Kaleidoscope: A Retrospective of Siouxsie and The Banshees
Click below on the streaming service of your choice to listen to the playlist as your read along. Playlist songs are bolded in the profile.
“Harmful elements in the air / Symbols clashing everywhere” – and with those fitting lyrics so began the startling and mesmerizing career of seminal 1980s band, Siouxsie and the Banshees. Beguiling, talented, mysterious, beautiful, and unique, Siouxsie Sioux (pronounce it Suzie Sue) and her band carved a distinct and influential path through the 1980s that launched out of the original punk scene, drove the post-punk era, helped launch goth, and finished as one of the few, and perhaps least likely, acts of their era to finish strong into the 1990s. Always hard to pigeonhole into any one genre, the band’s sound evolved yet always remained apart, exploring its own textures and sounds with little heed to the trends of the day. In so doing, Siouxsie and the Banshees were successful in their native UK but only occasionally taken up internationally, yet remain one of the most respected and consistent acts of the early modern rock era.
Birth of the Banshees
Siouxsie in the days of the Bromley Contingent, replete with Swastika armband and cupless bra.
The Playlist
Hong Kong Garden
Overground
Mirage
The Staircase (Mystery)
Playground Twist
Mittageisen
Love In a Void
Happy House
Christine
Israel
Spellbound
Arabian Knights
Monitor
Fireworks
Cascade
Melt
Slowdive
Dazzle
Swimming Horses
Placebo Effect
Sweetest Chill
Cities in Dust
Song from The Edge of The World
Peek-A-Boo
The Killing Jar
The Last Beat of My Heart
Kiss Them for Me
Little Sister
The Ghost in You
Face to Face
O Baby
Fall from Grace
The story of The Banshees is built around the friendship of Siouxsie and Steven Severin, the only mainstays of the band’s twenty-year career, though they were joined by an impressive array of supporting band members over their tenure. Born as Susan Ballion in South London and raised in the suburbs, Siouxsie had a difficult upbringing, including being assaulted at the age of nine, that led to her diffident and individualistic character. By the mid-‘70s, in her late teens and out of school, she was finding her way among the clubs of London and the emerging punk scene. She fell in with the Bromley Contingent, a group of punks (including a future Billy Idol) that followed the Sex Pistols around in their formative days and early shows, and who collectively did much to establish the hallmark looks and fashions of the London punk aesthetic. Siouxsie didn’t care for the Bromley nickname, and like her goth association, would forever eschew being grouped into any movement that bred conformity. Consistent with that ethos, in early 1976, approaching the age of nineteen, she adopted the alternative spelling of Susie, made deceptively childlike by the repetition (there is no evidence of any intended reference to the American First Nation). Note, she was not yet a performer, this was just a personal choice for her identity. Growing out of the glam look and influenced by the underground gay clubs, she also developed her own aesthetic of heavy make-up, spiky black hair, and fetish wear – she was punk before there was punk.
Siouxsie’s look was often a source of conflict. She later noted that once punk was branded, it became an issue for her and her peers. When she moved around London in her outlandish outfits in 1975 and ’76, people mostly avoided and ignored her – which likely suited her. But when punk became a thing, suddenly there was a backlash and people started to hassle her. It didn’t help that she had a penchant for wearing a swastika armband, intended to rile “the bourgeoisie” as opposed to being a political statement, regardless it was a symbol that led to trouble. In France, while attending a Pistols gig, she was beaten up. She received her first dose of notoriety while attending the famous Bill Grundy interview with The Sex Pistols in December 1976 when Grundy started flirting with her, leading to Steve Jones to call him a “dirty sod” and a “dirty old man.” The interview devolved into a profanity laced affair, which being live television caused a sensation and contributed to the lore of The Pistols and made Siouxsie and her look a focus of national disdain.
The Sex Pistols on the Today show with Bill Grundy. Siouxsie is on the right in white, smoking.
