Dayglo - The Poly Styrene Story by Celeste Bell and Zoe Howe

Poly Styrene was, of course, the multi-racial, female singer for the highly influential and unique punk rock'n'roll band, X-Ray Spex, formed at the beginning of the British punk scene. Celeste Bell is her daughter and Zoe Howe is a writer who had worked with Poly previously. Here, they tell her tale with excerpts from her diary, interviews, tons of original memorabilia, as well as her friends'n'peers, along with some of those who she influenced.

Although still a young teen when she formed the band, Poly had already been out'n'about on her own, seeing the country, living with hippies, taking various dead-end jobs, starting her own used clothing stall and fashion line (using the names Poly Styrene and X-Ray Spex before they were used for music), acting, recording a pop-reggae tune and living with a man twice her age who ended up being her manager.

Of course, once the band started, things moved fast - gigs, recordings, a hit single, TV appearances, and a fantastic album that holds up to this day, in every way. She perpetrated an entire concept - lyrically, musically and visually - much more so that most of the other groups of the time. The authors do get into the aspects of feminism (there are interviews with later Riot Grrrls and Poly's influence on them) and race and the changes that punk was supposed to help bring about - like the hippies before them - that we are still fighting for.

Unfortunately for Poly, the band, and the fans, Poly started exhibiting signs of mental illness before the album had even been completed - she was later diagnosed as bipolar - and she had several stints in a sanitarium. Between this - besides the strain of her departures, the group lost and/or were forced to cancel many gigs and tours at the last second - and her own changing musical tastes, the band broke up just as it was peaking and Poly started a quieter solo career before marrying and having a little girl. Of course, her life was still not quiet or complete and she joined the Hare Krishnas, got a divorce, occasionally would do some music and would have manic episodes on a regular basis. After a successful one-off X-Ray Spex  reunion, she was diagnosed with cancer, did one last album, and passed away in 2011.

Told with love and respect, but without holding back in describing the bad times, the story is at once compelling, inspirational and quite sad. It is very possible that without her illness, Poly would not have been nearly as creative'n'original as she was, but do to it, she was rarely truly happy. Another story of some of the best art coming from the most tortured people.