GIRLSCHOOL Band Description:
Girlschool is a British heavy metal / hard rock band that broke out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) orbit at the end of the 1970s. Loud, fast, and unapologetically riff-first, they earned a reputation for sweaty, no-nonsense shows and became one of the movement’s most visible all-female bands.
The band formed in London, England in 1978, evolving out of an earlier group called Painted Lady. The classic early line-up featured Kim McAuliffe (guitar, vocals), Enid Williams (bass, vocals), Kelly Johnson (guitar, vocals), and Denise Dufort (drums) — with vocals shared rather than a single “lead vocalist” role.
Their first single, "Take It All Away", came out on the independent City Records in 1979. It picked up enough underground attention to land on Lemmy Kilmister’s radar, which helped lead to Girlschool joining Motörhead on the Overkill tour in 1979 — the start of a long-running bond between the two camps.
Girlschool signed to Bronze Records in late 1979, and their debut album, "Demolition", followed in 1980 (produced by Vic Maile). That record — and the run of early-80s releases that followed — firmly planted them as a real force in the UK metal scene, not a novelty act.
Key albums from their early peak include "Hit and Run", "Screaming Blue Murder", and "Play Dirty". They’re also famously linked to Motörhead through recordings and live history, including the 1981 Headgirl EP "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" (the one with "Please Don't Touch").
Decades on, Girlschool kept moving — touring, recording, and rotating line-ups without losing the core identity. Their later work even pulled in heavy friends as guests; for example, "Legacy" (2008) includes a version of "I Spy" credited with Ronnie James Dio on vocals and Tony Iommi on guitar.
More than anything, their legacy is simple: they helped make it harder for anyone to say “women don’t belong in heavy music” with a straight face. Because Girlschool have been out there doing the job since 1978 — and somehow still aren’t bored of everyone else’s nonsense.
