Often considered the Distaff Counterpart to Motörhead, Girlschool formed in 1978 right around the time the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was taking form. They are still going strong after more than 35 years, making them the world's longest running all-female rock band. They boast a global cult following and remain an influence and role model for many female rockers, both professional and amateur. In spite of suffering a bad case of Revolving Door Band, original members Kim McAuliffe and Denise Dufort are still part of the band. In fact, the only reason the full original lineup is no more is due to lead guitarist and singer Kelly Johnson's death from cancer in 2007. The band parted ways with original bassist Enid Williams (again), and recruited Tracey Lamb (again) in 2019.
Principal Members
- Kim McAuliffe – rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals (1978 - present)
- Enid Williams – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals (1978 - 1982, 1990 - 1991, 2000 - 2019)
- Jackie Chambers – lead guitar, backing vocals (2000 - present)
- Denise Dufort – drums (1978 - present)
- Kelly Johnson - lead guitar, lead and backing vocals (1978 - 1982, 1993 - 2000, died 2007)
- Tracey Lamb - bass guitar (1987 - 1991, 1992 - 2000, 2019 - present)
Studio Discography:
- Demolition (1980)
- Hit and Run (1981)
- Screaming Blue Murder (1982)
- Play Dirty (1983)
- Running Wild (1985)
- Nightmare at Maple Cross (1986)
- Take a Bite (1988)
- Girlschool (1992)
- 21st Anniversary: Not That Innocent (2002)
- Believe (2004)
- Legacy (2008)
- Hit and Run – Revisited (2011)
- Guilty as Sin (2015)
This band provides examples of:
- Deadpan Snarker: "Yeah Right".
- Distaff Counterpart: Often considered this to Motörhead, if the St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP shared with them is anything to go by.
- Driving Song: "Hit and Run".
- Lead Singer Plays Lead Guitar: Kelly was a co-lead vocalist as well the band's lead guitarist.
- New Wave of British Heavy Metal: The most famous all-female example.
- Subliminal Seduction: The backward messages near the end of "Future Flash" note
- Vocal Tag Team: McAuliffe, Williams, and Johnson.
