Raincoats arrive in sunny LA weather

“There are lots of swimming pools in LA, yes?” Ana da Silva brightly asked me over the phone.

It was 20 past 11 p.m. on the eve of da Silva’s first trip to Los Angeles. After barely seven hours of sleep, the co-founder of British post-punk band The Raincoats would meet bandmate Gina Birch, catch their bus and then run to the train. The train would take them to their plane and, within hours, the pair would be arriving in the unfamiliar city.

It seems only fitting that the legendary all-female group wouldn’t find its way across the ocean until after the first wave of LA punk had died down. The Raincoats’ appearance in Los Angeles is as rare as the occurrence of rain in Southern California.

As headliners at the Part Time Punks Festival in Echo Park Sunday, The Raincoats see Los Angeles as just the latest stop on its already wild ride.

“I’m sure I’ll be surprised when I get there, pleasantly,” said da Silva, who has been using Google Earth throughout the past week to get a better look at where in LA she will be playing.

An established band with a devoted cult following, The Raincoats will be the leader in a concert lineup that features mostly young and emerging bands. These young groups and their expanding world of computers and music software have opened up a new path for punk.

“Punk has become a very freeing and spontaneous way of thinking,” da Silva said. “It is quite rebellious, and wants to be fresh and challenge the status quo and that’s why it has lasted.”

This Echo Park performance is a chance for loyal fans of The Raincoats to come out and finally see a show live in Los Angeles. Da Silva said they are coming here to show “the fact that we aren’t sweet, young things anymore, but we can still do it.”

Da Silva and Birch formed The Raincoats in 1977 while they were students at Hornsey College of Art in London. The original members included da Silva on vocals and guitar, Birch on vocals and bass, Ross Crighton on guitar and Nick Turner on drums when they had their first gig in November 1977.

In 1978, The Raincoats became an all-female band, establishing itself as one of the first all-female punk bands. With Paloma “Palmolive” Romero on the drums and Vicky Aspinall on the violin, The Raincoats embarked on its first UK tour in May of 1979.

“I knew four or five chords when we started,” da Silva said. “We just thought about things and started writing songs, and eventually had enough to create an album.”

Even with the inexperience of its members, The Raincoats released its first single, “Fairytale in the Supermarket” the year of its first tour. In 1980 there was a change in the lineup, when Palmolive left the band and Ingrid Weiss joined, marking the start of the band’s second album Odyshape.

In the beginning, The Raincoats sound was full of loud, intense instruments paired with the echoes of screeching voices. Its songs exposed true issues that women faced while sparking followers in both the punk and grunge genres.

“Basically, we had courage and cheek,” da Silva said.

Despite the band’s success and influence on the music scene after three albums, the band broke up and members went their separate ways in 1984. After being apart for nine years, something important happened — The Raincoats had a career boosting encounter.

“Kurt (Cobain) and Courtney (Love) came to my place of work for a new copy of the first album,” da Silva said.

The Raincoats had already been discussing reissuing its albums, but meeting Kurt Cobain and seeing his interest in the band’s music sped up the process. With Cobain’s support, Geffen Records helped the band reissue its albums. Cobain even invited The Raincoats to play with Nirvana on tour, but he died before the tour began.

“We did a few gigs to celebrate the new CDs, and it felt so good,” da Silva recalled of its reissued album.

The Raincoats created its fourth album, Looking in the Shadows, in 1996. This album included the musical styling of Anne Wood on the violin and bass, and Heather Dunn on drums.

Since 1996, the band has been doing sporadic gigs and playing with groups like Chicks on Speed (2003). They have kept themselves fresh by playing a variety of festivals including, Ladyfest Leeds (2007) and Donaufestival (2009).

The Raincoats have been lucky enough to play random shows here and there, and have had continued success with its albums. They have stood the test of time by adapting to modern technology such as electronic recording and sound mixing advances. The band as a whole has embraced computers and the new age of sound and performance.

“I would like to learn how to make an electronic instrument,” da Silva said. “I like sound a lot.”

Another reason The Raincoats has been influential is the member’s approach to the band’s overall appearance. As an all-female group, the members’ mindset about image and clothing has helped them survive in a material world.

“We just wear what we are comfortable in,” da Silva explained. “We don’t have an image or anything.”

In a world driven by consumerism, it is surprising that The Raincoats never got caught up in making music for the fame and fortune. Instead, The Raincoats have been a success by playing music they love and working hard for themselves and no one else.

When looking back at their career, da Silva realized that she has very few regrets.

“We did things right when it was right to do them,” da Silva said. “I can’t think of anything too strong that I would say that I should have done this or that.”

When asked about her favorite memory, da Silva’s response was refreshing when compared to the answers many would expect from today’s consumer-driven stars and groups.

“Gosh, there has been lots of nice things,” da Silva said. “I really love playing.”

The members’ love of playing and dedication to their art has solidified The Raincoats as icons in the punk community, mainly because da Silva and her bandmates believe that the music is the most important aspect of their job.

“It’s how people receive [the songs] in the end that really matters,” da Silva said.