Soo Catwoman

Soo Lucas, better known as Soo Catwoman (often written incorrectly as Sue Catwoman), is 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".

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 with 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.

She was a member of the Bromley Contingent — the early group of followers and fans of the Sex Pistols who lived in and around Bromley. She was pictured by Ray Stevenson posing with members of the Bromley Contingent such as Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin and Billy Idol. While she was also associated with the Bromley Contingent by all the journalists, she would later claim to have not been a member.

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 Julien Temple'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.

Filmography

• The Punk Rock Movie (1979, dir. Don Letts)
• The Filth And The Fury (2000, dir. Julien Temple, VHS/NTSC)

External links

• Early English punk
• Official Soo Catwoman website