Steven Severin was born in North London as Steven Bailey and raised in Bromley, not far from Siouxsie. He met his future bandmate at a Roxy Music concert in 1975, and it was as friends that they fell in with the Bromley Contingent in 1976 after seeing The Sex Pistols perform. It was an auspicious year as The Pistols and other acts started to coalesce their frenetic rock sound into the discernable elements of the new punk genre, a process helped by the notable two-day event in September of the ‘100 Club Punk Festival’. Organized by punk clothing shop owner (along with Vivienne Westwood) and The Pistols manager, Malcolm McLaren. When one act withdrew from the festival, Siouxsie and Steven convinced McLaren to let them perform in the vacant slot, despite not having a band. With Siouxsie planning to sing and Steven taking up the bass, they recruited Marco Pirroni (future member of Adam and the Ants) on guitar and John Simon Ritchie (not sure if he was known as Sid Vicious yet) on drums. They called themselves The Banshees after the 1970 horror film, Cry of the Banshee, which featured Vincent Price and referenced Edgar Allan Poe in its promotions. A banshee was a female spirit in Irish folklore whose wails heralded the death of a family member. Indeed, it was a name that was a harbinger of the band’s association with goth. The hastily assembled quartet performed a twenty-minute, feedback strewn, caustic version of The Lord’s Prayer. It was not a debut that suggested a long and successful career.
The Bromley Contingent, with Siouxsie, second from left, and Steven, third from right
McKay and Morris and shaping the proto-goth sound
The formation of the band had been impetuous, and there were no plans to continue, except that the performance generated interest from fans and promoters looking to meet the growing demand for punk shows. Siouxsie and Severin decided to carry on, with Peter Fenton on guitar and Kenny Morris on drums. Fenton wasn’t a fit and was replaced by John McKay as the band played shows into 1977, building a repertoire of original songs that drew on their influences from Krautrock, glam, and punk. The band’s profile continued to grow after their first television appearance on Tony Wilson’s show, So It Goes, and then a recording with BBC DJ, John Peel, of the machine-like, plodding track, “Metal Postcard.”
The Banshees in 1978 (L to R): Steven Severin, John McKay, Kenny Morris, and Siouxsie Sioux
Interest from labels grew, assisted in part by a graffiti campaign by their fans, who sprayed the message, “Sign the Banshees: do it now,” on the walls of the labels’ buildings. The band held off signing until they were ensured they would have control over their sound. After watching The Sex Pistols cycle through three labels and flame out in early 1978, and The Clash run into issues with their label, documented in their September 1977 single, “Complete Control,” The Banshees wanted to ensure they avoided the same issues. It was maturity, patience, and discretion not often seen among punk bands (or any other genre, for that matter) that foretold this band’s potential for a lasting presence. The Banshees finally signed with Polydor in 1978, an historic German-English label that was operating as a sub-label to the major, Polygram. They joined fellow punkers, The Jam, as well as glam and mod era acts such as Slade and The Who, on the label.
The first single, “Hong Kong Garden,” was released in August of 1978, by which time punk was already losing steam and diverging into its many post-punk offshoots such as new wave and dark wave. So, as much as The Banshees had been embraced as part of the London punk scene, there was still a receptive audience to their darkly coloured, post-punk sound. The song was recorded with producer Steve Lilywhite after dissatisfaction with a first cut with another producer, showing right of the gate the band was in full control of their métier. Lillywhite was critical in helping the band translate their live sound into a recording that was polished, yet retained the band’s mysterious, brooding character. Written about a Chinese take-away the band frequented, the John McKay penned tune had a pop sensibility but, with a rumbling bass line and Siouxsie’s echoey, dark vocal, it sounded like nothing else out there. The band was off and running with immediate success as the single reached #7 in the UK singles chart. It was one of the first hits of the modern rock era, and in particular the post-punk/dark wave genre, making both the band and the song influential and important progenitors of the new sound.
