The Slits

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The Slits
The Slits in NYC 2007
The Slits in NYC 2007
Background information
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Punk rock
Post-punk
Years active 1976 – 1981
2006 - present
Label(s) Island Records
CBS
Y Records
Members
Ari Up
Hollie Cook
Michelle Hill
Tessa Pollitt
Anna Schulte
Former members
Kate Korus
Suzy Gutsy
Palmolive
Viv Albertine
Bruce Smith
Budgie
Adele Wilson
No

The Slits are a UK punk rock band. The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators. The members were Ari Up (Arianna Forster) and Palmolive (Paloma Romera, who later left to join The Raincoats), with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members Kate Korus and Suzy Gutsy. Palmolive was replaced by male drummer Budgie (aka Pete Clarke), formerly of The Spitfire Boys and later to join Siouxsie & the Banshees.

Contents

[edit] Career

At their outset, the Slits played a brand of brash, fun, snotty, catchy punk rock naturally suited to supporting The Clash on their 1977 White Riot tour along with the Buzzcocks and the Subway Sect (documented both on- and offstage by Don Letts in The Punk Rock Movie).

As also captured on a legendary Peel Session, the Slits' originally extremely raw and raucous live sound was subsequently cleaned up and considerably polished by the time of their reggae influenced, dub heavy, Dennis Bovell produced 1979 debut album Cut (Island Records). The album's cover art depicts the band naked save for mud and loin-cloths.

Their sound and attitude became increasingly experimental and avant-garde during the early 1980's, when they formed an alliance with Bristol post punk mavericks The Pop Group, sharing a drummer (Bruce Smith) and releasing a joint single, "In The Beginning There was Rhythm" / "Where There's A Will" (Y Records). However, by the time of their second 'official' LP release Return Of The Giant Slits (a 'semi-official' bootleg of poorly recorded early material having been released in the interim by Rough Trade), many felt that their initial energy, exuberance and innovativeness had deserted them.

Various Slits became involved with the On-U dub-jamming project New Age Steppers, along with free improvisers such as Steve Beresford and also a young Neneh Cherry. The band has had such fans as Johnny Rotten, Frank Zappa [1] and British DJ, John Peel. Albertine also collaborated with Singers & Players and The Playgroup. Ari Up has appeared on albums with Rip Rig & Panic, The Slackers, Dubblestandart, and several others.

Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt reformed the band with new members in 2006, and released the EP "Revenge Of The Killer Slits". The EP features former Sex Pistol Paul Cook and Marco Pirroni (ex-Adam & the Ants, and Siouxsie & the Banshees) as both musicians and co-producers. In fact, Cook's daughter Hollie is a member of the current line-up, singing and playing keyboards.

The band toured the United States for the first time in twenty five years during 2006's "States of Mind" tour. In 2007 they toured Australia as well as returning to the United States where they opened for Sonic Youth at NYC's McCarren Park Pool.[2]

In their first ever visit to that country the band did a short tour of Japan in October 2007.

As of March of 2008, The Slits are embarking on a US tour with Brooklyn band Shellshag. Dates include appearances at the SxSW festival. [3]


[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Live albums

  • Bootleg Retrospective (Rough Trade, 1980)
  • Live at the Gibus Club
  • Typical Girls - Live in Cincinnati & San Francisco USA (Basic Records, 1980)

[edit] Compilation albums

[edit] Singles

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Frank Zappa (interview) on The Dick Cavett Show 1980 (PBS)
  2. ^ Slits Set for U.S. Summer Tour Pitchfork, July 6 2007.
  3. ^ *~ Shellshag/Starcleaner Official Website ~*

[edit] External links

[edit] Interviews

[edit] Video