Viv Albertine

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Biography

Viv Albertine. Born Sydney, Australia. French/Corsican father, Swiss mother. Brought up in North London (Muswell Hill). Quite poor. Comprehensive school. Favourite subjects, buying records; clothes, boys, art, English. Age17 went to art school. Dropped out and worked at Dingwalls, music venue Camden Town. Went to another art school met Mick Jones, saw The Sex Pistols first show. Bought Horses, Patti Smith. Dropped out. Bought Les Paul Junior with £200 my grandmother left me. Formed a band with Sid Vicious, Sarah and Palmolive called The Flowers of Romance (named by John Lydon). Started to learn to play guitar. Taught by Keith Levene who I have known since we were kids. He taught me that any sounds can go together, he really developed my ear and loads of other stuff. Johnny Thunders taught me how to do screamers (his name) and Joe Strummer, to tap my foot and play at the same time. I didn’t have sex with any of them. Saw The Slits play their first show, called them the next day. We got together I back-combed their hair like The New York Dolls. We looked like a band. After The Slits I went to film school. Didn’t drop out. Directed stuff for about ten years. Made some money not art. Now making sculpture and writing / recording / performing my own songs.
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  • pinkpressthreat

    I hope that Viv's excellent album "The Vermilion Border" will convince some of the naysayers below of her talent and vitality...or failing that, at least shut them the hell up! :D Viv is cool x

    23 Nov 2012 Reply

  • Pretty-Life

    :)))

    17 Oct 2012 Reply

  • nursethescreams

    Sorry but I have to second the previous comment. I thought it was a pisstake - there were literally people hiding in the bogs who came back upstairs once she'd finished. :(

    20 Nov 2011 Reply

  • Tamahone

    Some people should have stayed as a rose tinted memory of the '70s. One of the worst live performances I've ever seen from someone who should have known far better.

    26 Jan 2011 Reply

  • runout_groove

    Viv is playing the ATP curated by Matt Groening festival this May: http://www.last.fm/event/1265075

    18 Mar 2010 Reply

  • angie-taylor

    Hey Viv, good to see you're still making music. Met you briefly in Aberdeen in 1979-ish when you played with the Slits. All the best with it all.

    15 Nov 2009 Reply

  • cotton_fever

    Damn she had the best teachers in everything.

    9 Oct 2009 Reply

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