Viv Albertine
Viv Albertine | |
|---|---|
 Viv on tour January 2012. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Viviane Katrina Louise Albertine |
| Born | 1 December 1954 Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Punk, post-punk, New Wave |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, television director |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1976-present |
| Spouse(s) | Simon Critchley |
Viviane Katrina Louise "Viv" Albertine (born 1 December 1954, Australia[1]) is a British singer and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for the influential, all-female English punk group The Slits. She lives in Hackney, London.
Early life
Albertine was born in Sydney to a Swiss mother and a French father.[1] She was raised in North London, attended comprehensive school in Muswell Hill, and at seventeen enrolled in the Hornsey School of Art.[2] After completing a foundation course at Hornsey, Albertine went to the Chelsea School of Art to study fashion and textile design. In 1976, while still studying at Chelsea, she helped form the early punk band The Flowers of Romance.
Music career
Albertine was amongst the first "inner circle" fans of the Sex Pistols, and was close friends of both Mick Jones and Joe Strummer of The Clash. Albertine joined The Slits as the band's guitarist, after founding member Kate Korus left in 1977. The Clash's 1979 song "Train in Vain" has been interpreted by some as a response to "Typical Girls" by The Slits, which mentions girls standing by their men. Albertine split up with songwriter Mick Jones shortly before he wrote the song.[3] On 5 October 2010 Albertine confirmed in an interview with Cerys Matthews on BBC 6 Music that the song was written about her, describing how Jones would travel by train to visit her in her squat.
While continuing as a key member of The Slits, Albertine contributed guitar and vocal work to The 49 Americans 1980 album E Pluribus Unum.[4] She also became part of Adrian Sherwood's dub-influenced collective New Age Steppers and played on their self-titled 1981 debut album.[4] She also appeared as a guest guitarist on the Flying Lizards' debut album, as well as Singers & Players' 1982 album Revenge of the Underdog.[4]
After The Slits disbanded in 1982, Albertine studied film making in London. She worked as a director, mostly for television, throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s. Her freelance directing work included stints with the BBC and the British Film Institute.[5]
In 2009, Albertine began performing as a solo artist. Her debut gig was at The Windmill, Brixton on 20 September 2009.[citation needed] She went on to tour the USA opening for The Raincoats.[6] In March 2010 Albertine released a four-song debut solo E.P. titled Flesh on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label.
Albertine recorded a cover version of David Bowie's Letter to Hermione for the Bowie tribute album We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie which was released on 6 September 2010.
Albertine's debut solo album, titled The Vermilion Border, was released on 5 November 2012 through the Cadiz Music label. The album was a featured project on Pledgemusic.[7]
Film career
In 1991, Albertine wrote and directed the short film Coping with Cupid, a film about three aliens as blondes that come to earth to research romantic love. In 2012, she started filming with writer/director Joanna Hogg on the upcoming 2013 film London Project alongside Tom Hiddleston.
In 2010 Albertine worked with Joanna Hogg on the soundtrack to Hogg's 2010 film Archipelago. In 2012, she started filming with Hogg, as co-lead alongside Liam Gillick, on Exhibition. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in August 2013, and is scheduled for release in 2014.[8]
References
- ^ a b "Viv Albertine". Viv Albertine. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ Savage, Jon (2010). The England's Dreaming Tapes. Minneapolis: University Of Minnesota Press. p. 286. ISBN 0-8166-7292-X.
- ^ Gray, Marcus (26 October 2007). "Marcus Gray on the ongoing pop influence of 'Stand By Me' - Guardian Unlimited Arts". Arts. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
- ^ a b c "Viv Albertine Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ Phoenix, Val (5 August 2009). "re:generation #1: viv albertine". Retrieved 31 January 2011.
- ^ Steel, Max (January 2–13). "VIV Albertine from the slits is too punk to be scared". Vice. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Viv Albertine: Viv Albertine's Debut Solo Album". PledgeMusic. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ Millar, Iain (6 September 2013). "Public spaces, private lives". The Arts Newspaper. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
External links
