Siouxsie Sioux.
Yet another sign I’m getting old: an alt-rock icon from my teen years turned 51 today — Susan Janet Ballion, better known to the world as Siouxsie Sioux (pronounced “Suzie Sue”). She and her band, Siouxsie the Banshees, were a mainstay of my music collection, and if you were a regular at Clark Hall Pub (the engineering pub at Crazy Go Nuts University) during my 1989 – 1994 DJ run, you’d probably hear one of the singles during my alt-rock sets. Somewhere in my parents’ basement is a near-complete collection of Siouxsie and the Banshees vinyl LPs; I’ll have to dig them up sometime.
In her honour, here are some Siouxsie and the Banshees videos for your enjoyment. Happy birthday, Siouxsie!
Here’s Hong Kong Garden by Siouxie and the Banshees, from 1978:
And now, some Siouxsie and the Banshees numbers from my teen years, the eighties. I’ll start with Christine from 1980:
Here’s Cities in Dust, from 1985:
Here’s their 1983 cover of Dear Prudence, which made it to a number of my mix tapes:
I’d be remiss if I didn’t show you the video for the one Siouxsie and the Banshees number that featured an accordion (or at least a very well-synthesized accordion): Peek-a-Boo, from 1988…
And finally, here’s Kiss Them for Me, from 1991, the Lollapalooza era:
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Wow I feel old too now.
Yikes.
It was Neil Finn (Crowded House, Split Enz) and Bruce Cockburn's birthday yesterday as well!
ooo siouxie. we are old. i just got bunnymen tix at radio city with a full orchestra. i am excited to be able to sit for a show! ack!
Siouxsie Sioux will go down in history as one of the most beautiful entertainers of the 20th century. I'm so glad she was taken seriously as a singer and artist.
AMO A SIOUXSIE CRECI CON SU MUSICA GRACIAS SIOUXSIE POR HACERME PASAR MOMENTOS FELICES CON TU MUSICA Y SALUDOS A TODOS LOS GOTICOS DEL MUNDO
OMG!!! I soooooooo luved this era and she was a true icon. I remember dyeing my hair, crimping it and getting it shaved up the sides just like hers and I thought I rocked!! Good times!!!
I remember the Hong Kong Garden tour when they played with the Human League and Spiz Energy before the Human League were well known. That was about the time of The Scream and The HL were doing Being Boiled of something similar.
I also saw Siouxsie and The Banshees when they were on tour with The Cure at Hemel. It might of been called The Icons tour which I beleive was very influentual on the Goth scene. I think that the Banchees only played for about 20 minutes due to crowd fighting. The Cure weren't well know at the time. I remember watching the Cure for their first 2 numbers and thinking, what a bunch of posers and then nipping back into the bar. After the gig the fighting continued and when the police arrived about 20 of us piled into a small minibus. There were bodies on top of bodies as we slowly crawled home back down the motorway.
Ah........punk girls with nasty good looks, I remember Cities in Dust played so loud the guy next door had to come over to get me to tape it for him!!! Cheers.
Anyone have info. on the possibility of when she might be touring again. Just as much as I love her music, she is amazing live. I live in NYC. Cheers.
I just listened to Siouxsie and the Banshees for the first time last week.
And I'm an instant fan!
She doesn't look bad for someone her age, does she?