Three months later arrived the debut LP, The Scream. Co-produced by Steve Lillywhite and the band (of course), there were no singles issued yet the band’s success from “Hong Kong Garden” carried through, along with praise from critics, pushing the album to a #12 peak in the UK album chart. It was a lofty height for such a different sounding album than what was popular at the time – the UK singles and album chart was dominated by the soundtrack for the movie, Grease, at the time. Angular, cutting guitars, propulsive drums, brooding bass, and the dramatic vocal style made for an intoxicating and moody group of songs. For the nascent post-punks, it was a clarion call, influencing the likes of Joy Division, Killing Joke, and The Cure.
The album opened with the short, sparse, brooding instrumental, “Pure,” immediately giving notice this was not going to be a typical rock record. The LP included the Peel Session track, “Metal Postcard,” along with The Beatles’, “Helter Skelter,” the first of the many covers the band would offer over their career. “Overground” was the standout track, starting with the affecting duo of Siouxsie and McKay’s sparse guitar, before settling into a mid-tempo mix of marching guitar, drums, and bass. “Mirage” was another killer track, mixing some pop accessibility into the band’s pointed, guitar-driven punky sound.
The Scream is recognized as an important, early contributor to the evolution of what would eventually be recognized as goth, genre that was largely based on dark wave music paired with horror themes and black, Victorian fashion. Siouxsie never embraced the goth label, but her look and the band’s sound irrefutably fit the mold. Part of her disdain for the association was the legion of young goth women that modelled their look after her which offended her sense of individualism.
While women were certainly a part of the punk and post-punk scene, they were a small minority. Siouxsie was one of the few, and certainly the most prominent, to make a place for females within the genre. With her dramatic sound and look, she was a fascinating icon for the movement – irrepressibly independent and seemingly unapproachable while still intoxicatingly attractive both artistically and physically.
Siouxsie, as photographed in New York by Lynn Goldsmith in 1980
1979 was another busy year for The Banshees as they released their second single in March, “The Staircase (Mystery)”. It was another fantastic offering of the band’s heavy rhythms underpinning Siouxsie’s affecting vocals. It didn’t chart as highly as their debut single but reached a respectable #24 in the UK singles chart. It and “Hong Kong Garden” were added to the 2005 re-issue of The Scream. The single had a cover of T. Rex’s “20th Century Boy” on the B-side.
The second album, Join Hands, was released in September. After watching TV reports of war in Iran and witnessing increased strife over the prior few years in the UK related to a rise in neo-Nazism, labour disputes including garbage strike, and an historic heat wave, the band chose to build the LP around the theme of war and conflict. After watching a Remembrance Day commemoration, they chose WWI as the theme. The short opening track, “Poppy Day,” started with church bells and then moved through an darkly ambient, mid-tempo, Joy Division-ish track. It was followed by “Regal Zone,” in which the swirling, edgy guitar and pounding rhythms were enhanced by a discordant sax from McKay, adding a new dynamic to the band’s sound. This time a single was issued from the LP, “Playground Twist,” released three months prior to the LP. It was an epic track, bringing the band’s sound to more of a chaotic, breathless swirl than anything released yet. It was again accented with sax. The LP closed with “The Lord’s Prayer,” providing a studio recording of the song that launched the band three years prior. The LP charted well, peaking at #13 in the UK album chart, just one spot lower than the debut had achieved.
Released the same month as the LP was a double A-side single, “Mittageisen” / “Love in A Void.” This was the third time “Mittageisen” had been recorded, the first two being for John Peel and then for the first LP, both under the name, “Metal Postcard.” This time the lyrics were sung in German and it was released first in that country with “Love in A Void” as the B-side, before getting it’s double A-side release in the UK. “Love in A Void” took the swirling beauty of “Playground Twist” and ramped up the energy to a deliriously wonderful whirlwind. It was the song from the single that carried through for the band, appearing later on their greatest hits compilations and become one of their better-known tracks. However, the single failed to crack the top forty in the UK, their first to fall short of that threshold.
