Musical onslaught on sexism

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•Playing with Different Sex" could be thought a peculiar album title to say the least.

But - there again, you couldn't accuse the Au Pairs of being exactly any run-ofthe-mill new •pop group. They aren't.

They have certainly managed to capture the imagination of a large radical' following.

Definite proof of this is that their debut single "It's Obvious Diet" remained at the top of the independent. label singles chart for weeks on ind. and now the Human record label is expanding its influtte.

Part of the reason for this no doubt is that they have been playing live nearly non-stop since the group started and that their music is exciting, uncompromising and original.

Generally speaking the rock industry has always been split between pro-and anti establishment.

The antiestablishment spectrum, from the Rolling Stones and The Who in the '60s through to the punk explosion of "77 has generally speaking produced the new, creative and dynamic stuff which the big multinationals latch onto a few months or yèars later and attempt to rake in the profits.

The "post-punk depres sion" has been a tense time for the 'official' rock industry with record sales plummeting and the advent of a multitude of forwardlooking independent record labels producing the records of forward-looking groups.

This is really a contradictory situation because all depend on each other for survival.

Politics and rock music are inextricably linked but so is sexism and rock music.

The A, Paire lue hu laus dis all auli are on anti-sexist, political group. But to what extent they would agree politically with Socialist Press cannot be gauged by listening to an album.

Come Again' (!) like most of the Au Pairs' songs on the album has an apt sense of sarcasm and an uncanny knack of growing on you.

1 VU AUTI hehave like model for others to follow, Equal shares, equal shares, It's frustrating, aggravating, so annoying, pretend you're enjoying it, It's your turn now but do you want to?

I don't know if you want to. It's inhibiting, restricting, so confusing, Now I'm losing count. Can't • concentrate it's another way to fake... Yes, thank you, I got one, Yes it was nice. ves. ves. it was fine."

Subtle but forceful lyrics about repressed female sexuality ending up with a final kick in the balls/teeth"Shit I forgot to put my cap in"

This theme makes up the majority of the album with other tracks about battered women, marriage and the hypocrisy of romance making the point that heterosexuality is never hunky dory and that women are invariably. • sexually maltreated by men.

Just as tew groups are prepared to make a stand openly in defence of women's rights or gay rights, even less are lending their support to the struggle against British imperialism in The Au Pairs are an exception. When I saw them play live supporting the Beat they dedicated a song called Armagh to Bobby Sands and the women in Armagh Gaol and it is a very powerful song.

"There are 32 women in Armagh Jail, political prisoners here at home. The British state's got nothing to lose. it's a subject better left alone.

We don't torture • We're a civilised nation. We avoid any confrontation.

4 at a Potter It's great when groups play in favour of revolutionary struggles. It's even better when they can play well too.

The Au Pairs do have a competent musical style of choppy, twangy guitar riffs, (similar to The Slits), with a helping of tasteful guitar discords (something like Siouxie and the Banshees).

So hopefully we shall see the Au Paris moving up from the "2nd division" - supporting headlining groups like the Beat on tour-to the lst division, headlining their own tours.

Racism has hardly got a toe-hold amongst popular rock groups. And with groups like the Au Pairs around sex ism could be more centrally challengea.

Better than equal-but different!

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July Racism in newton Park, Leeds. We don't torturigh!!!"