the Wilde Wood

UK, London

Punk, art-punk, post-punk, proto-Gothic. Early punk, new wave, Goth.

Tribal drumming from Morris. Intense vocals. Thriller imagery.

Started out as primitive art-punk band formed from the so-called Bromley Contingent.

Name allegedly from Cry of the Banshee - a Hammer horror movie.

Sioux appeared in the infamous Grundy Sex Pistols interview, dressed like a character from Clockwork Orange.
Budgie and Sioux are married, living in the south of France.
Mentioned in 1987 song Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance to Anything) by The Dead Milkmen.
Al MacDowell, previously part of design team Da Gama around 1983/4 went on to be production designer on Minority Report and other films.
Played support on part of Bowie's Glass Spider tour.
Rudyard Kipling's The Cat that walked by Himself one of Sioux's favourite stories.
Referred to as Gothic since 1979, many female-fronted Goth bands would base their musical style on the Banshees.

1958-05-27 - Janet Susan Ballion born.
1975 - Siouxsie and Steven meet at a Roxy Music gig. 1976 Siouxsie and Steve, with Billy Idol on guitar record a cover of the Velvet Underground's What Goes On
1976-September - formed.
1976-09-20 - First gig at Malcolm McLaren's International Punk Rock Festival at the 100 Club, Oxford Street, London. Played The Lord's Prayer, including lines from Knockin' on Heaven's Door; Smoke on the Water; Twist and Shout.
1976-late - Bromley Contingent. Sioux wore bondage clothes, fetish wear and swastika armbands.
1976-12 - Sioux appeared on the infamous Bill Grundy / Sex Pistols interview, Grundy attempting to 'chat up' Sioux.
1977-02 - Banshees started to act like a band. Recruited Kenny Morris and Pete Fenton, start to gig regularly.
1977-06 - Peter Fenton left
1977-07 - John McKay joined
1977-07 - Fenton sacked, replaced by John McKay. 1978 - signed up with Polydor Records, released Hong Kong Garden. 1979 - Steve Severin describes Join Hands as Gothic. 1979 - two days into Join Hands tour, Morris and McKay quit the band. Replaced by Robert Smith (The Cure were support band for the tour) and Budgie.
McGeoch joined as guitarist after the tour had ended, from Kaleidoscope until A Kiss in the Dream House.
McGeoch collapsed, taken to hospital during A Kiss in the Dreamhouse tour. Smith joins band as full member, but quits after Hyaena due to frontman duties in The Cure.
Carruthers joins.
McCarrick joins.
2002 tour 'Seven Year Itch' included Chandler.
2004-03-04 - John McGeoch dies in his sleep.
2004-10? - Banshees / Creatures playing 100 Club.