When I put the record on it was like nothing I’d heard before. It
was as if
The Slits<\/strong> had stolen their beats from the gaps in other
peoples’ songs. The rhythms seemed alien but I felt something
click into place – next time I had the bus fare to get to Truro
I found and bought the magnificent
Cut<\/em> and fell in love. Here was something truly radical, with
the chaos and creative destruction that I loved in punk but with
irony and humour and WOMEN.<\/p>\n Ari Up
onstage at Alexandra Palace in 1981<\/p><\/div>\n
The Slits were true musical innovators, drawing as much from
reggae and dub as from the punk scene. They were funny,
aggressive, embarrassing, chaotic, and sexual without trying to be
sexy. From the name of the band onwards they played with gender
and with ideas of what women were and were meant to be.<\/p>\n
The Slits\u2019 lead vocalist
Ari Up<\/strong> (aka InnoDBnna Forster) died yesterday aged
48. She was only 14 when she formed The Slits with drummer
Palmolive (anyone else feel kinda old? Are you even
allowed<\/em> to form a punk band after you\u2019re 20?) and
was still gigging this year. Her music means a lot to me and
to many others, and the importance of The Slits for women in
punk and, well, most alternative music really is difficult to
convey. They cracked the mould.<\/p>\n
Rest in peace, Ari.<\/p>\n
(Post title is from
In The Beginning<\/strong>)<\/p>\n![\"Ari](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Ari-Up.png?resize=300%2C281\")
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