.. money worries aside, 2010 is already looking like a fun year as we've got a table at the Brighton Zine Fest in February, and hope to take part in the Alternative Press Fair in London which takes place the week before, making Feb a bit of a zineorama! Lynsey has also just made a new blog for you to follow HERE, and Eagle Legs - our monthly Brighton club night at the Penthouse - will be changing to the 2nd Saturday of every month (with MEN playing on the January 16th night!).

Love to all & thanks for the support!

Liv x