FEATURE:
Back to The Trouble Club…
IN THIS PHOTO: Political activist and author Gina Martin (she is known for her case to make upskirting illegal in England and Wales, which resulted in the Voyeurism Act 2019) appeared with transgender actress, activist, and author Charlie Craggs for The Trouble Club at AllBright, London on 3rd August, 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Neil Cameron
Tackling the Past, Celebrating the Present, Preparing for the Future
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THIS is my second feature this year…
relating to The Trouble Club. Last month, I wrote how the club has had a positive impact on me. I joined this embracing and inclusive group of people earlier this year - and, since then, I have tried to get to as many events as possible. There has been a bit happening since August that has compelled me to write again! If you are not aware of The Trouble Club and what they do, then here is some information and background:
“Welcome to a rather special members' club: we are here to enliven your mind, to expand your circle of friends, and to build a society of smart and engaged people who share the same interests.
We have a rich programme of talks, debates, dinners, private evenings out at cultural openings and foreign jaunts. We work with some of the finest venues in London - currently The Groucho Club in Soho and Mortimer House in Fitzrovia. For what's on, see our schedule.
A bit of history: Trouble first started in 2014 running pop-ups club and evenings in and around Soho. We've had evenings on everything from politics and economics to art, film, gaming and sex, and also drunk a fair amount of gin. There have now been several thousand people through our various doors, many of whom have become friends, done business together and keep nagging us to do more events.
There's a few things you should know about Trouble. It is led by women, founded by Joy Lo Dico, moonlighting from her day job as a freelancer for the Financial Times and broadcaster at Monocle as well as speaking and presenting. Its mission is to get great women speakers on stage and to build the bonds across the group.
You are probably by now asking how to join? We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, rather than exclusive, club. Whatever walk of life you come from, you are welcome to apply. Men are also absolutely welcome - indeed we'd love to have you share in this goal. Just be aware you might be outnumbered”.
IN THIS PHOTO: New York’s Finest: Bestselling author, poet and writer Aija Mayrock held the audience enraptured at Home Grown, London on 15th September, 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Alice Lubbock
Being a man, I am often outnumbered at events. That is okay. I think it is important to encourage membership and participation for all genders; though it is brilliant to be surrounded by so many impassioned, committed and interesting women. I shall come to the events I have been to and the ones I am looking forward to. There are a few reason why I am going to encourage male peers to join and become active. As a music journalist, so much of what is spoke about at The Trouble Club – and what they stand for – is relevant to what I do! I go to events to be social and show great willing and appreciation. There is also that learning aspect. I always get so much from every venue I step into. If you want to join, then there are details here. You can follow The Trouble Club via Instagram, X, TikTok, and their YouTube channel. Thanks to Director of The Trouble Club, Eleanor Newton, and Marketing & Events Coordinator, Francesca Edmondson. I shall get to specifics very soon. The venues that events at held at are beautiful and all different. From The Conduit to The Ned, Home Grown, the AllBright, Mortimer House, The Hearth, Kindred, The House of St Barnabas, and Bloomsbury Tavern, the vibe, personality, skin and unique colour scheme and location of each venue adds new atmosphere and nuance to each event! It is kudos and thanks to Eleanor (Ellie) and Francesca that troublemakers (fi Kylie Minogue has her ‘lovers’ fanbase and Taylor Swift has ‘swifties’, then this is The Trouble Club’s collective noun) have this warm and open space to go to on a regular basis. Friendships are made. Connections created! Never clique-like, The Trouble Club embraces and reaches out! I think a few things have happened in the past few weeks that has compelled me to write afresh about The Trouble Club and how membership and participation is important personally and wider afield.
