Soo Catwoman

Soo Lucas, better known as Soo Catwoman (often written as Sue Catwoman), was an icon of the London punk subculture that sprang up around the mid-1970s.

History

She had a similar attitude and avant-garde 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". [*"The Filth And The Fury" (2000, dir. Julien Temple, VHS/NTSC)]

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 in the traditional skinhead style, but 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.

Contrary to many reports, she was never a member of the Bromley Contingent, the group of followers and fans of the Sex Pistols which lived in Bromley, a suburb of London, such as Siouxsie Sioux and Billy Idol. While she was also associated with the Bromley Contingent, she does not consider herself to have been a member ["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....." [http://www.myspace.com/soocatwoman Soo Catwoman on Myspace] ] .

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 Malcolm McLaren's "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle", though her persona was portrayed by actress Judy Croll. She now resides in London with her son and daughter.

References

Filmography

*"The Punk Rock Movie" (1979, dir. Don Letts)
*"The Great Rock N' Roll Swindle" (1980, dir. Julien Temple, VHS/DVD)
*"The Filth And The Fury" (2000, dir. Julien Temple, VHS/NTSC)

External links

* [http://www.punk77.co.uk/ Early English punk]
* [http://www.myspace.com/soocatwoman Soo Catwoman on Myspace]
* [http://www.soocatwoman.com/ Official Soo Catwoman website]