As the band embarked on a tour to promote the album, an argument at a record store signing session between McKay and Morris with Siouxsie and the band’s manager, Nils Stevenson, led to the guitarist and drummer leaving the band. Scrambling to restore their line-up for the remaining shows, they enlisted Robert Smith of The Cure on guitar and Peter “Budgie” Clarke from The Slits.
Budgie, McGeoch, and an evolving sound
The loss of McKay and Morris was unfortunate, especially McKay whose guitar sound and playing style has since been recognized as being significantly influential on the subsequent waves of dark wave bands and on to the shoegaze sound. However, they did well to gain guitarist John McGeoch from the band, Magazine. Budgie stayed on as their drummer. Their first recording was the single, “Happy House,” released in March of 1980, followed by another single, “Christine,” issued in May. Both were included in the next LP, the band’s third, titled Kaleidoscope and released in August. Success continued for The Banshees as the LP cracked the top ten in the UK, “Happy House” reached the top twenty, and “Christine” hit #22 in the UK singles chart.
The line-up change resulted in a change in sound. Siouxsie had also taken a doctor-mandated health break, during which she learned some guitar and keyboards and focused on writing. It should be noted that, even though Siouxsie was identified separate from the band, the writing was a shared endeavour across all band members and credited as such. This wasn’t Siouxsie with a backing band.
The Banshees in 1981 (L to R): Siouxsie, Peter ‘Budgie’ Clarke, John McGeoch, and Steven Severin
Siouxsie and Steven played synthesizer on the new album, created a broader musical landscape for them to explore their sound. The result was stupendous. “Christine” is one of my all-time favourite songs and just the pure essence of cool. The light strumming guitar, driving drum and bass, Siouxsie’s perfect vocal, and the airy, mysterious sound created by it all, riding an impeccable melody, was a fantastic mix of pop and dark wave. As a listener, you wanted to know who was Christine, the “strawberry girl”? The answer was Christine Sizemore, a woman with multi-personality disorder who was the inspiration for the 1957 book and movie, The Three Faces of Eve, a fact not made public until 1977 (the B-side to the single was “Eve White, Eve Black,” which were two of the names for Christine’s personalities). “Happy House” hewed closer to their prior sound, though was accented by effects from the synths for extra colour, but another catchy, mesmerizing tune. Overall, the album was more accessible, less moody, but still dark and affecting. It was a brilliant album that ensured Siouxsie and the Banshees were one of the leading champions of the post-punk sound.
The next non-album single was “Israel,” released in November. Another fantastic song, it continued the band’s mastery of blending catchy melodies with dark rhythms. Perhaps its haunting elements and swirling echoes were a bit off-putting, as remarkably the single fell just short of the UK top forty.
Juju, the band’s fourth album released in June 1981, picked up where Kaleidoscope and “Israel” had left off. The LP reached #7 for the second consecutive UK top ten. Internationally, only Australia and New Zealand had given The Banshees any chart love, though not too highly. In North America, college radio and alternative stations were championing the band, but they were not finding a broader audience. In Toronto, where at age eleven I wasn’t yet aware of the band, local station CFNY had Kaleidoscope at #22 in their 1980 year-end list of albums, while Juju came in similarly at #23 in ’81. The album issued two singles, “Spellbound” and “Arabian Knights,” both of which reached the top forty in the UK.
The album continued to present the band in more accessible and intriguing ways. “Spellbound” kicked off the LP and was consistent with their sound, but the album’s second track, “Into the Light,” displayed a more adept use of pace and hooks, but was too sharp for a single. “Arabian Knights,” the album’s second single, continued to adeptly employ their mix of beat-driven rhythms and smart, dark wave melodies riding edgy guitar and Siouxsie’s rich vocals. “Monitor” was a wonderfully aggressive example of the band’s pop-punk sound, bringing all their elements into an exhilarating and big sound. There should have been more singles from this album.
