Lost in Transmission: Pretty in Punk

Kim Deal

I need to focus my attention a bit more onto specifics.

Girls in Punk

One of the girls that springs to mind when I think about girls in punk is Kim Deal of Pixies. And Christ, she had some real issues. Deal and Black Francis, frontman of the indie rock group who formed in 1986, started a war within the group that came to a head in the Doolittle tour 'Fuck or Fight'. It appears that Francis and Deal chose the latter. Deal's feisty and aggressive personality meant, yes, that wanky term, "creative differences". - also known as Deal's love for the bottle, and her often drunken stage presence.

Pixies

This was all fuelled because the band's 1988 album Surfa Rosa had only one single on it, Gigantic, which Deal was a co-writer of, one of her only creative contributions to the album. Because the song was such a success, Deal argued that she should have more of her songs on future albums, which Francis disagreed with, labelling himself as the song-writer.

The tension was incredibly obvious to the public when in one stage show, Francis became so irritated with Deal that he threw his guitar at her.

Deal was a massive follower of hardcore punk, as is often known as "the girl in Pixies." After Pixies disbanded in 1993, Deal joined more bands, but none of which had the credibility of success of Pixies, and in 2004 a truce was made between Deal and Black (who at this point was now called Frank Black - much more rock'n'roll!)

Pixies are often referred to as "they have a girl in that band!" which my response is, HOLY CRAP! ARE YOU SERIOUS? (Note the sarcasm evident in the capital letters!)

Women in rock - women who rock - women who shock - and then there's Kim Deal... A league of her own.