First, a nod to those speakers and guests I have seen so far at The Trouble Club – and what I learned and absorbed from each. I think he first event I attended was She’s In CTRL with Computer Scientist Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon on 16th May. Discussing her book, She’s In CTRL: How Women Can Take Back Tech it poses interesting questions: “Why do so many of us - particularly women - feel the tech world is beyond reach? Women are woefully under-represented in tech - they represent roughly a mere quarter of the UK STEM workforce. This means an ever-increasing series of big decisions are made by a small number of people, mainly men”. It was an inspiring and informative first event, as it opened my eyes to female innovators and how vital they have been. Dr. Imafidon asked Why are women so under-represented in the tech world and how can this be fixed. On 25th May, Award-Winning Author Holly Smale on Neurodiversity and The Cassandra Complex was eye-opening and inspiring. Smale is neurodivergent, so there is a sense of the biographical when it comes to her book – and it is being turned into a T.V. series I believe? The Cassandra Complex centres around the protagonist and asks that question: “If you had the power to change the past... where would you start?”.
Being neurodivergent, many might overthink things are lament on small mistakes and obsess on the future. That idea of going back in time and changing things. Is getting everything right the right decision?! That thing about not fitting in and saying the wrong thing. Not only is/was Smale a compelling speaker and someone who spoke so emotionally, openly and with truth and passion; her words really resounded inside me. Not officially diagnosed as neurodivergent myself, I think it is only a matter of time – as I share a lot of traits with those who have Asperger’s syndrome. Holly Smale made me think about my own personality and situation. And fighting to get a diagnosis As a music journalist, there are so many people who are neurodivergent - so that made me more informed and empathetic. Sophie Haydock on The Flames was really arresting. Discussing her beautiful book, Haydock talked about the artist Egon Schiele and the women he sketched and painted. Always downplayed and made anonymous by the word ‘muses’, we got to hear and see more about the women in the artwork. Giving them spotlight and agency. It was an illuminating and revelatory discussion that introduced me to an artist I was not aware of. It also made me think about the music industry. How women in songs are called ‘muses’ and we do not think about them. How women through the industry and seen as inferior or do not get their stories and voices heard as much as men. That imbalance and gender divide was given new contrast and relevance after I left the evening Sophie Haydock spoke.
IN THIS PHOTO: Award-winning author and journalist, Poorna Bell/PHOTO CREDIT: Alexandra Cameron
Trouble Meets Poorna Bell occurred on 28th June. Her debut novel, In Case of Emergency, was front and centre. An intriguing premise – (In Case of Emergency) “follows the humorous and poignant story of 36-year-old Bel Kumar who has a near-death experience and wakes up in hospital to find her ex-boyfriend has been called as her emergency contact. It prompts a reckoning of how she’s been living her life, and reconnecting with people from her past, who were once important to her“. It was another powerful evening! I thought more about my own life and how I have been living. Whether it is purposeful and worthy…or if I need to rethink things. I have not been close to death to realise that thought, yet the aftermath of hearing Bell speak about her life and how she got where she is now…that gave me a lot of strength and clarity. Plans for the long-term (maybe moving to New York and trying to work in music and film), her words are very much still in my head. I did not go to the event, though I KILLED MY EX x Q&A with Emilie Biason was held at the Rosemary Branch Theatre on 5th July. I saw the play the night after, and I have been inspired by Biason’s incredible words and direction.
Having just finished a run in Edinburgh, the play has a vital aim and objective: “It opens space to initiate meaningful discussions around emotional trauma, encouraging reflection on the vital role of healthy boundaries in our relationships”. I can see this being turned into a film or T.V. comedy-drama. A strong female director and writer, Emilie Biason influenced me instantly – in terms of thinking about the amazing women through music, film and the arts telling powerful, touching and original stories. How important their work and voices are. "No Offence, But..." With Gina Martin & Charlie Craggs was tremendous! Gina Martin is a gender equality campaigner, speaker and writer whose work focuses on gender, misogyny and sexual violence. She is a proud ambassador for UNWomen UK and Beyond Equality. She was speaking about her book and how she helped bring about a huge moment that made upskirting a criminal offence. Sharing her experiences and diving into her book, Charlie Craggs talked about her life as a trans woman and a lot of the ignorance and hatred she has received. Their research, writing and discussions highlighted tricky and potential divisive conversations that are hard to navigate. The book, through information, advice and statistics, shows how we can navigate those tricky conversations. I will talk more about them both soon. I would advise you pick up Charlie Craggs’s book, To My Trans Sisters. It is essential reading!