Budgie and Siouxsie began a relationship in 1981 and also formed a side-project called Creatures. The music was just voice and drums and presented and intriguing alternative to The Banshees sound. Their first release was an EP, Wild Things, released in September, in which the cover featured the pair in a rapturous (and drunken? Given Siouxsie was holding a glass of wine and Budgie looked possible passed out) embrace.
1982 saw the band continue apace, not having taken a break since their first release in 1978. May saw the release of the next single, “Fireworks,” which for the first time saw the band incorporate strings. Oddly, given the band’s flair for the dramatic, the choice of using strings in an up-tempo, almost straight-ahead rock tune, was a bit odd. More of a rocker than typically offered, it was a less intriguing song for The Banshees, but still clicked with listeners and reached a respectable #22 in the UK singles chart.
The use of strings continued to the next album, A Kiss in the Dreamhouse, released in November. Two singles were released, “Slowdive” (from which the shoegaze band of the same name took their inspiration) and “Melt,” neither of which reached the top forty. Similarly, the album also fell just short of the top ten to end their little streak.
Described as psychedelic, the use of strings combined with less melody made for an album that wasn’t as catchy, still typically dark a la Banshees’ style, and overall less consistent start to finish compared to the two prior albums. However, that didn’t mean it didn’t have many great tracks in addition to the singles, such as, “Cascade” and “She’s A Carnival.” “Obsession” sounded a bit like a Creatures track, and “Melt” provided more of a sultry, slow ballad than usually offered from the band.
The Banshees with Robert Smith (second from right)
In late ’82, McGeoch was fired from the band as his problems with alcohol were becoming a problem. Again, Robert Smith came in to fill the gap. Wanting to capture his participation in the band, they released a single in ’83, an utterly fantastic cover of The Beatles’ track, “Dear Prudence.” It reached #3 in the UK singles chart and remains the highest charting single of the band’s career. It is included in the accompanying post to this profile on the band’s many great covers.
Otherwise, there were no original songs issued by the band in 1983 as The Banshees took their first break. Siouxsie and Budgie released Creatures first album, Feast, and Severin and Smith formed a band, The Glove, who released an album, Blue Sunshine. The Banshees released a live album, Nocturne, near the end of the year.
Revolving guitarists and US breakthrough
The period of 1983 to 1985 was the peak of the new wave and post-punk era and the last years such music enjoyed broad appeal. Siouxsie and the Banshees continued to march to their own drummer, evolving their sound in ways that bore little resemblance to the larger trends of the day. Hyaena, their sixth LP, was released in June 1984 and recorded by the new line-up with Robert Smith. Therefore, the guitar did not have the caustic energy of their earlier work with McKay and McGeoch, and instead featured the more melodic, accented approaches of Smith and for which The Cure was so well known. As The Cure was coming off their darkest period following the release of the Pornography LP in 1982 and the departure of bassist Simon Gallup, Smith was looking to brighten his mood and escape the clutches of a near breakdown. That was not to say, though, that Hyaena ended up being a bright and happy album – that just wasn’t in The Banshees repertoire – but it would be yet another shift in sound for the band.
Opening with a sweet orchestral opening, the lead track and second single, “Dazzle,” did suggest something quite new for Siouxsie. But once it shifted into a fast, beat-driven track with dramatic string accents and Smith’s moody guitar, it was clearly still a Banshees song. The beats and emphasis on angular, rhythmic compositions held through the LP. The first single, “Swimming Horses,” bounced on a piano rhythm interspersed with odd synth sounds and acoustic guitar. The album was good, but saw the band exploring different, lighter textures that rode over the typically dark rhythms. The results varied from exhilarating, such as on “Running Town,” to fractured, plodding and cold, as with “We Hunger” – not bad, but not as engaging as their prior work. The two singles reached the top forty and the LP hit #15, and notably was their first to crack the top 200 in the US. This was due to having signed with Geffen Records in the US (they remained with Polydor in the UK) and the inclusion of “Dear Prudence” on the stateside release.
