Zoe Howe - Typical Girls?: The Story of the Slits

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T he first time I heard The Slits was on a punk compilation someone had given me as a birthday present. I put it on my CD walkman, holding it very carefully as I was being hurled down Londons Holloway Road on a lurchy bus. I couldnt stop playing this one track, The Slits version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. It was so much fun, and it had so much going on in it. Aris quivering, stuttering voice was so mischievous, Viv and Tessas backing vocals sounded so tough, basically the whole thing was just unlike anything else. These were atypical girls, and there was a definite resonance there for me. Why hadnt I heard about this group before?

My next step was to buy their debut album, Cut. I may have been discovering it years after its initial release, but this was a vital moment. The music and attitude were exhilarating, curious, funny and fresh, it was a relief in a way to have found it. Its potency clearly hadnt diminished, it changed something fundamental for me. The intense creativity and fearlessness that went into it practically hit me over the head with the concept they had lived and breathed: that anyone could do anything if they wanted to and live without limits. It was beyond gender and beyond punk.

I remember carrying a CD copy of Cut in my bag during my first year as a freelance journalist. Whenever I worked at a new place, I would often try to sneak something onto the office stereo. That would be my test if they were open-minded enough to give Cut a chance, then I knew it probably wasnt a bad place to work for a while.

I wanted to know more about The Slits and their process, how they made this wonderful album, who they were singing about, and what moved them. Someone must have written a book about them, or so I thought. There were several on The Clash, plenty on punk in general, one on Riot Grrl even, but I wanted to read a book about The Slits in their own right. So, after a fruitless search, I decided Id better get cracking on it myself. It became a dream and a mission that was several years in the making and, serendipitously, the publication of it would coincide with the 30-year anniversary of Cut (and me).

Writing about The Slits and their work could never be done secondhand, as far as I was concerned; this involved speaking directly to all of them and the Slits Family, in Aris words. (The Slits Family includes Don Letts, Keith Levene, Steve Beresford, Paul Rutherford, Vivien Goldman, The Pop Group, Budgie and others, all of whom are a part of this book.) This resulted in many hours of conversation, the airing of some fantastic anecdotes, the birth of some friendships, the receipt of some hefty transatlantic phone bills (worth it of course) and many, many cups of tea and the odd sugar rush. (Christmas cake, in Budgies case. His visit was fortunately timed as I still had a few slabs of my mums festive masterpiece in the cupboard. Keith Levenes interview, on the other hand, was powered by a sizeable bag of white chocolate rainbow drops he procured from the sweet shop below my flat.)

The Slits themselves have been there for this project from the word go, and have in different ways been incredibly helpful. Initial wariness from some quarters was understandable no one had approached them in this way before and The Slits, sadly, were used to being exploited. But I was at pains to show that I wanted to do the opposite and shine a light on them and what they did, not to mention give them a platform to smash up some myths and share their own perspective of what was happening around them.

Tessa Pollitt was the first Slit I met on my adventure. Originally known as the quiet, mysterious one who rarely spoke in interviews, she has been an active part of the day-to-day making of this book. She connected me with different parts of the Slits jigsaw, as did Viv and Ari, calmly breaking down brick walls if need be. (Metaphorically speaking, of course. Although Tessa does do jujitsu.) I was also allowed to leaf through her vintage Slits scrapbook, into which she has pasted clippings and images, all surrounded by her own doodles and quirky illustrations. Her new cat, Jinxy, hid in my bag on one visit, and it was tempting to sneak it home and plead ignorance. But as I say, she does jujitsu.

Meeting Viv, whose cat also took great interest in the proceedings, was special too, particularly because, up to that point, Viv had not been especially keen to talk about punk. It was uncertain initially whether I would be able to speak to her at all. But she agreed to be involved and has been a generous and invaluable support throughout the entire process, which also saw her reconnect with Tessa and Ari and make a return to music in her own right. Ari, playing thoughtfully with her Rasta-Rapunzel locks, was passionate and witty as she unleashed free-form anecdotes and pinsharp memories (in the unique accent Dennis Bovell describes with affection as Ger-maican) on a wet, windy November evening in Soho during a brief visit from Jamaica. Her enthusiasm has also been a vital force, and as she herself has expressed, The Slits music, ideology and visual style should no longer be ignored.

The Slits were more than wild girl punks, and they ultimately proved that they could play, becoming innovative and exciting composers and mergers of musical genres in a way that hadnt been tried before. But they were hard to handle and impossible to categorise, which may explain why they have, in Tessas words, been written out of the history books or the her-story books. However, the support for this project from every direction is testament to how respected The Slits and their timeless legacy actually are. Its a thrill to be able to say my first book is about this important group of individuals, who all continue to inspire me. I hope they, and you, enjoy it.

Zo Street Howe
Soho
January 2009

I d like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the following people who have helped to make this book possible, and much more besides. Very special thanks to Tessa Pollitt, Viv Albertine and Ari Up, for giving their time and trust and sharing their memories with grace, generosity and humour. Thanks also go to Slits founders Paloma Palmolive McLardy and Kate Corris, and boy-Slits Peter Budgie Clarke, Steve Beresford and Bruce Smith for the good vibes and reminiscences.

Ann Needham and Frank Andrews at Ridge Farm studios allowed myself and my glamorous assistant (Dylan) to rifle through documents, take pictures, eat their jam and play with the cat, and for all of those things we are very grateful.