Soo Catwoman
Encyclopedia
Soo Lucas, better known as Soo Catwoman (often written incorrectly as Sue Catwoman), is an icon of the London
punk subculture
that sprang up around the mid-1970s.
style of dress to the late 1970s UK punk bands. In The Filth and the Fury
, Johnny Rotten singles her out among the early London punks, citing her "skill, style, and bravery".
Her trademark "Catwoman
" haircut was created in an Ealing
barber shop under her direction in 1976. The hair around the sides and back was severely cropped
close to the head with the two sides flared up to suggest the ears of a cat. Portions of the hairstyle were dyed different colours—the flared "ears" being black and the cropped parts being bleached.
She was a member of the Bromley Contingent
—the early group of followers and fans of the Sex Pistols
who lived in and around Bromley
: she was pictured by Ray Stevenson posing with members of the Bromley Contingent such as Jordan
, Sid Vicious
, Siouxsie Sioux
, Steve Severin and Billy Idol
. While she was also associated with the Bromley Contingent by all the journalists, she would later claim to have not been a member.
Photos and likenesses of Soo Catwoman were, and remain, popular in punk rock media. She appeared in a number of punk documentaries and concert films. She declined to appear in Julien Temple
's The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
, though her persona was portrayed by actress Judy Croll. She now resides in London
with her son Shem and daughter Dion, who have their own acoustic/indie band called Good Weather Girl.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
punk subculture
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
that sprang up around the mid-1970s.
History
She had a similar attitude and avant-gardeAvant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
style of dress to the late 1970s UK punk bands. In The Filth and the Fury
The Filth and the Fury
The Filth and the Fury is a 2000 rockumentary film about the Sex Pistols directed by Julien Temple.-About the film:The Filth and the Fury is the second movie Julien Temple made about The Sex Pistols. His first effort was The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, which was released in British cinemas on 15...
, Johnny Rotten singles her out among the early London punks, citing her "skill, style, and bravery".
Her trademark "Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
" haircut was created in an Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
barber shop under her direction in 1976. The hair around the sides and back was severely cropped
Crop (hairstyle)
A crop is a short hairstyle worn with the hair cut very close to the head. It is frequently sported by both men and women, though the style is usually only named as a crop when sported by a woman. Men entering the armed forces in many countries have their hair cropped during Recruit Training...
close to the head with the two sides flared up to suggest the ears of a cat. Portions of the hairstyle were dyed different colours—the flared "ears" being black and the cropped parts being bleached.
She was a member of the Bromley Contingent
Bromley Contingent
The Bromley Contingent is a label invented by journalist Caroline Coon about a group of followers and fans of the Sex Pistols. They owed their name to Bromley, a suburb of London, in the county of Kent, where some of them lived. They helped popularize the fashion of the early UK punk movement...
—the early group of followers and fans of the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
who lived in and around Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
: she was pictured by Ray Stevenson posing with members of the Bromley Contingent such as Jordan
Jordan (Pamela Rooke)
Jordan , is a model and actress noted for her work with Vivienne Westwood and the SEX boutique in the Kings Road area of London in the mid-1970s, and for being a fixture at many of the early Sex Pistols performances...
, Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
, Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer of the critically acclaimed rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and of its splinter group The Creatures . The Banshees produced eleven studio albums and a string of hit singles including "Hong Kong Garden",...
, Steve Severin and Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
. While she was also associated with the Bromley Contingent by all the journalists, she would later claim to have not been a member.
Photos and likenesses of Soo Catwoman were, and remain, popular in punk rock media. She appeared in a number of punk documentaries and concert films. She declined to appear in Julien Temple
Julien Temple
Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
's The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is a mockumentary film directed by Julien Temple and produced by Don Boyd and Jeremy Thomas about the British punk rock band Sex Pistols....
, though her persona was portrayed by actress Judy Croll. She now resides in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with her son Shem and daughter Dion, who have their own acoustic/indie band called Good Weather Girl.
Filmography
- The Punk Rock MovieThe Punk Rock MovieThe Punk Rock Movie was assembled from Super 8 camera footage shot by Don Letts, the disc jockey at The Roxy club during the early days of the UK punk rock movement, principally during the 100 days in 1977 in which punk acts were featured at The Roxy club in London.-History:Roxy club disc jockey...
(1979, dir. Don LettsDon LettsDon Letts is a British film director and musician. He is credited as the man who through his DJing at clubs like The Roxy brought together punk and reggae music.-Biography:...
) - The Filth And The FuryThe Filth and the FuryThe Filth and the Fury is a 2000 rockumentary film about the Sex Pistols directed by Julien Temple.-About the film:The Filth and the Fury is the second movie Julien Temple made about The Sex Pistols. His first effort was The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, which was released in British cinemas on 15...
(2000, dir. Julien TempleJulien TempleJulien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
, VHS/NTSCNTSCNTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
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