With Smith choosing to focus on The Cure going forward, the band found themselves once again without a guitarist, and turned to ex-Clock DVA member, John Carruthers. His first recording was the EP, The Thorn, released in October. The release featured the single, “Overground,” a new recording of the track from their first LP that shifted from the sharp guitars to the orchestral flourishes they were now exploring. The EP also included three new songs including, “Placebo Effect,” a great little tune that leaned back to their traditional, dark wave-punk sound. Neither the single or the EP reached the top forty in the UK.
Steven, Siouxsie, Budgie, and John Carruthers
The band’s new, less frenetic pace saw another year off as they recharged and recorded. The first sign of what was to come next was the first single from the upcoming album, “Cities in Dust,” released in October 1985. Oddly, as the peak of modern rock ebbed in the UK, North Americans suddenly started to embrace it and the leading bands of the UK scene suddenly found themselves increasingly popular. New Order, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, U2, Simple Minds, and others suddenly went from playing smaller halls to amphitheatres and even arenas. There was even some chart action. To that end, “Cities in Dust” saw The Banshees reach #17 on the US Dance Chart while hitting #21 in the UK singles chart. Yes, that’s right, they charted on the Dance chart in the US. While not exactly a clean fit, “Cities in Dust” did have a funkier beat than was typical for Siouxsie. A little brighter, pop-infused, and with a hooky chorus, the single suggested the band was continuing a gradual move from the murky themes of their quintessential dark wave sound.
The album, Tinderbox, was released in April 1986, again reaching the top twenty in the UK (as had all seven of their LPs to date), but also cracking the top 100 in the US. “Candyman” was the second single and the LP’s lead track, and it just made it into the top forty in the UK. It was an okay song but did feel like the band’s sound was thinning out and becoming a bit dull. Despite the song having many effects and nuances, overall the rhythm and melody of the tune lacked an edge or memorable hook. The second track, “Sweetest Chill,” was much better in capturing the band’s talents for depth, mood, and an enticing melody. The orchestration of the prior releases was eased up on Tinderbox, instead opting for more synths and electronics. However, the main thrust of the album was still their trademark drum and bass bottom end, powering Siouxsie’s dramatic turns and now Carruthers guitar accents, which hewed closely to the patterns of the band’s predecessor axemen. Perhaps that was why, after issuing an album of cover songs in 1987, Through the Looking Glass, the band decided to part ways with Carruthers.
Pop goes Siouxsie
The album of covers allowed Siouxsie and crew to display their adeptness across a variety of interesting sources and featured several outstanding tracks such as The Band’s “Wheel’s on Fire” and Iggy Pop’s, “The Passenger.” After releasing Carruthers, the band added multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick and guitarist Jon Klein to become a quintet for the first time. Their first release was a single in July 1987, “Song from The Edge of The World.” It was the most pop and straightforward sounding The Banshees had ever sounded. Featuring a big chorus, the song was propelled by a quick beat, bright keyboards and guitar, and avoided the shadowy darkness of their typical vibe. Fans weren’t buying it as it was their lowest UK charting single yet at #59.
The Banshees as a quintet (clockwise from top left): Budgie, Jon Klein, Steven, Siouxsie, and Martin McCarrick
The band’s ninth LP, Peepshow, arrived in September 1988 and presented Siouxsie and the Banshees in its most varied and accessible version yet. The first single and the LP’s lead track, “Peek-A-Boo,” took their drum sound to its starkest iteration, mixing with an accordian, it brought an almost hip hop quality to their dark swirl, especially with Siouxsie’s mix of spoken and howled vocals. It was their fifth single to pierce the UK top twenty and it even reached #53 in the US singles chart – their first ever charting single stateside. It also reached #14 in the US dance and #1 in the US alternative charts. The second single was also the album’s second track, “The Killing Jar,” this time again using strings to accent the song’s bouncy rhythm and dramatic flair. The LP’s penultimate track was a moody, graceful ballad, “The Last Beat of My Heart,” revealing The Banshees at their most graceful, quietly powerful, and accessible form to date. The trio of singles propelled Peepshow to #20 in the UK, their weakest charting spot of their career in their homeland, the but more accessible sounds got it to #68 in the US, their best showing yet.
