{{Short description|English garage band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Use British English|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox musical artist |name = Thee Headcoatees |image = |background = group_or_band |origin = [[Kent]], England |genre = [[Garage rock#1970s–2000s: Revivalist and hybrid movements|Garage rock revival]], [[Garage punk (fusion genre)|garage punk]] |years_active = 1991–1999; 2025–present |label = Vinyl Japan, [[Damaged Goods (record label)|Damaged Goods]], [[Get Hip Records|Get Hip]], [[Sympathy for the Record Industry]] |website = [http://www.myspace.com/theeheadcoatees Thee Headcoatees' Myspace page] |past_members = [[Holly Golightly (singer)|Holly Golightly]]<br>Kyra LaRubia<br>Ludella Black<br>Debbie Green }}
''' Thee Headcoatees '''are an English all-female [[garage rock|garage]] band formed in [[Chatham, Kent]], [[England]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/thee-headcoatees-mn0000924711/biography|title=Thee Headcoatees - Biography & History|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> They were part of the [[Medway scene]]. The members were [[Holly Golightly (singer)|Holly Golightly]], Kyra LaRubia, Ludella Black and "Bongo" Debbie Green. After disbanding in 1999, the band reformed in 2025 and released the album ''Man-Trap''.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Babey |first=Ged |date=2025-11-14 |title=Thee Headcoatees: Man-Trap - album review |url=https://louderthanwar.com/thee-headcoatees-man-trap-album-review/ |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Louder Than War |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Formation== Thee Headcoatees were formed by [[Billy Childish]] as a backing group for his band [[Thee Headcoats]]. Ludella Black's previous band '''The Delmonas''' had performed the same function for Childish's earlier bands, starting with The Milkshakes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://damagedgoods.co.uk/bands/the-delmonas/|title=The DELMONAS|website=Damagedgoods.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> Their songs were principally written by Billy Childish and were songs that did not suit his own acts.{{cn|date=March 2025}} After Holly Golightly did a cameo appearance with Thee Headcoats, Childish added her to The Delmonas lineup; soon thereafter the band was renamed Thee Headcoatees.
==History== As a backing band Thee Headcoatees initially would just do a few songs to warm up for Thee Headcoats. Their song "Headcoat Girl" on ''The Sisters of Suave'' even states "I wanna be a headcoat girl". In 1991 the band cut their first album ''Girlsville'' for [[Hangman Records]]. It consisted of songs written by Billy Childish and covers of songs by The Kinks (Last Plane Home), The Beatles (Run For Your Life), The Tamrons (Wild Man) and more. In 1998 Debbie Green left the band, which was reduced to a three piece for their final album, ''Here Comes Cessation''. Thee Headcoatees continued to tour with Thee Headcoats until the group folded in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://damagedgoods.co.uk/bands/thee-headcoatees/|title=THEE HEADCOATEES|website=Damagedgoods.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref>
==Post break-up== Holly Golightly has gone on to pursue a solo career, recording more than ten LPs, and has worked with the bands [[The Greenhornes]] and [[The White Stripes]] and in her latter career has formed the band Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs.<ref name = Official-HGL>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollygolightly.com/|title=Holly Golightly website|website=Hollygolightly.com|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> Kyra LaRubia and Debbie Green went on to sing for The A Lines (featuring Delia from [[Mambo Taxi]] and Julie Hamper of Billy Childish's Musicians of the British Empire);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Article/3618/Interviews/A-Lines--Interview|title=A Lines - Interview|website=Pennyblackmusic.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2018|archive-date=24 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624002826/http://www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Article/3618/Interviews/A-Lines--Interview|url-status=dead}}</ref> Green and Black currently play in Ye Nuns.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/nov/17/nuns-on-the-drums-the-bizarre-world-of-superniche-cover-bands|title=Nuns on the drums! The bizarre world of 'superniche' cover bands|first=Michael|last=Hann|date=17 November 2017|access-date=29 December 2018|website=Theguardian.com}}</ref> LaRubia and Black later appeared in The Shall I Say Quois<ref>{{cite web|url=https://damagedgoods.co.uk/bands/the-shall-i-say-quois/|title=THE SHALL I SAY QUOIS|website=Damagedgoods.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> alongside Julie Hamper, while Green also went on to play with Dutronc,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://damagedgoods.co.uk/bands/dutronc/|title=DUTRONC|website=Damagedgoods.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> Baby Birkin<ref>{{cite web|url=https://damagedgoods.co.uk/bands/baby-birkin/|title=BABY BIRKIN|website=Damagedgoods.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> and The Speed of Sound; she also drummed and sang with [[Would-Be-Goods]], and recorded in The Buffets, alongside Hamper.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://damagedgoods.co.uk/bands/the-buffets/|title=THE BUFFETS|website=Damagedgoods.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref>
==Reformation== The band reformed in 2025 and released ''Man-Trap'' that same year.<ref name="auto"/>
==Album discography== *''Girlsville'' (1991)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/girlsville-mw0000098170|title=Girlsville - Thee Headcoatees - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> *''Have Love Will Travel'' (1992)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/have-love-will-travel-mw0000058986|title=Have Love, Will Travel - Thee Headcoatees - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> *''Ballad of the Insolent Pup'' (1994)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ballad-of-the-insolent-pup-mw0000606219|title=Ballad of the Insolent Pup - Thee Headcoatees - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> *''Bozstik Haze'' (1997)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bozstik-haze-mw0000058801|title=Bozstik Haze - Thee Headcoatees - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> *''Punk Girls'' (1997)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/punk-girls-mw0000262138|title=Punk Girls - Thee Headcoatees - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> *''Here Comes Cessation'' (1999)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/here-comes-cessation-mw0000244841|title=Here Comes Cessation - Thee Headcoatees - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> *''The Sisters of Suave'' (1999) [singles compilation]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sisters-of-suave-mw0000668659|title=Sisters of Suave - Thee Headcoatees - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref> *''Man-Trap'' (2025)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.theebillychildish.com/headees.htm Complete discography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060505225234/http://www.theebillychildish.com/headees.htm |date=5 May 2006 }}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Headcoatees, Thee}} [[Category:English punk rock groups]] [[Category:English indie rock groups]] [[Category:English girl groups]] [[Category:English garage punk groups]] [[Category:English all-female bands]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1991]] [[Category:1991 establishments in England]] [[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999]] [[Category:1999 disestablishments in England]] [[Category:Musical groups from Kent]] [[Category:All-female punk bands]]