Rude Girls: Women in 2-Tone and One Step Beyond by ska music historian Heather Augustyn
The first book on women in ska will be released on March 8, 2023, International Women’s Day. Rude Girls: Women in 2 Tone and One Step Beyond, published by Sally Brown Publishing, has been written by ska music historian Heather Augustyn and contains well over 50 interviews with women involved in ska bands that began during the 2-Tone era of ska in the late 1970s through the 1980s.
Women vocalists, musicians, composers, and managers are finally recognized as Augustyn weaves their personal stories of empowerment and struggle into a narrative with details of their bands’ performances and recordings.
Many bands played ska exclusively, while others dabbled in ska or toured with and supported ska. Some are well-known, some are more obscure.
“Women’s voices have been largely silent, until now,” said Augustyn. “These women made space for the rest of us. They are incredibly inspiring, funny, and powerful.”
Rude Girls: Women in 2 Tone and One Step Beyond features interviews with members of the Selecter, the Specials and the Special AKA, the Bodysnatchers, the Beat, the Go-Go’s, the Belle Stars, Bow Wow Wow, Amazulu, Dexys Midnight Runners, Fun Boy Three, the Mo-Dettes, the Deltones, the Swinging Cats, the Potato 5, Maroon Town, Bananarama, Splashdown, the Friday Club, Holly and the Italians, the Forest Hill Billies, the Lemons, the Loafers, and many more.
This is Augustyn’s eighth book on ska music.
Amonghst other titles she has penned Ska: An Oral History, Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation, and Pioneering Women in Jamaican Music.
Augustyn also wrote the award-winning documentary Pick It Up! Ska in the ‘90s from Pop Motion Pictures and has been invited to speak on ska music in Jamaica, Spain, Vietnam, and all over the United States.
Rude Girls: Women in 2 Tone and One Step Beyond published by Sally Brown Publishing March 28. Watch out for Punktuation’s Review.
Main Photo: Pauline Black at the Loopallu music festival in Ullapool in 2016 Credit: ANDREW MACCOLL
Follow Heather Augustyn on Her Socials
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Scarborough Punk Souvenir – are YOU in this fantastic photobook, by Phil Thorns?
Scarborough Punk Festival 2024 was an amazing event – top photographer Phil Thorns presents the best of the action! Published in a fabulous 72 page
Syama de Jong, ‘first lady’ of Dutch punk, passes away
Rest in Punk, Rest in Power, Saskia aka Sacha aka Syama de Jong! We shall never forget you. Herman de Tollenaere recounts her extraordinary legacy.
Peesh goes ‘Under the Radar’ in his new seasonal project!
Northumbrian punk singer-songwriter Peesh has just released a great new single, ‘Under the Radar’, to celebrate the first day of Spring – and to launch
Album review: Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts
March 2025 sees The Wildhearts return with their 11th studio album; ‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’. Featuring their new line-up, coming out on a new
Rest in Punk: A tribute to the true pioneering spirit of Brian James
Brian James, a true originator, died last week on 6th March, aged 70 years. In their tributes to Brian James, each of his Damned bandmates
Live review: Chillitown Fayre, Suburbs at The Holroyd, 8th March 2025
An all-day music event takes quite some planning; and these days it’s a risky venture.. Fortunately for us, Undercover Festival and Events are seasoned pros,
Punktuation Magazine For All Your Daily Punk News, Features, Interviews, Lifestyle and more!
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
