Subject Eye

Siouxsie Sioux: Kiss them or Me

Dedicated to Edwige Belmore and Suzie Carr @ girl_novelist

Siouxsie Sioux kissed me on the lips. And yes, when she did this I wasn’t even wearing black. I was wearing a bilious shade of yellow, truth be told. I’m lucky she didn’t slap me. When your idol gives you an unsolicited smack on your kisser it can rock your world or mess with your mind. I believe Siouxsie was just being nice.

I’m such a Siouxsie and The Banshees fan. But like all music fans, I have some very strong emotions attached to what I like. I fell in love with the music of  The Banshees in the late 1970s. As soon as I heard the first single Hong Kong Garden it was love at the first stroke of the vibraphone. I loved the urgency and the musicality of the songs she and her band produced. I idolized Siouxsie; she was one of a small handful of women in what became known as the punk scene. She embodied what it meant to be a strong talented woman with unique and singular voice. And she was the progenitor of several modes of fashion; proto-punk and what is known as Goth would not exist without our Susan J. Ballion.

Siouxsie leading her Banchees.

She and Banshees drummer Budgie had formed an ancillary band called The Creatures in 1981. They were touring to support their CD Anima Animus, and playing at a club called Spa on Bleecker Street, now defunct. This was on the cusp of a time when nightclubs were leaving their days of being dark and spooky (if you need a visual for this, think of the club in the beginning of the movie The Hunger), but still the time when you went out in Manhattan to have fun. What passes for “fun” these days seems to be about paying to be in the same room with famous or wealthy people and watching them have fun.

One of the countless glamorous images of Siouxsie Sioux.

Now back to that kiss: I was leaving an after-party for The Creatures when Siouxsie walked up to me and asked me my name. When I told her, she smiled, grabbed my face and gave me a kiss on my lips. It was not a salacious kiss, people. It was just a gentle kiss. No, maybe it was just a kiss for her. For me, it was something else. It was a big deal for me. I have an exercise for you: close your eyes. Go to a quiet place in your mind (if you are lucky enough to have one). Imagine someone you have held in high regard for a few decades. Now imagine them giving you a kiss. Open your eyes. How was that for you? My kiss from Siouxsie felt like some sort of blessing. Amen. 

Promotional photo of Siouxie for her most recent solo CD MantaRay.

Siouxsie and The Banchees in 1976. 

Also:Check out this composite of Scottish fashion designer Pam Hogg's work, which includes a collection inspired by and featuring Siouxsie as a model (uploaded by voodoo100 via YouTube).