The Automatik

An Evening with Siouxsie
House of Blues
September 12, 2004

Last night I saw Siouxsie perform, nearly 20 years after the first time I saw her perform. Then, it was 1985, and it was Siouxsie and the Banshees. This time, the show was billed as “An Evening with Siouxsie” and was promoted as a mix of Banshees and Creatures favorites. I’ll admit that I was never a Creatures fan, not from lack of their talent, but just from my lack of interest. Either the balance of songs last night was off, or my memory is finally failing me, because I only recognized a handful of tunes. John McGeoch was sorely missed (may he rest in peace), as was Steve Severin, who was “replaced” by a young lad playing keyboards and tapes who looked like he was moonlighting from Interpol. Still, it was a thoroughly enjoyable show.

Although the tickets indicated the show was to start at 9, the flyers at the House of Blues said 9:30. I thought that would give us plenty of time to observe the Goth Contingent, but most of the people in attendance were attired somewhat tamely. There was one couple who had a New Romantic/early Duran Duran/Haysi Fantaysee vibe, causing me to exclaim that they should have been extras in a Classix Nouveaux video. My descriptions of said video provoked much laughter in both my sister Summer and my friend Collin as we waited in line. There were at least two men in dresses and neither of them looked like Martin Gore, so that was another plus.

As it turned out, the show didn’t actually start until 10:30. But Siouxsie did not disappoint. Attired in a beautiful Kimono-style gown, and her trademark Kabuki-esque makeup, with multicolored feathers streaming from her head like the display of a particularly proud peacock, she looked lovely. Budgie has apparently not aged since the late 80s, although his black and white biking shorts and tank top looked like something he may have borrowed from Lance Armstrong.

Such fashion quibbles are irrelevant in the face of his absolutely astonishing drumming. The man is a force. There was another man, dressed like an Egyptian prince, who played bongos and a giant gong. I was rather intoxicated, and not because I had two beers to drink, either. There were also two gamine back up singers, who may or may not have been twins who inspired a John Currin painting.

Siouxsie may be 45, but she looks fabulous. Her voice sounded good also, although at times the immense reverb on her mike seemed to be masking some missed notes. But again, it did not detract at all from my enjoyment of the show. They did two encores and I only think they agreed to do the second one for fear of a Goth Riot. Siouxsie Sioux makes me proud to be a woman, especially a woman who is over the age of 25. It also makes me sad that, with a few exceptions, women like her are essentially absent from the charts these days. I dare Karen O. to evoke the sort of passionate adoration as Ms. Sioux does 20 years from now, instead of just “Karen who?”