Wrapped in white leather, Siouxsie returned to the concert stage for the first time in five years tonight in London, performing the first of two nights at the Yoko Ono-curated Meltdown festival with a 21-song set that included a full reading of 1980’s Kaleidoscope plus Banshees favorites like “Cities in Dust” and “Israel” as well as tracks off her 2007 solo debut MantaRay.
Soiuxsie opened the concert with an unannounced performance of the Banshees’ third album, then followed that with a second set and encore. According to the printed setlist, she was supposed to end the concert with “Spellbound,” but, according to fans at the show, she dropped that last song for reasons unknown.
Tonight’s concert was Siouxsie’s first since she toured throughout much of 2008 in support of MantaRay. The intervening years, however, have been fairly quiet on the Banshees’ front, with Universal Music pulling the plug on the band’s reissue campaign mid-stream. Since then, ex-bassist Steven Severin has mentioned the possibility of a 20-disc box set that has yet to see the light of day.
Siouxsie performs at Yoko Ono’s Meltdown again on Monday.
Below, in addition to the setlist, we’ve begun assembling photos and video as they appear online.
Setlist: Siouxsie, Yoko Ono’s Meltdown, Royal Festival Hall, London, UK, 6/15/13
1. “Happy House”
2. “Tenant”
3. “Trophy”
4. “Hybrid”
5. “Clockface”
6. “Lunar Camel”
7. “Christine”
8. “Desert Kisses”
9. “Red Light”
10. “Paradise Place”
11. “Skin”
12. “Eve White/Eve Black”
13. “Israel”
14. “Arabian Knights”
15. “Cities in Dust”
16. “Dear Prudence”
17. “Loveless”
18. “Face to Face”
19. “Careless Love”
20. “Here Comes the Day”
21. “Into a Swan”
VIDEO: SIOUXSIE AT MELTDOWN
Siouxise, “Happy House”
Siouxise, “Clockface”
Siouxise, “Christine”
Siouxsie, “Red Light”
Siouxsie, “Paradise Place”
Siouxsie, “Skin”
Siouxsie, “Eve White/Eve Black”
Siouxsie, “Israel”
Siouxsie, “Cities in Dust”
Siouxsie, “Dear Prudence”
Siouxsie, “Face to Face”
Siouxsie, “Careless Love”
Siouxsie, “Into a Swan”
PHOTOS: SIOUXSIE AT MELTDOWN
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Siouxsie to play 2nd concert at Yoko Ono’s Meltdown festival due to ‘incredible demand’
- Siouxsie to play first concert in 5 years this summer as part of Yoko Ono’s Meltdown
- Vintage Video: Siouxsie and the Banshees on ‘Rockpalast’ in 1981 — watch 75-minute set
- ‘120 Minutes’ Rewind: 120 X-Ray on Siouxsie & The Banshees with host Kevin Seal — 1988
- Siouxsie and the Banshees 20-disc ‘mega’ box set with 11 albums, live DVDs in works
- Steven Severin: Siouxsie and the Banshees’ reissue program dumped by Univeral Music
If only this would come to the states…sigh.
GASP !
Please bring this to Australia!
she also did “eve white/eve black” right at the end of the first set! what a show!!!!!
Thanks!
“Juju” in full, rumoured for Monday’s show too!
As ever…expect the unexpected. I guess it’s safe to assume that there will in fact be a CD/DVD of this concert since there were cameras there. I think this one outfit is WAY better than the spacey catsuits that completely dominated the MANTARY AND MORE tour.
How perfect: Siouxsie Sioux all dressed up in white instead of the classic, predictable Gothic black (which we all STILL do LOVE). Love the hair, the make-up, the KALEIDOSCOPIC atmosphere.
What’s next for Monday? THE SCREAM, JUJU, TINDERBOX, PEEPSHOW?
Rock on, Sioux.
Siouxsie always stays loyal to her friend fashion designer Pam Hogg for her outfits. Indeed this was an amazing piece she wore – how she coped with white rubber/leather all night is beyond me!! What a woman!
If not for you I don’t know if I would know about anything cool ever. I was just listening to Siouxsie on my iPhone when I saw this. This is really super. Thx for posting it.
Given the stage set was a ‘kaleidoscope’ set, complete with blinds, I would expect Monday will have a similar set. She’s not a back catalogue jukebox!
Amazing night. Siouxsie looked great and her voice sounded great, helped by songs in a lower key.
Always surprising and resisting the ‘greatest hits’ package.
There was an incredible party atmosphere with people standing and dancing from front to back in an normally formal venue.
Stunning.
Looks and sounds great! A second solo release is overdue and a full tour is in great demand! LOVELY!
Is there any footage of “Desert Kisses,” which is probably the greatest Banshees track of all time, and one of the most underrated?
I would pay a lot of ridiculous money to see this show.
