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Siouxsie's Arctic Blast

"I may be an ice queen, but I like it fucking hot," Siouxsie Sioux says from the stage at London's Royal Festival Hall, site of the Dreamshow concert DVD (Rhino). The disc was shot over the course of three shows in June 2004 and, in between continually bitching about the cold air ("They don't understand that I wouldn't like it . . . stupid fuckers!") and changing her colored kimonos, the chanteuse croons classics from the catalogues of both her seminal punk-goth-art-rock bands, Siouxsie & the Banshees, and The Creatures. Appropriately, she's backed by her husband, Budgie, who drummed for both bands, as well as the Millennia Ensemble orchestra, which adds new dimensions to songs like "The Rapture" and "Kiss Them for Me." The ambiance is ethereal, with Sioux (wearing a big red-and-white feather hairpiece) moving to the thumping percussion against a backdrop of projected rolling waves, blue and purple stage lights, and smoke. The 27 performances contain everything fans could want from Sioux, from the Creatures' coolest ("Godzilla," "Prettiest Thing," "Pinned Down," "2nd Floor") to the Banshees' best ("Christine," "Happy House," "Cities In Dust," "Spellbound," and "Peek-A-Boo," which closes the show). Extras include sound check and rehearsal footage, and an interview with Sioux and Budgie.
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Niki D'Andrea has covered subjects including drug culture, women's basketball, pirate radio stations, Scottsdale staycations, and fine wine. She has worked at both New Times and Phoenix Magazine, and is now a freelancer.
Contact: Niki D'Andrea

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