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Outlook: Punk, God, and my search for truth

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Punk, God, and my search for truth

21/07/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - Outlook, Punk, God, and my search for truth

Punk icon Palmolive walked away from two pioneering bands looking for spiritual answers

Punk's Palmolive grew up in Franco's Spain and played the drums with iconic punk bands The Slits and The Raincoats - but turned her back on music to embark on a religious quest

When 17-year-old Paloma Romero travelled to the UK in the early 1970s, she was in search of freedom and opportunities that didn't exist in her native Spain, ruled at the time by the dictator Franco. Soon, Paloma fell in with the world of punk music, and (following a mix-up over her name) called herself Palmolive. She started a relationship with Joe Strummer from The Clash, taught herself to play drums and joined a band with Sid Vicious. When he kicked her out for refusing his advances, she formed a band of her own - The Slits. With their all-female line-up and collaborative approach to song-writing, The Slits are now regarded as iconic punk pioneers. Later, Paloma would play drums in another highly influential all-female punk band, The Raincoats - before turning her back on music altogether to seek spiritual truth. Now a retired teacher living in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Paloma is thinking about a return to music. She tells Anu Anand about punk, faith, and the art of walking away.

Producer: Laura Thomas
Presenter: Anu Anand
Image: Getty Images

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