Siouxsie and the Banshees formed in London in 1976.
The group emerged from the early British punk scene around the Bromley Contingent, a loose circle of followers connected with the Sex Pistols. Siouxsie Sioux became the band’s singer, while Steven Severin was an early central member. Their first performance took place at the 100 Club Punk Festival in September 1976, where they played an improvised set.
Although the band began in punk, its later music incorporated post-punk, gothic rock, psychedelic textures, and experimental arrangements. That evolution made Siouxsie and the Banshees influential across several alternative-music scenes.
The group’s first single, “Hong Kong Garden,” arrived in 1978, followed by the debut album The Scream that same year. The band is therefore often dated to 1976, even though its best-known recordings came after the initial punk explosion. Their formation year is not the year of their first album or first single.