10. The SlitsCut
At the 1977 Notting Hill Carnival I was by the Acton Road flyover. I think they’re gone now, but there were old houses, and there was a big soundsystem just outside. Ari Up was dancing in front of it wearing a grey school sweater and yellow miniskirt. Her whole attitude – something clicked. You realise that this is someone who’s just really being themselves, there was an elemental power to it that was very startling. It was a dawning realisation of the power of female energy – and I don’t mean that in a sexual way, I mean its impetus.
The Slits were intriguing because they clearly didn’t give a fuck. I apologise if I’ve got this wrong, but I don’t think any of them had picked up their instruments before they started – or they hadn’t spent years hunched over learning the guitar. A lot of punk bands made the mistake of trying to imitate The Ramones, and just simply ended up sounding like people trying to imitate The Ramones.
