Origin London, England Genres Hard rock，heavy metal，biker metal Years active 1978–present Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 years.[3][4] Formed from a school band called Painted Lady, Girlschool enjoyed strong media exposure and commercial success in the UK in the early 1980s with three albums of "punk-tinged metal"[5] and a few singles, but lost their momentum in the following years.[6] Although preceded them by several years, Girlschool was one of the first all-female outfits to emerge in the male-dominated world of heavy metal/hard rock, helping to pave the way for similar groups of the future. Originally formed in South London during 1977 by bassist Enid Williams and vocalist/guitarist Kim McAuliffe (along with a few other members), the group was first known as Painted Lady. Eventually the pair came across permanent members Kelly Johnson (guitar, vocals) and Denise Dufort (drums), and switched their name to Girlschool by 1978. With England just about to be swept up by a massive heavy metal movement (known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal), Girlschool picked a perfect time to issue a debut single, "Take It All Away," which caught the attention of manager Doug Smith, who in turn signed on as Girlschool's manager. After supporting both and on tour, Girlschool landed a recording contract with (which at the time was the home to such notable metal acts as , , and ). The quartet's 1980 debut, Demolition, reached the U.K. Top 30, but was surprisingly not issued in the U.S. (despite spawning four popular singles back home: "Emergency," "Nothing to Lose," "Yeah Right," and "Race with the Devil"). Girlschool's sophomore effort, 1981's Hit & Run, proved to be even more successful, peaking at number five on the British album charts, while a collaboration with their pals in , an EP called The St. Valentines Da