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About this concert
AGMP Concerts proudly presents
AU PAIRS'Playing With A Different Sex' 45th Anniversary + very special guests: GINA BIRCH & THE UNREASONABLES
First concert in over 40 years for legendary Post Punk group AU PAIRS.
Au Pairs formed in late 1978 in Birmingham, UK in the post-punk era. They were a much-loved band who combined fun, dancey music with an innovative and, for that time, a daringly progressive message.
In their original form they were 2 women and 2 men, the objective being to show that women and men can work together as equals.
Lesley Woods led the band as frontperson, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist. Lesley was once described as “”one of the most striking women in British rock”.
Their first album 'Playing With A Different Sex' is a post-punk classic and focusses on gender and other politics. A critic from The Guardian praised it for its “viciously well-observed lyrics on contemporary life, love and the role of women “.
The band is re-forming beginning 2026 when they commence a UK tour with Lesley Woods and new members. The 2 women/2 men balance remains .
Au Pairs blend political lyrics with a tough funk-dance-rock idiom which is as relevant today as it ever was.
Special guest support is Gina Birch and the Unreasonables. Gina Birch was a founding member of influential post-punk group The Raincoats. Her next project was Rough Trade Records signings Dorothy. Gina's debut solo LP 'I Play My Bass Loud' was released in 2021 and her second release 'Trouble' is out now.
This event is for over 18s only - No refunds will be issued for under 18s
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Au Pairs Biography
The Au Pairs were a post-punk band who formed in Birmingham, UK in 1979. Musically they were very similar to bands such as Ludus, Gang of Four and the Delta 5. That is, the rhythm section was tight and funky (obvious influences were James Brown and Funkadelic), but the guitars were light and "scratchy" (like Subway Sect). All these bands shared a strongly left wing social outlook, but the Au Pairs stood out due to their frontwoman, Lesley Woods, being an outspoken feminist and lesbian: the band were greatly influential in this respect on the riot grrrl movement a decade later. Music historian Gillian G. Gaar noted in her history of women in rock that the band mingled male and female musicians in a revolutionary collaborative way as part of its outspoken explorations of sexual politics.
Their first album Playing with a Different Sex is considered a post-punk classic with strong, sarcastic songs like "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" took a pro-republican look at the then ongoing "Troubles" in Northern Ireland, which caused some controversy at the time.
The band's second album, Sense and Sensuality, showed an even greater influence of jazz, soul, funk and disco on the band's sound, but was less well received. The band broke up in 1983 just before they were about to go into the studio to record an album with producer Steve Lillywhite. Woods formed an all woman band called the Darlings in the late '80s, but then left the music industry. She now works as a lawyer. Guitarist, Paul Foad remains an active musician, playing with Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes, a Jamaican Jazz band and teaching guitar in and around Birmingham. He has also published a guitar technique book, co-written with Stuart Ritchie, titled The Caged Guitarist (2000). Bass player Jane Munro works as an alternative therapist in Birmingham. Pete Hammond also remains an active musician and teaches percussion in Birmingham.
The Au Pairs released two official albums "Playing with a Different Sex" (1981) and "Sense and Sensuality" (1982). Two more albums were released in 1983: "Live in Berlin" and the "BBC Sessions".
Original Line-up:
Lesley Woods - guitar/vocals
Paul Foad - guitar/vocals
Jane Munro - bass
Pete Hammond - drums
Read MoreTheir first album Playing with a Different Sex is considered a post-punk classic with strong, sarcastic songs like "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" took a pro-republican look at the then ongoing "Troubles" in Northern Ireland, which caused some controversy at the time.
The band's second album, Sense and Sensuality, showed an even greater influence of jazz, soul, funk and disco on the band's sound, but was less well received. The band broke up in 1983 just before they were about to go into the studio to record an album with producer Steve Lillywhite. Woods formed an all woman band called the Darlings in the late '80s, but then left the music industry. She now works as a lawyer. Guitarist, Paul Foad remains an active musician, playing with Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes, a Jamaican Jazz band and teaching guitar in and around Birmingham. He has also published a guitar technique book, co-written with Stuart Ritchie, titled The Caged Guitarist (2000). Bass player Jane Munro works as an alternative therapist in Birmingham. Pete Hammond also remains an active musician and teaches percussion in Birmingham.
The Au Pairs released two official albums "Playing with a Different Sex" (1981) and "Sense and Sensuality" (1982). Two more albums were released in 1983: "Live in Berlin" and the "BBC Sessions".
Original Line-up:
Lesley Woods - guitar/vocals
Paul Foad - guitar/vocals
Jane Munro - bass
Pete Hammond - drums
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