The Au Pairs were, along with Gang of Four, perhaps the ultimate ‘NME band’ of the early eighties when I started reading. Never far from a benefit gig, strident in intra-band equality, writers (ah..more later) of catchy songs with incendiary lyrics about hot-button topics from Northern Ireland to domestic violence. Playing With A Different Sex (what a cover photo) was brilliant. Second album less so. And so they who burn brightest burn briefest. I was delighted to pick up their career-spanning double CD a decade or so ago. FF to yesterday – am off to see Pains of Being Pure At Heart in Nottingham at the Metronome on a brief reunion tour. Checking the venue website I see that the ‘Au Pairs’ are playing an anniversary tour of PWADS. How come I heard nothing about this? The detail on the Metronome site starts to explain things ‘Lesley and three new members’. Oh that’s a bit different.
A brief google brought this corking article (in comments) to light which explains everything, including Lesley’s strident denial of how she pronounces ‘deer’. It is well worth five minutes of your time and tells a somewhat sad story. You must scroll down to the comments where both Lesley and her former co-members weigh in directly on the story. At least, so far, they have avoided the UB40 fate of having two separate bands.
https://www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/au-pairs-agreed-to-split-everything-equally-now-their-frontwoman-wants-it-all/
There is also a Facebook page run by former drummer Pete Hammon, the fur continues to fly over there too…
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063550391533
And there is a reference to a hometown Birmingham gig (where of course they are from, key early gigs at the Fighting Cocks half a mile from me etc.). Not a dickie bird on any tour site. Possibly they are supporting The Skids.
Crikey! It all sounds a bit like Blondie at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In other reunion news, on Saturday 9th December 2023,
“After 24 years, Hull’s Fonda 500 are calling it a day with one final performance. It will be fun. It will be magical. It will be the end.”
I have tickets to see them next February. How does that work?
Shame, if undeniably amusing. Reminds me how the Lush reunion tour in the US (where they enjoy some legacy as a former Lollapalooza band) fell apart as Miki and Emma couldn’t work together anymore.
I reckon it’s fatal to make out how rad you are as a public disclosure, as there’s always a real life choice based on what you think is fair, a compromise, or a person radder than you. be rad if you like, but skip the performance and use3 of it as a selling point: it rarely (never?) works.
It’s all gone Au Pair shaped?
Well played, sir!
Blimey I got really excited when I saw that the Au Pairs were going to play Stroud Sub Rooms in April next year but after this reading this it has spoiled it somehow . Shame really as never caught them live first time around.
God, she seems revolting. I’d never heard of them, but I knew exactly how they would sound before I sampled a few tracks.
What gets me is… how much (or little) money is involved in the “reunion” of a band who failed commercially 40+ years ago?
Do the Au Pairs really have a massive fanbase eager to splash their cash? They didn’t back in the glory days.
I doubt this is going to make anybody a millionaire.
The Facebook page linked to above has 2k followers. That doesn’t speak of untold, untapped riches. Unhinged, but undeniably entertaining (from outside).
Lead singers eh? Arguing in the comments section of a regional news article is not what one would expect from the Au Pairs.
Oh, I don’t know…
Loved the Au Pairs and saw them several times around 1980/81ish. They’re playing Liverpool with the Skids next year but I wouldn’t go now after reading all of this, which I probably would have done if it had been a proper reunion.
Playing with a Different Sex remains a really good album, of course and one I go back to every now and again.
Absolutely, saw Pains of being Pure at Heart yesterday and (ok only split up for six years rather than 40) but almost all the band were onstage. The Cabaret Voltaire final tour next year has the surviving founders. See also my continuing wonder at the Slowdive reunion, the absolute gold standard in how to pick up the baton again.
I was very fond of the Au Pairs & saw them a bunch of times in 80/81 – most memorably at the Rotterdam Pink Pop Festival when we chatted to them for a while after a tremendous set.
My biggest takeaway then. (& until reading that illuminating article) was how absolutely genuine & bursting with integrity they were. Sounds like over time, Woods has evolved into something of a thin skinned egomaniacal monster with a (ahem) highly selective memory.
I wouldn’t cross the road to watch her play for free based on the impression she creates today.
The whole thing is grubby, embarrassing and a bit of a head-scratcher. I don’t think they can have made much money, and are unlikely to do so.
The phrase ‘never trust a punk’ will never ever let you down.
Live by that creed and you’ll live a happy life and have a stupendous record collection.
Sad to see this. They were a bit too radical left for me at the time (1981) but on a recent relisten to songs like Armagh, now seem presecient for what was to come with Abu Ghraib etc. The dispute about the band reform is a bit like the Your Party recriminations.