I first came across the lesbian-feminist band Stray Dags during my first visit to Australia in 1982. I was instantly struck by the name, having just been introduced to the Australian word ‘dag’ (which is the lump of poo that hangs off the wool around a sheep’s backside).

‘The Dags’ had formed (if you’ll pardon the expression) from some of the women involved in Sydney’s ‘Women’s Warehouse’. This was a women-only social space that provided a range of facilities including a print shop, a music co-op and a performance area.

Following in the punk tradition that was prevalent at that time, most of the band members learned to play as they went along. As their abilities and fame developed, they played further and further afield, including gigs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. Many of these were gay and lesbian dances that were, at that time, one of the main forms of LGBT organisation.

In 1983 they released an album ‘Lemons Alive!’, which featured a range of lesbian-feminist songs, including ‘Het Jungle’, ‘Avon Calling’ and ‘Rude Girls’. The album went to Number One in the independent album charts.

Stray Dags were – Tina Harris (vocals and guitar), Chris Burke (drums), Celeste Howden (bass), Mystery Carnage (vocals, percussion) and Ludo McFerran (tenor sax).