Susan
Janet Ballion, known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux (born 27 May
1957), is an English singer, songwriter, musician and
producer. She is best known as the lead singer of the band Siouxsie and
the Banshees (1976–1996) and the drums-and-voice duo the Creatures
(1981–2005).
In February 1976, Siouxsie and her friend Steven Severin (then still called Steven Bailey) went to see Sex Pistols play in the capital. After chatting with members of the band, Siouxsie and Severin decided to follow them regularly. In the following months, journalist Caroline Coon coined the term "Bromley Contingent" to describe this group of eccentric teenagers devoted to the Sex Pistols. Siouxsie became well known in the London club scene for her glam, fetish and bondage attire, which later became part of punk fashion. She would also later epitomise gothic style with her signature cat-eye makeup, deep red lipstick, spiky dyed-black hair and black clothing.
Following the ethos of DIY and the idea that the people in the audience could be the people on stage, Siouxsie and Severin decided to form a band. When a support slot at the 100 Club Punk Festival opened up, they decided to make an attempt at performing, although at that time they did not know how to play any songs. On 20 September 1976, the band improvised music as Siouxsie sang the "Lord's Prayer". The performance lasted 20 minutes.
One of Siouxsie's first public appearances was with the Sex Pistols on Bill Grundy's television show, in December 1976. Standing next to the band, Siouxsie made fun of the presenter when he asked her how she was doing. She responded: "I've always wanted to meet you, Bill". Grundy, who was drunk, suggested a meeting after the show. That directly provoked a reaction from guitarist Steve Jones, who responded with a series of expletive words never heard before on early-evening television. This episode created a media furore on the front covers of several tabloids. Not liking the cliches put forward by the press, Siouxsie decided to focus all her energy on her own band, Siouxsie and the Banshees.
In 1977, Siouxsie began touring in England as Siouxsie and the Banshees. One year later, their first single, "Hong Kong Garden", reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart, it was pop and catchy. Melody Maker deemed it as "a glorious debut [...] All the elements come together with remarkable effect. The song is strident and powerful with tantalising oriental guitar riffs plus words and vocals that are the result of anger, disdain and isolation. No-one will be singled out because everyone is part and parcel of the whole. It might even be a hit".
Their first album, The Scream, was one of the first post-punk records released. It received 5-star reviews in Sounds and Record Mirror. The latter said that the record "points to the future, real music for the new age". The music was different than the single; it was angular, dark and jagged. The Scream was later hailed by NME as one of the best debut albums of all time along with Patti Smith'S Horses. Join Hands followed in 1979 with war as the lyrical theme.
The 1980 album Kaleidoscope marked a change in musical direction with the arrival of John McGeoch and drummer Budgie, the latter whom would continue to perform and record with Siouxsie throughout her career until 2004. The hit single "Happy House" was qualified as "great Pop" with "liquid guitar" and other songs like "Red Light" were layered with electronic sounds. Kaleidoscope widened Siouxsie's audience, reaching the top 5 in the UK charts.
Juju followed in 1981, reaching number 7. Spellbound was released by Polydor on 22 May 1981. The single peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart in 1981. It also reached 64 on the U.S. National Disco Action Top 80 chart.
"Arabian Knights" was released in 1981 as the second and final single released from their fourth studio album, Juju. Siouxsie later commented on the lyrics: "With 'Arabian Knights' it was quite a thrill to get the word 'orifices' on the radio".
During recording sessions for Juju, Siouxsie and Budgie formed a percussion-oriented duo called the Creatures, characterized by a stripped-down sound focused on vocals and drums; their first record, the EP Wild Things, was a commercial success.
In 1982, the Siouxsie and the Banshees' album A Kiss in the Dreamhouse was widely acclaimed by critics. They included strings for the first time on several songs. However, the recording sessions took its toll, and McGeoch was forced to quit the band. In 1983, Siouxsie went to Hawaii to record the Creatures' first album Feast. It was her first incursion into exotica, incorporating sounds of waves, local Hawaiian choirs and local percussion. Later that year, Siouxsie and Budgie released "Right Now", a song from Mel Tormé's repertoire that the Creatures re-orchestrated with brass arrangements; it soon became a top 20 hit single in the UK. Then, with the Banshees (including guitarist Robert Smith of the Cure), she covered the Beatles' "Dear Prudence", which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.Two albums followed with Smith: Nocturne, recorded live in London in 1983, and 1984's Hyæna. In 1985, the single "Cities in Dust" was recorded with sequencers; it climbed to number 21 in the UK charts. Entertainment Weekly noted that it was the first of a handful of alt-rock radio hits in the U.S. 1986's Tinderbox and the 1987 covers album Through the Looking Glass both reached the top 15 in the UK.
Siouxsie and Budgie then went to Andalusia in Spain to record the second Creatures album, Boomerang. The songs took a different direction from previous Creatures works, with backing music ranging from flamenco to jazz and blues styles. It featured brass on most of the songs. The first single was "Standing There". In 1990, she toured for the first time with the Creatures, in Europe and North America.
The last Banshees studio album, The Rapture, was released in 1995; it was written partly in the Toulouse area of France , where she had recently moved. After the accompanying tour, the Banshees announced their split during a press conference called "20 Minutes into 20 Years". The Creatures de facto became her only band. The following year, Siouxsie and Budgie released Anima Animus, the first Creatures album since the split of the Banshees. It included the singles "2nd Floor" and "Prettiest Thing". The material diverged from their former work, with a more urban sound from art rock to electronica. Anima Animus was described by The Times as "hypnotic and inventive". In 2003, Siouxsie and Budgie released the last Creatures album, Hái!, which was in part recorded in Japan, collaborating with taiko player Leonard Eto (previously of the Kodo Drummers).
In 2004 she toured for the first time as a solo act combining Banshees and Creatures songs. Her first solo album, Mantaray, was released in September 2007. In 2008, Siouxsie performed vocals for the track "Careless Love" on The Edge of Love soundtrack by composer Angelo Badalamenti, a frequent collaborator with director David Lynch. In June 2013, after a hiatus of five years, Siouxsie played two nights at the Royal Festival Hall in London during Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival. She performed 1980's Kaleidoscope album live in its entirety, along with other works from her back catalogue, and her performance was hailed by the press.