Nice to see she played a full album. See Depeche Mode? You can play some other than ‘the greatest hits’ and still get a good reception.
why can’t I be rich! What I would not have given to have gone to see her live once again…saw her with the Creatures in 1999 and was so close it was insane…but no Banshees that night….this would be a treat!
I guess I have to be the voice of reason and the downer. Sioux sounds terrible. I hate myself for saying that but it’s the truth. I will always love the Banshees and most of Creatures, but I am not at all impressed with this performance.
Yes she has sounded this way for many a year now. If you were lucky to see them back in the day she was so phenomenal onstage. It’s a shame now her voice is gone. I suppose seeing her now is still worth it, as many haven’t had the chance.
Trey, can you please post on Utube your brilliant performances.
The fact that Siouxsie can perform and look so good at her age is incredible.
I am not a performer or musician. It’s not my play to post anything on utube. I am just giving my honest opinion. I LOVE Siouxsie, but she sounds horrid these days. If my opinion bothers you, I am sorry.
I have seen the amazing Sioux many times and she was much better. That is all.
Regardless of how good she looks or sounds, I still think it’s odd to be playing this stuff without the Banshees… If she really wants to play a set of Banshees songs she should get Severin and Budgie on board, otherwise she’s going to be nothing more than a retro-act soon.
I have to throw my hat in here, because I’ve thought a lot about this as well as all of you over the years; yet I haven’t got the complete consensus/story/facts on the subject:
Siouxsie’s CLASSIC voice from 1976-1996 got challenged/strained/altered after recording a torrent of LPs and EPs as the leader of two pop groups (The Banshees and The Creatures), severe recurrent allergies, returning to smoking (in the early 1990s) after she’d quit in 1987 (very likely a big contributor and very bad for a singer of her great caliber), throat problems (nodules, I believe), recurrent sinus attacks/nasal surgeries (she even collapsed during the middle of the HAI! tour schedule, and woke up in the hospital w/ tampons stuffed in her nostrils from bleeding from surgery), menopause, and natural maturation/lowering/deepening of the voice (which, ironically, already had the ability to lower to a deep alto in her teens and 20s, when the mood struck her) in middle age for some. The surgery in 2004 supposedly fixed some of her history of breathing difficulties, but, I believe, as a result (typical of this kind of operation, I’ve heard), it limited some of her range and pitch.
Her voice problems began, I believe, in 1993, and by ZULU and ANIMA ANIMUS (’97/’98/’99) had become apparent by the drop of a couple of octaves of her voice, though the singles (“Sad Cunt”, “Pinned Down”, “Murdering Mouth”, “2nd Floor”, and “Say”) from the period are rather good. When Siouxsie & The Banshees reformed in 2002, her voice (for much of the performances in the first leg of the tour in mid-April) was a goodly-approximation of the classic range we knew her to have in the past…but, she was 45 singing songs she’d originally fearlessly belted/recorded in her early 20s to late 30s, and somewhat oddly enough, her voice was already in the beginning stages of its “twilight years”, which IS rather surprising and unusual for a female singer in rock, but still the case for her. Supposedly, the 7 YEAR ITCH record/DVD was done when she was not particularly feeling well, so that’s a tragedy. I’ve heard snippets of her performances in April in USA, and her performances were MUCH better…it’s too bad they didn’t record the audio from the first month (7 shows) of the tour, cause that would have been something to cherish, though some of the last shows in Japan were powerful/memorable, esp. her last night performances of “Red Light”, “Land’s End”, “Night Shift”, and “Voodoo Dolly”.
Her voice on HAI! was closer to what she sounded like in April 2002, and her voice (post-op)on the DREAMSHOW DVD was very promising (her 2004 performances of 1982’s “Obsession”, 1987’s “Shooting Sun”, and 1985’s “Cities in Dust” were classic, even though the hall’s air-conditioning affected her voice). If her voice sounded exactly like that in 2013, I’d be perfectly satisfied w/ that, all things considered.
Her voice/vocal performance on 2007’s MANTARY was mixed and distressing/depressing for me: My favorite vocal from her on the album is “They Follow You” because it sounds very much like her CLASSIC voice…I was actually surprised that that song wasn’t released as the first single, or a single at all, since it definitely would’ve been a radio hit for her (Top 30, at least). I also liked, “If It Doesn’t Kill You”, and “It’s About to Happen” in terms of vocal prowess. I loved “Loveless”, but hearing it only made me yearn for the Sioux of 1978-1996 singing it, because it could’ve been almost as good a song/single as “Spellboud”, but it wasn’t…it should’ve also been a single instead of relegated to exclusive LP status.
