Saturday, May 31, 2008
Siouxsie Sioux Does Vice Magazine
The utterly fabulous Siouxsie Sioux was interviewed by Vice magazine sometime after she completed her US tour earlier this year. Here are a couple pictures from her spread and excerpts from her interview:
When Siouxsie Sioux climbed onstage at the 100 Club in September 1976 with a band made up of nonmusician buddies—Marco Pirroni, Steven Severin, and Sid Vicious—she probably wasn't thinking about world tours with roadies, lighting rigs, and costume changes 30 years down the line. From all accounts she mostly shrieked the Lord's Prayer over a walloping din created by the guys while dodging loogies. Ah, but fate has its own plans. Sixteen Siouxsie and the Banshees albums, ten Creatures albums, and an insane number of singles (big hits! "Hong Kong Garden," "Dear Prudence," "Cities and Dust," "Peek-a-Boo," "Israel," etc.) later, she's on the road to everywhere with a solo album, Mantaray, and still making 'em hurt with her glittery dark-glam voodoo thing. After a recent US tour, Vice gave her a call in France.
How do you like the US these days?
I really enjoyed America this time. We did pretty much all-new material and some choice oldies, and the response was great. A lot of old regulars, but definitely younger fans coming. The last show we played was Orange County, California, and there were all these really young kids, their mums with them, obviously. There was one girl of nine or ten, she knew all the words.
I could see children loving a Siouxsie Sioux concert, sure.
My catsuits were going down a storm, I think. I really landed them with my Emma Peel look.
Do you think of the new solo album as a continuation of your work with the Banshees and the Creatures?
Lyrically this album is more direct than the others. I've been going through a lot of changes personally. Also, over the years I've seen many aspects of the pop world, the music industry, and life as well.
You're so full-on live. Do you do all those singerly things to protect your voice?
When you've done a lot of touring, it's tough on the vocal cords. The one thing I have learned more recently is doing exercises before I go on stage.
Have you ever gotten up there and nothing came out?
In the past, sure. I've gone onstage knowing I had laryngitis, the worst feeling in the world. In the early days we'd play five or six nights in a row, traveling as well. The voice can't take that kind of punishment. I would always dream of being a backing musician and not having to take the spotlight. There are also singers out there where it's pretty much on one level. They don’t really push up or down or around. It's all midrange.
I have to say, your live performance is a revelation. You look like you’re going through some kind of transformation.
I love touring and playing live. To be able to really go for it and not have any restraints, physical or otherwise. And the subtleties as well, all the control of it. It's so liberating.
Technology worries you?
Well, we're talking about a generation that has grown up with computers. My big worry is that the need to connect with the actual is slowly getting eroded.
How is it being 50?
I'm enjoying it. There are a lot of things where I say, "Oh, that makes sense now." And then I can finally forget about them.
Siouxsie is one of the coolest women on Earth. A lot is made of Madonna's fabulosity but Siouxsie Sioux manages to stay under the radar with her fierceness. She is so talented, I just love absolutely everything she puts out. I'm so glad that she continues to make music because her brand of artistry feels like a dying art form. I treasure my catalog of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Creatures music ... it's the kind of library of song that will last forever -- at least for me. I hope her latest solo album isn't the last ... I'd love to be able to enjoy another 50 years of music from Siouxsie Sioux. Click HERE to read the full Vice magazine interview. [Source]
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When Siouxsie Sioux climbed onstage at the 100 Club in September 1976 with a band made up of nonmusician buddies—Marco Pirroni, Steven Severin, and Sid Vicious—she probably wasn't thinking about world tours with roadies, lighting rigs, and costume changes 30 years down the line. From all accounts she mostly shrieked the Lord's Prayer over a walloping din created by the guys while dodging loogies. Ah, but fate has its own plans. Sixteen Siouxsie and the Banshees albums, ten Creatures albums, and an insane number of singles (big hits! "Hong Kong Garden," "Dear Prudence," "Cities and Dust," "Peek-a-Boo," "Israel," etc.) later, she's on the road to everywhere with a solo album, Mantaray, and still making 'em hurt with her glittery dark-glam voodoo thing. After a recent US tour, Vice gave her a call in France.
How do you like the US these days?
I really enjoyed America this time. We did pretty much all-new material and some choice oldies, and the response was great. A lot of old regulars, but definitely younger fans coming. The last show we played was Orange County, California, and there were all these really young kids, their mums with them, obviously. There was one girl of nine or ten, she knew all the words.
I could see children loving a Siouxsie Sioux concert, sure.
My catsuits were going down a storm, I think. I really landed them with my Emma Peel look.
Do you think of the new solo album as a continuation of your work with the Banshees and the Creatures?
Lyrically this album is more direct than the others. I've been going through a lot of changes personally. Also, over the years I've seen many aspects of the pop world, the music industry, and life as well.
You're so full-on live. Do you do all those singerly things to protect your voice?
When you've done a lot of touring, it's tough on the vocal cords. The one thing I have learned more recently is doing exercises before I go on stage.
Have you ever gotten up there and nothing came out?
In the past, sure. I've gone onstage knowing I had laryngitis, the worst feeling in the world. In the early days we'd play five or six nights in a row, traveling as well. The voice can't take that kind of punishment. I would always dream of being a backing musician and not having to take the spotlight. There are also singers out there where it's pretty much on one level. They don’t really push up or down or around. It's all midrange.
I have to say, your live performance is a revelation. You look like you’re going through some kind of transformation.
I love touring and playing live. To be able to really go for it and not have any restraints, physical or otherwise. And the subtleties as well, all the control of it. It's so liberating.
Technology worries you?
Well, we're talking about a generation that has grown up with computers. My big worry is that the need to connect with the actual is slowly getting eroded.
How is it being 50?
I'm enjoying it. There are a lot of things where I say, "Oh, that makes sense now." And then I can finally forget about them.
Siouxsie is one of the coolest women on Earth. A lot is made of Madonna's fabulosity but Siouxsie Sioux manages to stay under the radar with her fierceness. She is so talented, I just love absolutely everything she puts out. I'm so glad that she continues to make music because her brand of artistry feels like a dying art form. I treasure my catalog of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Creatures music ... it's the kind of library of song that will last forever -- at least for me. I hope her latest solo album isn't the last ... I'd love to be able to enjoy another 50 years of music from Siouxsie Sioux. Click HERE to read the full Vice magazine interview. [Source]
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