| Brix Smith | |
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Brix Smith with The Fall (left: Steve Hanley), Perverted By Language Tour, Hamburg (Markthalle), 13.April 1984 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Laura Elisse Salenger |
| Also known as | Brix Smith-Start |
| Born | November 12, 1962 |
| Genres | punk rock, post-punk |
| Occupations | Musician, fashion retailer and presenter |
| Instruments | Vocals/Guitar |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Associated acts | Fall, The Adult Net |
Brix Smith-Start (born November 12, 1962 as Laura Elisse Salenger in Los Angeles, California) is an American singer, guitarist and television presenter, best known for being a member of post-punk band The Fall, and as lead singer and songwriter with The Adult Net.
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Brix grew up in Los Angeles and Chicago. While in Chicago, she formed a band called "Banda Dratsing", and was their bassist/vocalist. Brix studied theatre and literature at Bennington College in Vermont.[1]
Brix married Fall vocalist Mark E. Smith in 1983, and joined the band on guitar and vocals in the same year. She first appeared on the Perverted by Language album. During her period with the band she helped introduce a more mainstream, pop-oriented element to the group's sound. She divorced Smith and left The Fall in 1989. She temporarily rejoined the group for Cerebral Caustic (1995) and The Light User Syndrome (1996).
In 1985, Brix started her side project, The Adult Net, with fellow Fall member, Simon Rogers, and other contributors (including Mark E. Smith). The band released four singles for The Fall's then label Beggars Banquet Records in 1985 and 1986, starting with a cover of Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incense and Peppermints".
After three years and an album recorded with members of The Smiths, The Adult Net released The Honey Tangle in 1989 on Phonogram Records. This line up included Brix along with musicians including Craig Gannon, The The member James Eller and Blondie drummer Clem Burke.
After leaving The Fall and disbanding The Adult Net, Brix went on to tour with The Bangles. She became romantically involved with violinist Nigel Kennedy, and they collaborated on a cover of Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" which was released as a single in 1993 on Nettwerk.
In 1994, Brix had auditioned for Hole after the death of bassist Kristen Pfaff, but she decided she didn't want to commit to being in the band full-time.[2]
In 1997, she released the Happy Unbirthday EP on Strangelove. The EP is a collaboration with Marty Willson-Piper and includes a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity".
In 2007, Brix put out her first solo LP Neurotica which is available as a digital download on Loser Friendly Records.
Brix married Philip Start, and the couple launched an East London boutique, Start, in 2002. Since then, they have expanded to four boutiques and an online store.
In recent years, as Brix Smith-Start, she has appeared on numerous British television shows, such as Channel 4's Gok's Fashion Fix, as a fashion expert. She's also appeared on Animal Planet UK's Top Dog, The Culture Show on BBC Two, the John Peel's Record Box documentary on Channel 4, LK Today's 'What's Hot and What's Not' segment[3] and Sky 1's Angela and Friends.[4]
On 27 February 2011 she appeared as fashion expert on Sky television's coverage of the 2011 Academy Awards.
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