In 2013, her voice is rather different, though it does have flashes of its preternatural greatness (and she can still wail like a banshee!). I DO at times find it VERY DIFFICULT to reconcile the Siouxsie voice of the past w/ the one of today (which I still haven’t heard in its entirety, since I don’t have the actual soundboard recordings from this show and the 17th’s show, to really make my estimation…hopefully the shows will be released for the fans to see and hear). I have a similar discomfort when listening to Stevie Nicks’ material since the late 1990s. When I think about it, Siouxsie and Stevie are two singular rock legends who have had the most plagued voices in their middle years…truly sad.
Yet, what we have here should still be worth listening to, under the right context and circumstances. Call me crazy, but, for some reason, I have feeling that her sophomore LP will eclipse her first one, sonically,musically, lyrically, and vocally. And, I’m almost absolutely certain that if the MELTDOWN performances are released as an album or a DVD, it will be WAY better than her best-selling FINALE/MANTARAY AND MORE DVD from 2008.
Regarding performing KALEIDOSCOPE (and any other Banshees/Creatures albums back to front)? I have a very uneasy/queasy feeling about Siouxsie as a solo artist performing a classic album from Siouxsie & The Banshees w/out Budgie and/or Steven Severin, unless they weren’t interested/available in performing w/ her this week. Severin’s very much put The Banshees (and, unfortunately, Siouxsie and Budgie) behind him, though he’s currently curating the remasters program for the remaining unissued albums from 1987-1995 and the live performances for the possible 20-disc complete Box Set over this Summer. I would think he wouldn’t have minded taking to the stage for a special one-off performance, but, maybe not. Oddly enough, years ago, Budgie had hinted that one way to get the band back together would be to celebrate one of their best albums’ anniversaries…like the 30th anniversary of KALEIDOSCOPE (his words in 2008/9). Then again, maybe things have been broken beyond repair along all fronts.
In general, it feels rather awkward. I would prefer her to focus on her new material in concert, rather than retread her classics w/ a band that has no history w/ the material.
I’m still 100% excited/pumped that Siouxsie is back on the scene, however. I wish her new LP were “dropping” this week, so I could get it, and listen to her “maturated/darkened” voice and read what new powerful tales she has to tell in 2013 and beyond.
I hope Siouxsie looks and sounds as good as is possible tonight. I hope she strums the Tear Drop semi-acoustic vox guitar again! I love seeing her playing the guitar! I hope she did on the new album, as well.
It’s a mixed bag, for certain. Yes, I am happy she has returned to the stage. Would I have preferred all new material? Hell yes. What I expected we’d get: another hits concert. Thankfully, not the case. I was surprised by what it ended up being; a modern re-imagining of a 33-year old classic that is an important milestone in the Banshees legacy. For me, this festival, as curated by Yoko Ono, is all about legacy. Fitting, really, when you really think about it. Maybe that is why Sioux decided to play the whole of Kaleidoscope. I agree it is strange to do it without The Banshee. I agree it is a shame that their relationships seem broken beyond repair. But, life goes on, and legacies strengthen, and voices get deeper. I, for one, enjoy the evolution of her voice. It’s a voice that is more near her heart and less near her head. It is something she has owned and made work for her. She is, after all, who she is. And that–correct me if I’m wrong–is why we love her.
Tim, that’s why I’m still rooting for her, and that’s why I would LOVE the best offerings of both nights to be released as a recording for posterity. It is a very meaningful thing to do a 21st Century replay/retake of a very exotic, experimental, powerful, artistically-important song collection such as 1980’s KALEIDOSCOPE; and, I believe it needs to kept as a record of its relevance 33 years after its gestation. I am still very quizzical as to why S&TB couldn’t have made a valid ghostly reappearance on this special occasion…I guess Sioux was right when she said that Severin and she no longer had anything “artistically in kind” w/ each other…and, I guess Budgie must’ve really done something to make working w/ him in any capacity unbearable. So sad. I was actually hoping that the two might have worked partially together on the second solo LP (to think that in 2004, they were to venture off in to new territory juxtaposing Siouxsie solo albums (partly still featuring Budgie) while leaving the door still open for more Creatures material, and then — BAM!!! — 2006, and no more Siouxsie & Budgie marriage, no more Creatures, no co-produced Siouxsie albums…the Banshee beat will sound no more in Siouxsie’s future discography…so sad).
I’m also rather optimistic about Siouxsie’s somewhat rather, “new voice”: I think she’s got a better understanding of what to do w/ it, and I believe she’s worked on occasion w/ a vocal coach since 2004, so maybe this is the start of something special in a different, oblique kind of way. Maybe this is the semi-Jazzy/Pop era of Siouxsie Sioux? I still need that rock ‘n’ roll fix in my veins though that only Sioux can give me.
It’s the very edge of the end of Spring 2013: Hope springs eternal for that exotic, Gothic flower that’s in its Indian Summer twilight…let’s see what happens.