On 9th August, The Trouble Club welcomed A Celebration of Black Womanhood with Catherine Joy White. Discussing her book, This Thread of Gold: A Celebration of Black Womanhood, White spoke (beautifully) about important Black women; this resistance from inspiring disruptors who we should all remember and celebrate. This is what you need to know: “From Alice Walker to Beyonce, from Audre Lorde to Doreen Lawrence, from Aretha Franklin to Zendaya: Catherine Joy White charts her own journey to self-discovery through the prism of extraordinary women to create a beautiful tapestry of Black joy”. In my music journalism, I am seeing so many influential and strong women creating this resistance and disruption. Whether it is against gender bias or the rise of sexual assaults through the industry – more on that later -, Catherine Joy White’s book gave much food for thought! Vogue's Annie Lord & Actress Rebecca Humphries’s On Love, Heartbreak & Toxic Relationships went down on 16th August. Humphries’s book, Why Did You Stay?, talks about the self-worth. Framed around a toxic relationship – though it is about empowerment and self-worth and not controversy or being a victim -, she is reclaiming her identity from the very public victimhood she endured after her partner was caught cheating on a prime-time T.V. show (Strictly Come Dancing’s Seann Walsh). Annie Lord’s Notes on Heartbreak is almost like a journal and diary. Looking back at ill-advised relationship and decisions, both women were extremely open and inspiring in their relations and honesty. This openness and strength was extremely moving. The joys and pains of being in love. Whether there is public fall-out or private pain, there was so much I took away from them that I use in my work now! As I will discuss soon, Russell Brand’s crimes (I have to say ‘alleged’, though there is fact to all allegations) are very relevant when it comes to some of the stuff Humphries and Lord was saying. Same goes for Gina Martin (and, in fact, all the women who speak for The Trouble Club and all those in attendance).
IN THIS PHOTO: Actress, author and journalist Rebecca Humphries
On 25th August, An Evening with Yomi Adegoke took place. Adegoke’s best-selling book, The List, is must-read. Here is the skinny: “Ola Olajide, a high-profile journalist, is marrying the love of her life in one month's time. Young, beautiful, successful – she and her fiancé Michael seem to have it all. That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message: ‘Oh my god, have you seen The List?’ It began as a list of anonymous allegations about abusive men. Now it has been published online. Ola made her name breaking exactly this type of story. She would usually be the first to cover it, calling for the men to be fired. Except today, Michael’s name is on there. With their future on the line, Ola gives Michael an ultimatum to prove his innocence by their wedding day, but will the truth of what happened change everything for both of them?”. Relevant when she wrote it and relevant today – again, Russell Brand spring to mind -, she is a brilliant author. The novel was the subject of a recent article in The New York Times. Again, The List is being brought to the screen. So watch this space! Four more events to go. Dawn Butler On A Purposeful Life was held on 29th August…
Her book, A Purposeful Life (which you can also find here), is inspiring: “As the third Black woman ever to be elected as an MP, and the first elected African-Caribbean woman to become a Government Minister, Dawn Butler is a true pioneer. Famously ejected from the House of Commons for calling Boris Johnson a liar, her tireless campaigning to eradicate injustice - from the NHS to the Metropolitan Police - has changed lives. Until now, she's never talked openly about what has inspired and motivated her to persevere in the face of oppression. Drawing on lessons from her own life, Dawn shows how traditional routes to power are outdated and reveals that it's easier than we think to disrupt a broken system. From her early life to the Palace of Westminster, she shares the values, people, places and beliefs that have helped her to forge her own authentic path to power”. I am reading the book right now. I was mesmerised when Butler spoke for The Trouble Club. On 14th September, The Betrayal of the NHS with Dr Julia Patterson found Patterson speak about her book, Critical: Why the NHS is Being Betrayed and How We Can Fight for it. It is shocking how the Government is neglecting the NHS. Such a vital pillar and foundation that is fundamental and essential to us all, I cam away with a new thought: no matter if it is an intuition, small music venue or beloved venue, letting something die that is so vital and integral to a community or country needs to be challenged and stopped!
