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Ari Up
Biography
Ari Up was born Arianna Forster to a German mother in 1962 (John Lydon is her stepfather). Raised in London, she formed the all-girl punk band the Slits in January 1977, around a lineup of drummer Palmolive (born Paloma Romero), guitarist Kate Korus, and bassist Suzi Gutsy. By the time the group actually appeared in public, however, Gutsy had been replaced by Tessa Pollitt (the pair had previously played together in the Castrators) and Korus by Viv Albertine, who'd appeared alongside Palmolive in Sid Vicious' Flowers of Romance.

Over the next four years, the Slits would cut two landmark albums, Cut and Return of the Giant Slits, with further albums drawn from demos (Bootleg Retrospective), BBC radio recordings (The Peel Sessions), and live shows. Up, however, also stepped out of the band format on several occasions, contributing percussion to Talking Heads' Fear of Music album and linking with producer Adrian Sherwood in the first manifestation of the New Age Steppers' post-punk super session. A cover of Junior Byles' "Fade Away" was released as the first single on Sherwood's On-U label in summer 1980.

The New Age Steppers' eponymous debut album followed, with Up joined by Bruce Smith and Sean Oliver of Rip Rig & Panic, Neneh Cherry, Flying Lizards keyboard player Steve Beresford, singing journalist Vivien Goldman, Aswad's George Oban, and the Roots Radics' Style Scott.
Selected Discography
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