Image by Michael Boyd
The Slits convince Chicago they're out of hiding
March 19, 2008 at Subterranean
By Noreen Sobczyk
Published: March 21st, 2008 | 5:35pm
Hitting the stage with a gold-flecked scarf in her Medusa-like hair, bejeweled and chained belt, and quilted silver boots, one thing is certain about Slits' frontwoman Ari Up: she's a woman not afraid to accessorize. Disposing swiftly of the mic stand, Up announced the return of the band to the new music scene by stating, "Keep it bright, because we're no longer in hiding." Up, along with bassist and original member Tessa Pollitt, backing vocalist and keyboardist Hollie Cook (daughter of the Sex Pistols' Paul Cook,), guitarist Michelle Hill, and drummer Anna Schulte formed a motley crew suffering from colds no doubt obtained from varying weather conditions on the road.
Up's humorous stage banter was punctuated with coughs as she encouraged the audience to "Scream like you're running from the police" before launching into an energetic version of "Shoplifting." As might be expected from an all-female, punk-infused band, feminism peppered the evening with lyrics such as "typical girls feel fat" from their classic song "Typical Girls" (during which two audience members were brought onstage to perform backup duty with Cook). Up, grabbing her crotch, exclaimed proudly to a largely 20-something audience, "Own your property."
In terms of newer material, the standout was "Slits Tradition," which the band played with a sense of fun and exuberance similar in feeling and tone to a Le Tigre chant. Up again reminded the audience that this was not a retro affair by repeating that "The Slits exist!" The evening started with gleeful energy (and a lot of audience participation through "bird sounds"), which later shifted palpably as a fight engaged and a drunken girl — who was falling more than dancing — claimed she had been hit by a man. The band was confused and tried to bring some positive vibes back to the event by launching into a dancehall tune about Jamaican gun violence with the lyrics "No more crew war."
When asked what the audience wanted to hear, many shouted out the classic cover "Heard it Through the Grapevine," to which Up spat with contempt, "Heard it through my poom poom," gesturing to her crotch again. She further expressed disgust with the request by yelling that she has three kids, and the band would play "no more old shit." One can understand the requests for old material, since the only "new" tracks the audience could know were three songs released more than a year ago. Perhaps in an attempt to assuage the tension, Up, for the second time in the evening, led the band into a freeform chant encouraging the audience to repeat “Tessa wants high grade, Holly wants high grade,” etc.
If nothing else, it's an interesting way for a band to score a pot hookup. Unfortunately, to the band's chagrin, the request was never honored. Up explained after the show that generally people pass them weed during that song. Ah, I see — it's a Slits tradition.
Comments
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BeverlyBryan (4 months)
What can this mean?
NoreenSobczyk (4 months)
The band plans to continue to record new material.
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