The wonderous Transforming Pain into Poetry: An Evening with Aija Mayrock was one of the most powerful and memorable events I have been at. Mayrock read from her volume of poetry, Dear Girl. I carry it around with me! It is about this: “From a poet and celebrated spoken-word performer comes a debut poetry collection that takes readers on an empowering, lyrical journey exploring truth, silence, wounds, healing, and the resilience we all share. Dear Girl is a journey from girlhood to womanhood through poetry. It is the search for truth in silence. The freeing of the tongue. It is deep wounds and deep healing. And the resilience that lies within us. It is a love letter. To the sisterhood”. I am sadly going to miss Explorer Jacki Hill-Murphy On The Greatest Female Adventurers tomorrow (29th September) owing to family commitments and train strikes. I am really gutted! I will go and see An Evening with Bestselling Author, Kate Mosse on 3rd October, The Trouble Club STORY SLAM on 5th October, In Black and White with Alexandra Wilson on 10th October, Sharing is Caring: Eleanor Tucker on the Sharing Economy on 12th October, and The Balanced Brain with Camilla Nord on 26th October – so I can’t complain too much…my diary is pretty full! I hope too to be at Trouble's Big Night Out: Featuring Caroline Criado Perez & Kelechi Okafor on 18th December at Conway Hall.
IN THIS PHOTO: Dr. Julia Patterson (with Eleanor Newton, right) photographed at The Hearth, London on 14th September, 2023 (she was speaking about the NHS, her experiences of being a doctor, and the amazing book, Critical: Why the NHS is Being Betrayed and How We Can Fight for it)/PHOTO CREDIT: Alice Lubbock
The most recent event I attended, on 19th September, was the inaugural Trouble In Business: Triumphs & Challenges from the FTSE Women Leaders Review. Charlotte Moore hosted the amazing Diana Brightmore-Armour, Ann Francke, and Pavita Cooper, where they discussed thew progress of women in business and whether that FTSE review was all positive – or whether there are still a lot of issues to address. It was a very busy and interesting evening where I learned a lot. Things that I can relate to the music industry and use. There is a private screening of Fair Play + Q&A with Director Chloe Domont & Emerald Fennell on Monday (2nd October) that I was not quite quick enough to get a ticket for! I will definitely check out the film, as I am a big fan of Emerald Fennell. Every event I attend is enriching and useful in various ways. Overall, it is the experience of hearing these women speak and, every time, being motivated to do more. Whether it is calling out men in the music industry who are controversial or abusive, or highlighting gender discrepancies and imbalance through festivals and radio playlists, so much of that motivation and education arises from these Trouble Club events. So, once more, a huge thanks to them! In terms embracing music from women in music and exploring the great range of sounds and stories, it has compelled me to write a feature about the best albums from women this year. Those - and dozens more - who warrant a lot of respect and opportunities.
I am going to address the title of this feature as quickly as I can. When it comes to what I do – music journalism -, there is a lot to celebrate. Women are producing the best music around. In fact, on Saturday, I am publishing a feature listing the fifteen best albums made by women this year. Kylie’s Minogue’s latest, TENSION, has been receiving rave reviews. At fifty-five, she is still right at her peak! Showing that ageism levelled against her by stations such as BBC Radio 1 are embarrassing! Brilliance is brilliance…regardless of age! Women get sidelined and are subject to ageism a lot. So many of the best artists coming through are women. There is a lot to celebrate at the moment. Even so, there is still massive inequality. There are some incredible change makers and game changers out there. Each time I attend a Trouble Club event, I can use something (some thread of gold) to apply to my work. Ideas come up and I am led to think more deeply about women’s experiences in music and why recognising their brilliance and fighting for their rights is so vital. Something Gina Martin posted recently got me thinking. Comedian (supposedly) Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and controlling and abusive behaviour. There is this article from The Times that is devastating and appalling in addition to being revealing and hugely important.
