Siouxsie and the Banshees

Siouxsie and the Banshees (/ˈsuzi ænd ðə ˈbænʃiz/ SU-zi-and-the-BAN-shees) were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin. The Times called them "one of the most audacious and uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era".With guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris, they created "a form of post-punk discord full of daring rhythmic and sonic experimentation". Their debut album The Scream (1978) received widespread acclaim. Following membership changes, including the addition of guitarist John McGeoch and drummer Budgie, they changed their musical direction and became one of the most successful alternative pop groups of the 1980s. Their third album Kaleidoscope (1980) peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart. With Juju (1981) which also reached the top 10, they became an influence on the emerging gothic scene.The band made a breakthrough in North America with the multifaceted album Peepshow (1988), which received critical praise. With substantial support from alternative rock radio stations, they achieved a mainstream hit in the US in 1991 with the pop single "Kiss Them for Me". Siouxsie and the Banshees' other best-known songs include "Hong Kong Garden" (1978), "Happy House" (1980), "Spellbound" (1981), "Cities in Dust" (1985) and "Peek-a-Boo" (1988). During their career, Siouxsie and the Banshees released 11 studio albums and 30 singles. The band experienced several line-up changes, with Siouxsie and Severin being the only constant members. They disbanded in 1996.The band were post-punk pioneers. They have been widely influential, both on contemporaries and later acts. They have been cited as an influence by bands such as Joy Division, the Cure, U2, Radiohead, and singers such as Tricky and Jeff Buckley.Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin met at a Roxy Music concert in September 1975, at a time when glam rock had faded and there was nothing new coming through with which they could identify. From February 1976, Siouxsie, Severin and some friends began to follow an unsigned band, the Sex Pistols. Journalist Caroline Coon dubbed them the "Bromley Contingent", as most of them came from the Bromley area of south-east London, a label Severin came to despise. "There was no such thing, it was just a bunch of people drawn together by the way they felt and they looked". They were all inspired by the Sex Pistols and their uncompromising attitude. When they learned that one of the bands scheduled to play the 100 Club Punk Festival, organised by Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, was pulling out from the bill at the last minute, Siouxsie suggested that she and Severin play, even though they had no band name or additional members. Two days later, the pair appeared at the festival held in London on 20 September 1976. With two borrowed musicians at their side, Marco Pirroni on guitar and Sid Vicious on drums, their set consisted of a 20-minute improvisation based on "The Lord's Prayer".

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.