194:, is considered a post-punk classic, with strong, sarcastic songs such as "It's Obvious" and "We're So Cool" taking a dry look at gender relations. Other songs, such as "Armagh"—with its refrain, "we don't torture"—criticized the British government's treatment of Irish Republican prisoners during the
240:
Following the departure of bassist Jane Munro in 1983, the band recruited Nick O'Connor who also played piano and synthesizers. At this time the group were further augmented by Jayne Morris (percussion and backing vocals), Graeme
Hamilton (trumpet) and Cara Tivey on additional keyboards. The band
294:, critic Richard Cromelin said: "When the crowd at the Whisky kept calling Au Pairs back to the stage for encores Wednesday night, it was as if they were trying to tell the group's singer Lesley Woods that her band had done just fine and she could go ahead and loosen up a little."
51:
245:
in 1983 but broke up. Woods has intimated that the hostility and violence she and other women faced playing music was a factor in the group's demise: "There comes a point where you can’t go on any more at that level," she told Nige
Tassell of
171:
in 1978 and continued until 1983. They produced two studio albums and three singles. Their songs were said to have "contempt for the cliches of contemporary sexual politics" and their music has been compared to that of the
309:" and suggested that Lesley Woods "and the band were able to build the insinuating monotones of the songs early in the set through street taunts into a rousing rock-and-roll climax."
881:
891:
259:. Now, as Lesley Longhurst-Woods, she works as a lawyer in London. Guitarist Paul Foad published a guitar technique book, co-written with Stuart Ritchie, titled
301:, John Rockwell said "The Au Pairs blend political lyrics, a tough, funk-dance-rock idiom and an at least initially dispassionate vocal style, rather like the
886:
595:
876:
316:
that the band mingled male and female musicians in a revolutionary collaborative way, as part of its outspoken explorations of sexual politics.
486:
399:
813:
776:
748:
846:
648:
896:
800:
473:
331:
190:
31:
180:. The band was led by Lesley Woods, who was once described as "one of the most striking women in British rock".
50:
478:
503:
287:
praised the group's "viciously well-observed lyrics on contemporary life and love and the role of women’.
836:
795:
468:
360:"It's Obvious" / "Diet" (021 Records, OTO 4, 1980) (No. 37 on the US Billboard Club Play Singles charts)
343:
298:
275:) in Birmingham. Pete Hammond also remains an active musician and teaches percussion in Birmingham.
805:
534:
306:
302:
177:
173:
539:
861:
809:
772:
744:
717:
567:
482:
210:
242:
199:
336:
255:
Woods formed an all-woman band called the
Darlings in the late 1980s, but then left the
291:
256:
161:
290:
The Au Pairs toured the United States in 1981. In a review of their first show at the
870:
653:
600:
508:
272:
264:
248:
206:
195:
268:
851:
17:
447:
226:
168:
146:
69:
712:
562:
164:
80:
841:
596:"Post-punk band Au Pairs: 'The Thatcher years gave us plenty of material'"
832:
676:
627:
357:"You" / "Domestic Departure" / "Kerb Crawler" (021 Records, OTO 2, 1979)
857:
623:
367:
263:(2000). Bass player Jane Munro works as an alternative therapist (
234:
314:
She's a Rebel: The
History of Women in Rock and Roll (Live Girls)
649:"Never mind the bus pass: punks look back at their wildest days"
230:
222:
409:. Live in Berlin, 1981, Suffragette Production SP 27 (bootleg)
771:(19th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 33.
363:"Inconvenience" / "Pretty Boys" (Human Records, HUM 8, 1981)
366:"Inconvenience" / "Pretty Boys" / "Headache For Michelle" (
188:
Au Pairs formed in
Birmingham in 1978. Their first album,
403:(Castle Music, CMQDD1338, released May 2006 in the UK)
241:
were scheduled to record a third album with producer
741:
She's a Rebel: The
History of Women in Rock and Roll
30:
This article is about the band. For other uses, see
387:
Shocks to the System: The Very Best of the Au Pairs
117:
113:
96:
86:
76:
65:
60:
41:
801:The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music
312:Music historian Gillian G. Gaar noted in her 2002
383:(AKA Records, AKA6, recorded 1982, released 1983)
237:on the band's sound, but was less well received.