IN THIS PHOTO: Russell Brand (photo and composite courtesy of Cosmopolitan)
A Dispatches investigation that went out on Channel 4 was such a powerful and often disturbing case study of a man who has abused and assaulted women. A figure, as the title suggested, was in plain sight and doing this all of the time. Such intensely shocking viewing, I can emphasise with Gina Martin when she says maybe so many people who have been speaking about Brand and how horrifying this is will not keep that pressure up. He is high-profile and famous. What about all the other incidents of rape and sexual abuse that get reported going forward?! She has to fight so hard! But is everyone doing all they can?! That stirred me! Marina Hyde recently shared an article where she highlighted the media in the noughties and how there was this toxic culture of misogyny. I realised that every woman who I have seen speak for The Trouble Club has experienced some form of sexual abuse, assault, or harassment, misogyny and sexism. Every woman who has attended any event. Speakers like Gina Martin and Marina Hyde have…
IN THIS PHOTO: Charlie Craggs/PHOTO CREDIT: Laurence Philomene
We all have to confront the past and put women first. Believe women. So many people defended Russell Brand and came up with things like “Innocent until proven guilty”. Like this was trial by media! That he doesn’t seem to be a rapist – like there is a type that rings alarm bells when they step into a room! -, and so many other horrifying words. Doubting the women who spoke to Dispatches. Like they were doing it for a payout (someone on Twitter rightly asked how many women do you know get rich off of making false sexual assault claims?!). It was all very disgusting and problematic. In the future, we need to look back to the past and a culture that we celebrated and spotlighted. Whether ‘lad culture’ or just the fact the '90s and '00s was something that seemed okay at the time, there is this reckoning where we are looking at mistakes and wondering how someone like Brand, in plain sight and very clearly abusive and troubling (we saw clips on Dispatches of him talking about his sexual escapades and using really degrading language), got away with it for so long! When all these allegations (truths) came to light – and there have been allegations made since - there will be a tidal wave of change and campaigning. It got me thinking about every woman I have seen speak at The Trouble Club. I turned that to music and how every woman, in some form, has experienced sexual abuse, assault, harassment – or received unwanted sexually explicit images or language that is derogatory or foul. It has fired me up to ask whether music has had its awakening. When will it engage in the #MeToo movement. I am not more determined more than ever to not let women like Gina Martin down! Whatever gender you are, there is this time and real emergency where we need to ensure that men like Russell Brand are brought to justice and are not allowed to predate and abuse women.
I am adding this segment today (27th September) in reaction and relation to two news stories that occurred that have caused a big reaction online. The senseless and barbaric killing of a Croydon schoolgirl left us stunned and appalled. The victim, Eliyanna, was trying to protect her friend from her knife-wielding ex-boyfriend. The boy is said to have pulled out a foot-long knife and stabbed the girl after she leapt to her friend’s defence. Not only did it raise the issue around violence against women and girls. It also highlighted the discussion around incels and radicalising figures like Andrew Tate, whose toxic masculinity mandates and poisonous ideologies are sending out very dangerous messages. A rise in knife crimes and murders of teens in London is disturbing and needs to be addressed. So many people on social media have been sharing their thoughts. Many have been sharing a famous quote by a former Trouble Club guest, Margaret Atwood: “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them”. Her work around misogyny that runs through society seems as relevant and powerful now as it ever has.
