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Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British punk/Post-punk band. Their musical career also encompassed the gothic rock and new wave genres. One of the most successful groups to emerge from the punk rock movement of the late 1970s, Siouxsie and the Banshees have sold nearly 50 million records worldwide.

Formation

The band was originally formed to fill an empty space on a bill at the first UK based 'international punk rock festival'. This show was organised by Malcolm McLaren at the 100 Club in London's Oxford Street on September 20th, 1976.

The initial line up consisted of 'Bromley Contingent' members Siouxsie Sioux (real name Susan Janet Ballion), Steven Severin (real name Steven Bailey aka Steve Spunker/Havoc), Marco Pirroni (later of Adam and the Ants and Rema Rema) and John Simon Ritchie, later famous as Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, on drums. On this occasion their set consisted of a lengthy and chaotic improvisation based around "The Lord's Prayer", which also included lines from songs like "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", "Smoke On The Water" and "Twist and Shout".

"God it was awful" and "excruciating!" were two eye-witness accounts of their performance. This was not a unanimous view, however. A recording of the concert, though of relatively poor quality, demonstrates that the group gave a performance which commanded and repaid attention.

Style and notoriety

Siouxsie courted much controversy in the band's early days with her dress, often wearing 'bondage' clothes and fetish wear. She was also heavily criticized for wearing swastica armbands, although she always maintained that this was intended to be for 'shock value' rather than any form of display of Nazi or fascist political sympathies.

Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones' infamous "you dirty bastard, what a fuckin' rotter" comment during the band's December 1976 interview with Bill Grundy, which helped to fuel their notoriety, was sparked when Grundy attempted to 'chat up' Siouxsie on prime time TV.

History

By February 1977 the Banshees were taking themselves seriously as a musical unit. They recruited Kenny Morris and Pete Fenton to their line up, which was by now gigging regularly and had attracted a solid fan base. Fenton was subsequently sacked and replaced in July by John McKay. It was not until 1978 that they finally obtained a record contract with Polydor Records, whereupon they released their first single "Hong Kong Garden" (which reached the top 10 in the UK), followed soon after by the album The Scream.

Their second album, Join Hands, was released in 1979, and included a lengthy version of the aforementioned "Lord's Prayer" track. However, two days into a tour promoting this album, Morris and McKay unexpectedly quit the band. They were hastily replaced by Robert Smith (whose band The Cure opened for the Banshees during the tour) on guitar and Budgie (real name Peter Clarke, formerly of The Slits, Big In Japan and The Spitfire Boys) on drums. After the completion of the tour, Budgie stayed on as the Banshees' permanent drummer, whilst John McGeoch, formerly of Magazine, joined as guitarist.

McGeoch played on the albums Kaleidoscope, Ju-Ju, and A Kiss in the Dreamhouse. He was hospitalized in 1982 after collapsing onstage in Madrid during the tour for the latter. He was replaced on tour by Smith, who later became a full time member. Smith contributed to the live double album Nocturne and to Hyaena, but quit the following year to concentrate all his energy on fronting The Cure.

Ex-Clock DVA guitarist John Valentine Carruthers replaced Smith. The Banshees recorded the Thorn EP with Carruthers and cellist/keyboardist Martin McCarrick, who later became a full-time member.

1986 saw the release of Tinderbox and the single "Cities in Dust," followed in 1987 by the non-album single "Song From the Edge of the World" and the covers album Through the Looking Glass. Carruthers was absent from one of the music videos.

Following a lengthy break, the rest of the band recruited McCarrick and the ex-Specimen guitarist Jon Klein and recorded Peepshow, Superstition and The Rapture. Klein left after the completion of the latter album, and was replaced on tour by ex-Psychedelic Furs guitarist Knox Chandler.

While probably best known for songs like "Kiss Them For Me", Siouxsie and the Banshees have done everything from punk (in the 1970s) to goth to new wave. How to classify this band depends on what era/song/album one is talking about.

Siouxsie and her husband Budgie also started an irregular side-project band called The Creatures in 1981 which, especially since the demise of The Banshees, has become the full time vehicle for their recording activities.

Influence

Out of all the bands to emerge from the original UK punk scene and later the post punk and goth rock scenes, Siouxsie and the Banshees still remain one of the most influential. Unlike many of the other bands that came out at this time, Siouxsie and the Banshees never were considered sell outs by their fans. The band in their 20 years influenced many bands of all kinds of genres and styles on music with everyone from Janes Addiction to Jesus and Mary Chain to Garbage and Jack Off Jill to The Cure have all stated that Siouxsie and the Banshees influenced them.

Discography

For a complete list of albums, EPs, singles and videos see Siouxsie & the Banshees discography.

Trivia

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Siouxsie & the Banshees".

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