One of the greatest and most vital punk acts of recent years: we are honoured to welcome Big Joanie to Ramsgate on Sunday 2nd June!
The feminist rockers combine the fury of nineties riot grrrl with synth-heavy post-punk to incredible effect, and are renowned for their absorbing live shows, in which overt activism and delirious dancing collide…
“Big Joanie do things their own way: they’ll call for a general strike, they’ll refuse to be cornered into one musical genre, and they’re always their authentic selves. They epitomise everything punk should be, and that should be celebrated” – Glasgow Guardian
Big Joanie‘s second album ‘Back Home’ was released in November 2022, via on Thurston Moore and Eva Prinz’s record label Daydream Library Series in the UK, and on the home of riot grill label Kill Rock Stars in the US. The album ranked in Rolling Stone’s top albums of the year list, and receiving critical acclaim in the Guardian, Wire Magazine and The Quietus.
The release of ‘Back Home’ was followed by tours and numerous sold out dates in 2023 across the UK, mainland Europe, and the US, along with Glastonbury billing for the second consecutive year, and a sold out performance at the Grace Jones-curated Meltdown Festival. A revamped version of their album track ‘Today’ was released with additional vocals from indie rock icon Kim Deal (Pixies, the Breeders), and during a tour stop in Seattle the band performed a rite of passage session for KEXP. Additionally, Big Joanie’s contribution to the cannon of Black artists in alternative music was celebrated with a nomination for ‘Best Alternative Music Act’ at the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards, in the inaugural year for that category.
‘Back Home’ was a more sonically ambitious record for Big Joanie, while remaining true to their DIY roots and the unique brand of feminist punk displayed on their debut album ’Sistahs’. The band intend to continue to push the boundaries of punk and arrive on even bigger stages in 2024.
“Music that doubles as an act of resistance, drawing on riot grrrl’s raucous energy and ’60s girl-group harmonies to carve out space for Black feminist punks in London and beyond” – Pitchfork
“Big Joanie leave no stone unturned, sifting through fresh backdrops in which their ethos resonates. And for the large part, they brandish vision and resourcefulness aplenty in this all-embracing quest” – The Quietus
“A formidable force in principled DIY music… their live shows, in which overt activism and delirious dancing collide delightfully, have won them instant converts” – UNCUT