I believe there has been some thawing out in the relationship between Sioux & Severin as of late. Severin actually posted a few nice tweets re: Sioux’s first Meltdown show on Saturday which took me by surprise, considering the things they were saying about each other a few years back:
“Break a leg, Bad Jelly x x x”
“Feeling strangely nervous for Madame Sx tonight. Her band better be up for it. I know she will be.”
“Word to the wise. Don’t let Sioux catch you watching the show through your phone. Not if you value your head, that is.”
“Ah bless! She did our album. #kaleidoscope”
Sioux’s relationship with Budgie sounds a little dicier, if this Severin tweet is anything to go by:
“Q: Will Budgie make a guest appearance @ the RFH tonight? A: There is more chance of Sid Vicious turning up to bash the tubs.”
Thanks a lot, Mark for writing down Mr. Severin’s “tweets”. I had no idea he even mentioned anything about the concerts. Well, it sounds like his positive response to Sioux “reanimating” the 1980 album is his blessing…so, I feel better about now.
Regarding his final tweet of the night: I guess we never will hear the two again in the same sonic landscape…sad sigh. Maybe the best we can hope for is their long ago proposed reissuing of The Creatures catalog in separate remastered reprints. I’m hoping for a Box set of all their material w/ both Polydor and Sioux Records (1981-2004, including THE DREAMSHOW concert on CD, since they recorded both nights, and there are still songs we haven’t heard from that show yet).
Now when I think about it: Had Severin, Budgie, and Sid Vicious appeared onstage, that TRULY would have been a “supernatural thing” (he-he, lol!)
@Anthony – thanks for the overview of Siouxsie’s vocal history – most of which I didn’t know. I certain hadn’t realised that it had been so problematic!
I was there on Monday night I felt the ‘new’ voice was fine when it suited the music. Some songs didn’t seem to work at all – Arabian Nights was pretty poor. But other songs seemed to work really went Cities in Dust was excellent – better than the recorded version and all the later songs in the set worked well. The final encore, Spellbound wasn’t technically great but was fun and exciting.
The problem with the YouTube videos above is that they don’t necessarily capture the atmosphere or the difference of being there and so while it may seem disappointing on video it was much better in the flesh so as a whole I really enjoyed the concert.
Siouxsie seemed to enjoy it too :)
Yep have to agree with Scott, a lot of the video’s are recorded on phones or ipads and are struggling to cope with the wall of sound being thrown at them.
Her voice is certainly deeper and her ‘go hard or go home’ stage antics would leave an 18 year old a little breathless at times, so the odd wobble might be understandable, if I wasn’t trying to detach my own limbs by dancing so hard within the confines of a single stall I might have picked up on such nuances.
Her presence is undiminished. That is what I went to experience. Red light blew me away on the 17th, just as it did when I first heard it @ the Portsmouth guildhall during the peepshow tour, a quarter of a century ago.
I have to agree w/ Matt and Scott: Her voice was sounding better than in the previous tour. “Israel”, “Christine”, “Happy House”, “Clockface”, “Red Light”, “Here Comes That Day”, and “Into A Swan” were all especially-quality performances from her, though I’ve only seem so many. I really hope they recorded the audio from both nights and put them together as a release (physical album and download) for all of the fans to listen to. YouTube, though a Godsend most of the time, is not where we want to hear live recordings from phones and cameras — though, some were very professionally done. I’d be great if there were a legitimate DVD of the concert, but, I’ve heard somewhere that the policy of the Meltdown festivals is that they don’t film them, which is sad in-and-of-itself.
Now, where’s that new LP she been working on since 2011, huh?
Since 1978, I have seen and heard S&TB and The Creatures and Siouxsie (with and without Budgie) in excess of 30 times (I guess), also once during The Seventh Year Itch tour.
For various reasons I did not make the Meltdown from Milano (Italy).
Mark quoting of Steve(n) tweets is very interesting, as it sounds as I always suspected: they are still in contact.
Few bits and pieces: Siouxsie’s voice problems started in 1982.
Considering that Kaleidoscope used to be partially performed live with the late John McGeoch, I think Martin McCarrick on keyboards will be the only way to help any guitarist other than John McKay or Robert Smith in the task (or hire mancunians Magazine).
Anybody old and familiar enough with the project which resulted in Downside Up knows how much it takes to sort out a proper project everytime it is a S&TB project.
Given the number of reunions going on, and considering that Siouxsie accepted the invitation of Yoko Ono and that she is also the author or co-author of most of the songs she performs, please don’t slag her off easily. Please.
And not just because you are talking about a great artist and a lady.
Excellent job with the website!
From what I saw on these vid’s I just wish she would get back here in the U.S. I have been listening to the Banshees/Creatures/Siouxsie for ever. She is in top form from what I see!!
Yes I know this comment is a little to late