563:"3 JOHNS AT FENDER'S ADD UP TO A VERY GOOD TIME"
347:(Kamera Records, KAM 010, 1982) (No. 79 UK)
283:In mid-1981 critic Robin Denselow of the London
790:
788:
882:Musical groups from Birmingham, West Midlands
438:Nick O'Connor - bass/keyboards/backing vocals
8:
335:(Human Records, HUMAN 1, 1981) (No. 33
205:In 1980 the band were filmed live for the
38:
528:
526:
679:. Lesley Longhurst-Woods. 6 January 2012
444:Jayne Morris - percussion/backing vocals
393:Equal But Different - BBC Sessions 79-81
762:
760:
589:
587:
585:
460:
221:(1982), showed a greater influence of
892:Musical groups disestablished in 1983
624:"Sense and Sensuality - the Au Pairs"
7:
504:"Old music: Au Pairs – It's Obvious"
711:Richard Cromelin (2 October 1981).
533:John Rockwell (28 September 1981).
400:Stepping Out of Line: The Anthology
887:Musical groups established in 1979
25:
370:) (Human Records, HUM 8/12, 1981)
769:British Hit Singles & Albums
743:. Seal Press. pp. 203–204.
49:
713:"Au Pairs Debuts at the Whisky"
877:English post-punk music groups
502:Matt Seaton (6 October 2011).
1:
474:Encyclopedia of Popular Music
389:(Cherry Red, CDMRED161, 1999)
419:Lesley Woods - guitar/vocals
332:Playing with a Different Sex
297:Writing about their show at
191:Playing with a Different Sex
594:Walsh, Paul (17 May 2021).
375:Live and compilation albums
913:
561:Craig Lee (21 June 1985).
471:, ed. (2006). "Au Pairs".
29:
677:"Barrister at Law London"
441:Graeme Hamilton - trumpet
422:Paul Foad - guitar/vocals
217:The band's second album,
48:
32:Au Pairs (disambiguation)
739:Gillian G. Gaar (2002).
535:"POP: PIGBAG, AU PAIRS"
479:Oxford University Press
897:Political music groups
767:David Roberts (2006).
697:Robin Denselow ‘Rock’
450:- additional keyboards
61:Background information
55:The band in about 1982
27:British post-punk band
854:Trouser Press Guide.
847:VH1 page on the band
622:Richie Unterberger.
433:Other members (1983)
428:Pete Hammond - drums
344:Sense and Sensuality
219:Sense and Sensuality
167:band that formed in
806:Guinness Publishing
307:Young Marble Giants
261:The Caged Guitarist
178:Young Marble Giants
842:Photos of the band
804:(First ed.).
701:10 June 1981 p. 12
540:The New York Times
808:. pp. 23/4.
718:Los Angeles Times
568:Los Angeles Times
488:978-0-1953-1373-4
425:Jane Munro - bass
407:Equally Different
211:Urgh! A Music War
154:
153:
16:(Redirected from
904:
820:
819:
792:
783:
782:
764:
755:
754:
736:
730:
729:
727:
725:
708:
702:
695:
689:
688:
686:
684:
673:
667:
666:
664:
662:
645:
639:
638:
636:
634:
619:
613:
612:
610:
608:
591:
580:
579:
577:
575:
558:
552:
551:
549:
547:
530:
521:
520:
518:
516:
499:
493:
492:
477:(4th ed.).
465:
414:Original members
243:Steve Lillywhite
200:Northern Ireland
120:
89:
53:
39:
21:
912:
911:
907:
906:
905:
903:
902:
901:
867:
866:
829:
824:
823:
816:
794:
793:
786:
779:
766:
765:
758:
751:
738:
737:
733:
723:
721:
710:
709:
705:
696:
692:
682:
680:
675:
674:
670:
660:
658:
647:
646:
642:
632:
630:
621:
620:
616:
606:
604:
593:
592:
583:
573:
571:
560:
559:
555:
545:
543:
532:
531:
524:
514:
512:
501:
500:
496:
489:
467:
466:
462:
457:
435:
416:
377:
354:
327:
322:
281:
186:
143:Graeme Hamilton
118:
109:
87:
56:
44:
35:
28:
23:
22:
18:Au Pairs (band)
15:
12:
11:
5:
910:
908:
900:
899:
894:
889:
884:
879:
869:
868:
865:
864:
855:
849:
844:
839:
828:
827:External links
825:
822:
821:
814:
798:, ed. (1992).
