The Slits
The London all-woman band of Ari Up, Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt, whose Cut (1979) mixed punk with dub.
From a Patti Smith gig
The Slits formed in London in October 1976. According to Zoe Street Howe's Typical Girls? The Story of The Slits (Omnibus, 2009), Ari Up attended a Patti Smith gig at the Hammersmith Odeon, was approached by Palmolive and Kate Korus, and had a first rehearsal the next day; The Tyee puts Ari Up at 14 and a co-founder with Palmolive. The early line-up had Suzy Gutsy and then Tessa Pollitt on bass; Viv Albertine joined on guitar in 1977. Palmolive, born Paloma Romero in Melilla, Spain, wrote the lyrics for early songs such as "Number One Enemy" and "Shoplifting" and joined the Raincoats in 1978.
In 1977 they supported the Clash on the White Riot tour with the Buzzcocks, the Jam, the Prefects and Subway Sect; Albertine told Loud And Quiet that every day the tour manager would threaten to throw them off. They appear in club scenes in The Punk Rock Movie (1978). The first Peel session was recorded on September 19, 1977 and broadcast on September 27, and the second recorded on April 17, 1978 and broadcast on May 22. A live set from the Gibus Club in Paris in January 1978 came out as Live at the Gibus Club in 2005. They signed to Island, toured again with the Clash on the Sort It Out tour in November 1978, and Budgie replaced Palmolive.
Cut and after
Cut came out on September 7, 1979 and reached 30 in the UK. A split single with the Pop Group, "In the Beginning There Was Rhythm", followed in March 1980 on Y, and Bruce Smith joined on drums that year. Return of the Giant Slits came out on CBS in October 1981, with producers Dennis Bovell, Dick O'Dell, Nick Launay and the band; AllMusic gave it 3 of 5 and Pitchfork 7.4. They split in early 1982 (the Ari Up Wikipedia page says 1981), and Ari Up joined the New Age Steppers and later lived in Jamaica and Belize.
Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt reformed the band in 2005, without Albertine. The Revenge of the Killer Slits EP (2006) was co-produced by Paul Cook, Chris Constantinou and Marco Pirroni, and they opened for Sonic Youth at McCarren Park Pool. Trapped Animal came out on Narnack in 2009. Ari Up, born Ariane Daniele Forster in Munich (January 17, 1962 on Wikipedia, January 1 in The Quietus), died on October 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, aged 48. Viv Albertine published the memoirs Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys (2014) and To Throw Away Unopened (2018); the documentary Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits followed in 2018. Rolling Stone says Cut shaped 1990s riot grrrl, and Le Tigre's "Hot Topic" names the band.
Albums
Songs
- Typical Girls Cut · 1979
Track 9 of Cut, released as a single in September 1979 (UK 60).
Sources
- The Slits, Wikipedia
- Ari Up, Wikipedia
- Palmolive (musician), Wikipedia
- Viv Albertine, Wikipedia
- A Challenge to the Very Foundations of Decency, The Tyee (2009-10-22)