The Advocate Baton Rouge, LA. (August 15, 2003)

JOHN WIRT

SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES

Seven Year Itch Live

Sanctuary

One of the best-known bands of first-generation British punk-rock, Siouxsie and The Banshees stuck with it far longer than The Clash and The Sex Pistols. Starring goth queen Siouxsie Sioux and featuring her drummer husband, Budgie, bassist Steven Severin plus a succession of guitarists (including Cure leader Robert Smith), the group had commercial success into the '90s.

The Banshees announced their demise in 1996, but then returned last year with an international tour. Seven Year Itch Live, available in CD and DVD, documents two London shows. The CD is a dark and moody collection of relatively obscure selections while the DVD adds such familiar songs as "Cities In Dust," "Spellbound" and "Happy House." In both CD and DVD form, the music's as menacing and atmospheric as ever. Sioux's dusky alto sounds even darker, but she still swoops and dives in familiar fashion. Hearing her post-2000 amplifies how much neo punks like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs owe to Sioux and, say, Patti Smith.

Contributed by Jerry Burch.