784:
777:
756:
749:
731:
703:
690:
668:
640:
614:
581:
553:
522:
494:
487:
459:
458:
456:
453:
452:
451:
445:
442:
439:
434:
431:
430:
429:
426:
423:
420:
415:
412:
411:
410:
404:
396:
390:
384:
381:Live in Berlin
376:
373:
372:
371:
364:
361:
358:
353:
350:
349:
348:
340:
326:
323:
321:
318:
292:Whisky a Go Go
280:
277:
257:music industry
185:
182:
152:
151:
150:
149:
144:
141:
138:
135:
132:
129:
126:
121:
115:
114:
111:
110:
108:
107:
104:
100:
98:
94:
93:
90:
84:
83:
78:
74:
73:
67:
63:
62:
58:
57:
54:
46:
45:
42:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
909:
898:
895:
893:
890:
888:
885:
883:
880:
878:
875:
874:
872:
863:
859:
856:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
834:
831:
830:
826:
817:
815:0-85112-579-4
811:
807:
803:
802:
797:
791:
789:
785:
780:
778:1-904994-10-5
774:
770:
763:
761:
757:
752:
750:1-58005-078-6
746:
742:
735:
732:
720:
719:
714:
707:
704:
700:
694:
691:
678:
672:
669:
656:
655:
650:
644:
641:
629:
625:
618:
615:
603:
602:
597:
590:
588:
586:
582:
570:
569:
564:
557:
554:
542:
541:
536:
529:
527:
523:
511:
510:
505:
498:
495:
490:
484:
480:
476:
475:
470:
469:Larkin, Colin
464:
461:
454:
449:
446:
443:
440:
437:
436:
432:
427:
424:
421:
418:
417:
413:
408:
405:
402:
401:
397:
395:(RPM, RPM139)
394:
391:
388:
385:
382:
379:
378:
374:
369:
365:
362:
359:
356:
355:
351:
346:
345:
341:
338:
334:
333:
329:
328:
324:
319:
317:
315:
310:
308:
304:
300:
295:
293:
288:
286:
278:
276:
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
253:
251:
250:
244:
238:
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
215:
213:
212:
208:
203:
201:
197:
193:
192:
183:
181:
179:
175:
170:
166:
163:
159:
148:
145:
142:
139:
137:Nick O'Connor
136:
133:
130:
127:
124:
123:
122:
116:
112:
105:
102:
101:
99:
95:
91:
85:
82:
79:
75:
71:
68:
64:
59:
52:
47:
40:
37:
33:
19:
799:
796:Colin Larkin
768:
740:
734:
724:18 September
722:. Retrieved
716:
706:
698:
693:
681:. Retrieved
671:
661:14 September
659:. Retrieved
657:. 7 May 2016
654:The Guardian
652:
643:
633:18 September
631:. Retrieved
617:
605:. Retrieved
601:The Guardian
599:
574:18 September
572:. Retrieved
566:
556:
546:18 September
544:. Retrieved
538:
515:18 September
513:. Retrieved
509:The Guardian
507:
497:
472:
463:
406:
398:
392:
386:
380:
342:
330:
313:
311:
305:meeting the
303:Gang of Four
296:
289:
284:
282:
273:head massage
265:aromatherapy
260:
254:
249:The Guardian
247:
239:
218:
216:
209:
207:concert film
204:
189:
187:
174:Gang of Four
157:
155:
140:Jayne Morris
134:Pete Hammond
125:Lesley Woods
119:Past members
88:Years active
36:
683:20 February
320:Discography
271:and Indian
269:reflexology
871:Categories
455:References
448:Cara Tivey
169:Birmingham
147:Cara Tivey
128:Jane Munro
70:Birmingham
279:Reception
165:post-punk
131:Paul Foad
92:1978–1983
81:Post-punk
72:, England
858:Au Pairs
852:Au Pairs
837:AllMusic
833:Au Pairs
699:Guardian
628:AllMusic
299:The Ritz
285:Guardian
196:troubles
176:and the
158:Au Pairs
43:Au Pairs
352:Singles
162:British
160:were a
812:
775:
747:
607:17 May
485:
325:Albums
184:Career
106:Kamera
97:Labels
77:Genres
66:Origin
368:remix
235:disco
103:Human
862:IMDb
810:ISBN
773:ISBN
745:ISBN
726:2013
685:2013
663:2020
635:2013
609:2021
576:2013
548:2013
517:2013
483:ISBN
233:and
231:funk
227:soul
223:jazz
156:The
860:at
835:at
198:in
873::
787:^
759:^
715:.
651:.
626:.
598:.
584:^
565:.
537:.
525:^
506:.
481:.
337:UK
267:,
252:.
229:,
225:,
214:.
202:.
818:.
781:.
753:.
728:.
687:.
665:.
637:.
611:.
578:.
550:.
519:.
491:.
339:)
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