Once again, the band took time off in 1989 for other projects. Siouxsie and Budgie released their second LP as The Creatures, Boomerang. Severin and McCarrick worked together on Steven’s first solo work, which was music for a 1989 short film that wouldn’t see a release until 2012. Reworking the material into a soundtrack LP, Visions, the music also had a delayed release, not coming out until 1998.
Over the next six years, Siouxsie and the Banshees released two more LPs, Superstition in 1991 and The Rapture in 1995, and had a high-profile single from the 1992 Batman Returns soundtrack, “Face to Face.” There would only be one more line-up change as Klein was replaced on guitar by Knox Chandler for their final tour, making him the eighth person to fill that slot in the band’s eighteen-year career. The common thread through these releases was a lighter, more pop oriented sound from the band, though still grounded in the dark moods of the band’s oeuvre. Keeping the dramatic turns and mixes of drums, bass, and strings – and of course Siouxsie’s unmistakable, wonderful voice – there was an unmistakable lightness and increased playfulness in their sound, none moreso than in their single, “O Baby,” a track almost unrecognizable as a Banshees tune.
The band’s late trend of slightly lesser success in the UK but middling achievement in the US continued but didn’t stop Polydor from dropping the band after the release of The Rapture. After twenty years together, The Banshees disbanded as Siouxsie and Budgie chose to focus on The Creatures. While there have been compilation releases over the last twenty-five years, the band has never reformed. Siouxsie issued a wonderful solo LP, Mantaray, in 2007, but otherwise has only put out one additional digital single since, “Love Crime,” in 2015 (featured in the television show, Hannibal). She and Budgie also ended their relationship in 2007 and Siouxsie has largely remained out of the public eye since.
Other than being a band I quite liked and knew well during my teen years; I didn’t follow The Banshees too closely in my listening habits. I eventually picked up their singles compilations, Once Upon A Time and Twice Upon A Time, and the Superstition CD got a healthy amount of time on my stereo in the early ‘90s, but until then it was thanks to radio stations like Toronto’s CFNY and the band’s steady presence on video stations (early for me on the likes of City Limits and then eventually on MuchMusic) that I managed to develop an appreciation and closeness to The Banshees’ music. I caught them in concert early in 1992 in Toronto, as part of a wonderful double-bill with The Wonderstuff. I’d heard Siouxsie’s shows early in her career could be uneven and disappointing, but in her twilight delivered a memorable and intoxicating performance. She was such an iconic and bewitching figure; I was just awed to be in her presence.
The mainstays: Steven, Siouxsie, and Budgie
Siouxsie and the Banshees were one of the most successful, visually recognizable, and influential of the post-punk acts, evolving their sound over eleven albums yet always remaining anchored to the sonic tenets of dark rhythms and dramatic turns. They moved forward but never with a particular adherence to the trends of the day. Originality and individuality were the hallmarks of their output. Always the face of the band, much of their success and iconic stature derived from Siouxsie, whose enthralling mix of brooding vocals and haunting, punky-goth beauty set a visual template many would follow. Despite a steady march of guitarists – though of some pedigree thanks to the likes of John McKay, Robert Smith, and John McGeoch – it was a testament to the trio of Siouxsie, her stalwart bandmate, Steven Severin, and both her romantic and creative partner, Budgie, that the band’s consistency of quality and harmonic threads held strongly throughout. Siouxsie and The Banshees are Titans of the Modern Rock era.