IN THIS PHOTO: Poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist and inventor, Margaret Atwood/PHOTO CREDIT: Pari Dukovic for The New Yorker
In addition to that horrific incident, Laurence Fox was suspended from GB News along with Dan Wooton after Fox’s misogynistic, sexist, and abusive comments about political correspondent Ava Evans. She has responded to the comments made about her. It provoked fury online and once more brought to the centre how there are disturbing and hateful people like Lawrence Fox who are given a platform to say the most atrocious and disgusting things. The fact this all came to a head yesterday and provoked such a reaction made me think about every guest I have seen at The Trouble Club. Those who I have not, such as Margaret Atwood, were in my mind. How so many women are trying to raise funds, start movements and make change but are unable to. Because the Government are not funding them or reacting to their vital work. It makes me think about future Trouble Club guest, Marina Hyde, and her words. In addition to the news yesterday making my stomach turn and building such anger and upset, this desire to say and do something, anything, to help was huge. I have spoken to an organisation fighting for women’s safety and rights regarding an interview and partnering with them. It doesn’t seem enough but, as so many like them keeping fighting and are not being heard, so many men need to get involved and start having difficult conversations. I cannot do the gravity of these crimes and controversies much justice here…suffice it to say, I am seeing that we are at a breaking point. At a watershed moment where there needs to be a tsunami of activation and cultural change!
IN THIS PHOTO: Acclaimed actress, filmmaker and writer, Emerald Fennell
There is a lot to be positive about, mind. I am looking forward to what events The Trouble Club host next year. Maybe filmmakers, actors or those in the music or film industry will speak. Maybe they might cost a lot, but how much of a dream would it be to see someone like Margot Robbie or Greta Gerwig speak?! In terms of the music industry, there are so many artists and those in positions of power who could speak about equality and empowering women. I shall leave my powder dry and not put it into the ether yet; suffice it to say, I have a wedding list of brilliant women who would bring something rich, important and thought-provoking to a potential future event. Before wrapping up, it is worth mentioning filmmakers like Greta Gerwig. As director and co-writer (with her partner Noah Baumbach) of Barbie, she has set record and inspired female directors. We still talk about ‘women in film’, like it is a charity thing (Adam Buxton raised that with Gerwig when she spoke with him around the release of her 2018 film, Lady Bird). I have written a separate feature that discusses the brilliant women in film this year (I am sad I was not fast enough to get a ticket for Private Screening of Fair Play + Q&A with Director Chloe Domont & Emerald Fennell (at The Soho Hotel on 2nd October), as I am a huge fan of both). How Margot Robbie brought the concept of a Barbie film to Gerwig. How this film has inspired so many people. Why it is a feminist work. It is also one that received a lot of features and discussion. How people incorrectly assumed it isn’t feminist or is offensive to the way they portrayed men (not mentioning the countless film that insulted and degraded women that were never protested and attacked, not least of all by men).
I shall not go on here - though it is vital to highlight the pioneers and remarkable women like Gerwig, Robbie, playwright-cum-director/writer Celine Song and her film, Past Lives. Incredible women like Molly Gordon (who co-wrote and starred in one of this year’s best films, Theatre Camp), Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott (who wrote + directed the hilarious Bottoms), and Adele Lim, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Teresa Hsiao (directors and writers of Joy Ride). Get to a place where there is equality in the film business. Even though there is a strike on that is impacting the whole industry, we can see that many of the best and most important films of this year have been helmed and made by women! As I said, I have gone into more detail in another feature. I will wrap it up now. I wanted to follow up from a previous feature about The Trouble Club and say how important it has been to me. Making me more outgoing, I have spoken with and been around so many interesting people. I look forward to the remaining events in 2023! I have been inspired to think about my own life and where I want to go. Think more deeply about women’s issues and how there is still so much discrimination. Compel movement in the music industry in the wake of Russell Brand’s crimes. The brilliant books I have bought after events and how I am absorbing so much from each of them. I will leave things there; thought I will revisit The Trouble Club and produce a third feature...
SOMETIME next year.