The Slits at ULU

The Slits at ULU

19 October, 2009
by: Gina Louise

I expected many things from this night. Drinking, dancing and general merriment were a given. Getting up on stage with The Slits wasn’t. But after half an hour of Ari’s mesmeric singing and entertaining banter, I want nothing else but to be up there with her. So when she invites a couple of people up to have a bit of a dance, I’m there. Well, I suppose I can cross being on stage with '70s punk legends off my list.

It’s always a bit hit or miss when a blast from the past makes a come back tour. It can all seem a bit contrived, and on occasion, just plain desperate. And being born a little after my time musically, I find this rather frustrating. Like when I went to see Gary Numan expecting a synthy set of '80s electro classics and got an industrial barrage of prog rock noise. Or when I saw the Human League and was greeted by an excess of on-show cellulite and hollow vocals. But when The Slits take to the stage with original members Ari Up and Tess and a couple of new additions, they immediately reaffirm my faith in comebacks, and manage to secure themselves a place up there with my favourite reformation gigs, along with OMD and The Rolling Stones.

When I get to the ULU, I find myself weaving through the '70s punk rock throwbacks populating the crowd, and feel a little out of place. Yet the atmosphere is laid back and excitable: a far cry from the stigma that the punk attitude has made for itself. And when Ari begins her passion fuelled performance, the crowd is delighted. Their rabid blend of punk and reggae has developed from their '70s sound, and they now have a (slightly) modern dub twist to their music. Ari’s singing is an extreme mix of hard reggae lyrics, screeches and bird calls, and has a vocal range to rival Yma Sumac. Her energy is pushed relentlessly through her music, and emanates through the crowd.

One of the newest additions to the group, keyboardist Hollie, adds a softer touch to the harsh angular sounds of Ari, and she is encouraged to perform a solo song half way through the set. Up seems keen to showcase her talents to the crowds, and rightly so, as her voice is as sultry and beautiful as her seductive dancing. This is not to say she isn’t as fiery as the rest of the feminist riot grrrls in the group, and she has no trouble holding her own when Ari energetically acts out to her lyrics ‘I wanna fight’.

Playing for an hour and a half, these girls sure know how to please a crowd. Though multiple costume changes (involving spandex, and the decision to go commando), grinding against a robot pole dancer, and a great interaction with the audience weren’t what I expected from the gig, The Slits have sure showed us a good time, and they haven’t finished yet. As I toddle off to bed, I’m well aware that they have only just begun their night, heading off to their after party/gig. Taking one last look around the room at the ripped tight clad, dirty haired old punks, I find it rather comforting that The Slits have managed to retain their fan base over the years. And after seeing tonight’s performance, I can now understand why.

Click here to read my interview with The Slits
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Gina Louise