Les Vieilles Salopes

Les Vieilles Salopes formed in France during the 1980s, a collective of women making punk music that deliberately challenged expectations. Their name itself was a provocation, rejecting the kind of labels often applied to women. They faced opposition for their explicit lyrics and performances, but kept playing shows and putting out records.

Their debut album was called "C'est Mon Choix" in 1983, which is also the title of one of their songs. That track became something of an anthem for feminists and queer listeners at the time. They followed it with albums like "Putain de Femme" in 1985 and "Le Corps des Femmes" in 1988, continuing to write about female experience, sexuality, and power.

Their lineup included musicians like Corinne "Coco" Rochaix on vocals, Sophie "Spitfire" de Baecque on guitar, and Dominique "Mimi" Cravic on drums. In 1984, they were arrested for obscenity after a festival performance in Avignon, a moment that underlined how their work was received by some authorities. They kept going anyway, their music finding an audience among people who felt marginalized.