She began visiting local gay discos in Bromley near her home and in 1976 with her friend Steven Severin, went to see the Sex Pistols play in London. They decided to follow them regularly and she became well known in the London club scene for her fetish- and bondage-inspired attire and signature cat-eye make-up, which along with Jordan Mooney’s styling and Vivienne Westwood’s designs became the look of punk. They formed a band and first played at the 100 Club Punk Festival organised by Malcolm McLaren.
Becoming known as the Bromley contingent of Sex Pistols followers, she appeared with them on Bill Grundy’s infamous television show in late 1976. It was the first time the F-word had been used on daytime tv and created a media furore. Aware of the escalating press hysteria surrounding the Sex Pistols deliberately stirred up by McLaren, she began to distance herself. Three months later Siouxsie and the Banshees began touring and released their first top ten hit single Hong Kong Garden. With its oriental inflected xylophone sound, Melody Maker deemed it: “A glorious debut . . . strident and powerful with tantalising oriental guitar riffs plus vocals that are the result of anger, disdain and isolation.”
The band continued to have a number of hits and in 1995 they recorded their last studio album. Many artists have stated her strong influence on their own musical development including Robert Smith of The Cure, Dave Grohl, Damon Albarn and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke who said of her: “She was absolutely amazing. She’s totally in command of the whole audience . . . she was really sexy but absolutely terrifying.” Morrissey said: “(Nobody) are as good as Siouxsie and the Banshees at full pelt. That’s not dusty nostalgia, that’s fact.” Siouxsie has inspired many female singers too, including Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters, Courtney Love, Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries, Alison Goldfrapp and Florence Welch.
