From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Bob Carlson, and this is Unfictional.

Unfictional is KCRW's program of storytellers and documentaries,

and today, two storytellers who think they've got it figured out.

They think they know the plan of action, only to come face to face with someone else with a conflicting

agenda.

Today on the program, the best laid plan. someone else with a conflicting agenda.

Today on the program, the best laid plans.

In October of 2010, Ari Up, who was the leader of the 70s and 80s era British band

known as The Slits, died of cancer.

The Slits were a loud experimental and controversial, mostly female band, and Ariep herself

was an unpredictable punk life force.

Award-winning journalist Margie Rocklin interviewed the slits all the way back in 1980

when she was just starting out as a reporter.

Over the past 30 years, Margie has interviewed hundreds of people, singers,

actors, politicians. But this interview was one that she's never forgotten. It was an experience

that made the young reporter understand that an interviewer and an interviewee don't

always want the same thing.

Margie took her tape recorder to the legendary and now defunct Tropicana Motel in West Hollywood and was excited to find out what made a group like the slits tick.

Their album cover was the craziest album cover I had ever seen.

It was them topless and covered in mud wearing loin cloth. And I just thought

it was kind of outrageous. And I went and saw them at the whiskey and I was really interested.

And I don't know, there's something very cool and we don't care about what's going on about them.

...