soo catwoman

I'd like to tell you a story......
Way back in 1976 I found myself in the middle of a scene that became known as 'Punk' (I never liked the label that much personally, but thats another story). There were a crowd of people who hung out at the same places and looked rather different to the norm of the time (picture the white suit in Saturday Night Fever, or the feathercut of Farrah Fawcett-Majors). I met a lot of people who went on to become household names - but of course when I met them - most of them weren't famous yet. ......it still seems strange to me that what happened back then could bring about so many changes, in hair, music and fashion etc. (It seems quite funny that what started out as anti-fashion became a fashion in itself). ..... I'm sure for many people around at the time none of them (despite their claims) could have known the impact the whole thing would have, and still be having so many years on.
Due to the wonders of the internet I've learned some interesting 'facts' about myself, (well internet rumours really) - such as..... I; 'live on a farm in Cornwall with 100 cats' (not true - I'm now allergic to cat fur, but if you happen to have a farm you would like to donate to me - please get in touch, I'd be most grateful). .....I also learned that I 'was a model for Vivienne Westwood' (Nope, not true either, I think I did one or two photographs wearing one of Viv's bondage suits which I was given a tenner for which no doubt enabled me to eat that day. I thought it was rather silly that I was never allowed to keep the clothes - I'd have happily worn them to death, thereby publicising the shop and the Sex Pistols name in the bargain). Some of us couldn't afford the prices Sex/Seditionaries charged, but there's no disputing that it was a good-looking bit of kit. My clothes were actually made or altered by me, often at short notice and NONE of them were Vivienne/Malcolm's creations (just like John's weren't either in the early days). ...................................................... I also take exception to Malcolm McLaren claiming he 'invented' my then hairstyle in 'the name of publicising the name Sex Pistols' (demonstrated in the questionable 'film' Great R n R Swindle). And the uncomfortable fact that an underage girl portrayed me cavorting naked in that film. I wasn't 14 - I was 21 at the time but it shows how ill researched the whole thing was. I take it as a compliment that I passed for seven years younger than my actual age. Some of you think it was me and I'm sorry to have to point out that if you look closely she looked nothing like me at all, apart from the theft of my image and haircut. MY hairstyle originated in a West London barber shop when I directed the barber to shave off the middle of my hair, which he did, despite looking very troubled about it .....I was never, ever naked in a bathroom with Mr. McLaren, or even ever in a bathroom with him period! (perish the thought!) .....I don't recall having one single meaningful conversation with him, actually I can recall only one conversation with him ever, which was a very brief phone call...... I've also never been filmed/photographed naked (lucky for you). ...Oh and I also need to say this; I never was a member of the so-called 'Bromley Contingent', I just knew them, I have never claimed, nor do I have any connections whatsoever with Bromley - either of them.....I've also never been married to anyone, at least not yet ;). I have never endorsed/sold any memorabilia and never signed any t shirts for sale or otherwise.
Anyway, I digress, all I can say is that I'm not that different a person now to who I was then.... I'm quite principled and appreciate the truth. I don't like being lied to - or about, patronised, or sold up the river, and I don't want to give you any daft/personal info because you might be writing a book or something (please don't ask). I'm quite a private person, which some folks have assumed to mean that they can speak for me. Anyone who claims to be my best friend or to have a piece of me is probably sadly mistaken, my real friends don't make such claims or use me for publicity purposes. However, if anyone has a nice big house in London that they'd like my family and I to take care of perhaps something could be arranged ;). Being Soo Catwoman has never paid my bills, so I owe little to anyone for their attempts at re-writing history. However my creative process seems to have benefited quite a few other people over the years ;).
I've been very lucky to meet loads of amazing people in my life (famous or not - whats the difference?). .....I'm not and have never been a 'groupie' (they were very thin on the ground during 'punk' because people's perceptions were changing) so lets get that straight, and the fact that I certainly had no desire to go down that road. I also try to avoid hate in all its forms - It's just not healthy to entertain such things.
....These days I'm a mother of two, I have a son of 22 and a daughter of 19, and no - I don't have the same haircut 30 years on just in case you wondered. Many people have asked me for an up to date picture, when I find the right one I might put it up, I just didn't think it that relevant, but clearly some of you do. All in good time.
I still find that there are things in society that ire me because they haven't changed, so many things that need to change, like the way kids get to a certain age and they are just expected to be adults with no useful instruction book. There is still racism, bad parenting, ignorance and all sorts of things I'd like to see dealt with, or at least see some useful education about. ....My view is that most if not all problems relate back to education, perhaps if we knew better, if we were better equipped with the facts, we'd do things differently?... so I view most of the changes we've made as superficial, but its a start. With much more work that needs to be done until we can encompass the lost, the weak, the damaged and all those who don't realise that who they are is fixable and worth having - we've all got a story to tell...
PS: Re: comments - I don't want to offend anyone but I'm not fond of massive photo ads for your band or website or whatever, or random unrelated stuff/huge moving images/jokes/stuff that should've gone into your trash bin. Please don't add me with the intention of using my comments section as your own personal advert, it isn't going to happen. I'm sorry if you post things that don't make it but I know what I like and what I don't and this is My page, as they say 'there is no accounting for taste' - I have mine and you have yours, which is fine by me. If you've got huge images that are otherwise cool and relevant you might perhaps consider resizing them. Thank You.
Also PLEASE NO EVENT INVITES if I know you email me about your gig, otherwise I don't read them and find them highly irritating. If I get enough event invites from the same person I will delete and block you - sorry!
I'd like to thank Casey Chaos, T V Smith and Jude Rawlins. And not forgetting so many of the fantastic MySpace friends I have - so many of you are a real inspiration to me, you've been so kind. My apologies if you never find yourself in my Top 8/16 or whatever, but please don't take it personally ;).
If you are unfamiliar with the work of Bob Gruen, clicking the banner below will take you to his website.