Teenage Daydream by Debsey Wykes review – coming of age in an all-girl guitar band

Dolly Mixture’s singer and bassist looks back on their time chasing mainstream success and facing down outrageous sexismThe Cambridge post-punk band Dolly Mixture were an all-girl trio who formed at school and mixed rambunctious self-penned songs such as Will He Kiss Me Tonight? and Been Teen with covers of 60s girl group hits. In the late 1970s, they won the approval of John Peel and NME, with the latter noting they had the same cartoonish energy as the Ramones.They wore polka dot minidresses, stripy tights and Dr Martens or platforms, an aesthetic in keeping with the brightly coloured confectionery after which they were named. Along with opening for acts including the Jam, Madness and the Undertones, the band were once supported by U2 and appeared on Top of the Pops in 1982 singing backing vocals on Captain Sensible’s chart-topping Happy Talk. That would turn out to be their career peak. Just two years later, having failed to have any hits of their own, and with guitarist Rachel Bor expecting a baby, Dolly Mixture went their separate ways. Continue reading...

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