Biography

Introduction

The Slits are a British punk rock band. The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators. The members were Ari Up (Arianna Forster) and Palmolive (Paloma Romero, who later left to join The Raincoats), with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members, Kate Korus and Suzy Gutsy. Palmolive was replaced by the drummer Budgie (aka Pete Clarke), formerly of The Spitfire Boys and later to join Siouxsie & the Banshees. Although not all line-ups were exclusively female, the three main female members appeared on most record covers and publicity photos, and the group was generally presented as a female band.

Career

1976-1982

The group supported fellow punk band The Clash on their 1977 White Riot tour along with the Buzzcocks and the Subway Sect.

Captured on a Peel Session, the Slits' originally raw and raucous live sound was cleaned up and polished by the time of their debut album. A mixture of reggae rhythms, scratchy guitars, anger and mischief, the Dennis Bovell produced debut album Cut was released in September 1979 on Island Records. The album's cover art depicted the band naked, except for mud and loincloths. Palmolive left before the recording sessions for Cut, partly because she disliked the others' sleeve concept.

Their sound and attitude became increasingly experimental and avant-garde during the early 1980s, when they formed an alliance with Bristol post-punk band The Pop Group, sharing a drummer (Bruce Smith) and releasing a joint single, "In The Beginning There was Rhythm" / "Where There's A Will" (Y Records), followed by a bizarre, uncommercial, untitled album of mostly home-made demo recordings, and a few more singles. The band toured widely and released another album, Return of the Giant Slits before breaking up in early 1982. Ari Up went on to be part of the New Age Steppers.

2005-present

Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt reformed the band with new members in 2005, and in 2006 released the EP Revenge of the Killer Slits. The EP featured former Sex Pistols member Paul Cook and Marco Pirroni (ex-Adam and the Ants, and Siouxsie & the Banshees) as both musicians and co-producers. In fact, Cook's daughter Hollie is a member of the current line-up, singing and playing keyboards. Other members of the reformed band were No (of The Home office) on guitar, German drummer Anna Schulte, and Adele Wilson on guitar.

The band toured the United States for the first time in twenty five years during 2006's 'States of Mind' tour. In 2007, they toured Australia as well as returning to the United States, where they opened for Sonic Youth at New York's McCarren Park Pool. In their first ever visit to that country, the band undertook a short tour of Japan in October 2007.

In 2008, the band again toured America. Adele Wilson left the band and No was replaced by the American guitarist, Michelle Hill. In November 2008, the band played Ladyfest in Manchester, and visited London Astoria the following month. As of January 2009 The Slits' MySpace page lists former guitarist Viv Albertine as one of the groups current members, however Albertine's own MySpace blog states that she only rejoined to play two shows.

In January 2009, Narnack Records announced they had signed the band to a recording contract.

A full length album entitled Trapped Animal is scheduled for October 2009 release.

The band have also announced a live return, headlining London's Offset Festival, alongside fellow luminaries, A Certain Ratio.

A biography - Typical Girls? The Story Of The Slits by Zoe Street Howe was published in the UK by Omnibus Press in July 2009.

Discography

Studio albums (contemporary)

Cut (Island (UK) / Antilles (USA), September 1979) - UK #30
The Slits (Y, May 1980)
Return of the Giant Slits (CBS, October 1981)

Later albums and compilations

Double Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit, November 1988)
In the Beginning (Jungle, 1997)
Live at the Gibus Club (Castle Music / Sanctuary, February 2005 - recorded January 1978)

Singles and EPs

"Typical Girls" / "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Island (UK) / Antilles (USA), September 1979, also issued as a 12-inch EP with additional alternate versions) UK #60
"In the Beginning There Was Rhythm" (Y, March 1980, split single with The Pop Group)
"Man Next Door" / "Man Next Door (version)" (Y, June 1980)
"Animal Space" / "Animal Spacier" (Human (UK), 1981, also issued as a 12-inch EP on Human (USA) with different tracks)
"Earthbeat" / "Earthdub" / "Begin Again, Rhythm" (CBS, August 1981 (UK), December 1981 (U.S.), 7 inch single with the first 2 tracks, and 12 inch EP with 3 tracks)
"American Radio Interview (Winter 1980)" / "Face Dub" (CBS, October 1981, bonus record included with Return of the Giant Slits album, side one plays at 33 rpm)
The Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit, February 1987)
Revenge of the Killer Slits (2006)