Poison Girls

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Poison Girls


Img_capt = Poison Girls performing at the squatted Zig Zag Club in London, 18 December 1982
Img_size =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = Brighton, England
Genre = Anarcho-punk
Riot Grrrl
Years_active = 1976 - 1987
Label = Crass Records
X-N-Trix Records
Associated_acts =
URL =
Current_members = Vi Subversa
Lance D'Boyle
Richard Famous
Nil
Bernhardt Rebours
Past_members =

The Poison Girls were an English anarcho-punk band. The female singer/guitarist, Vi Subversa, was a middle-aged mother of two at the band's inception, and wrote songs that explored sexuality and gender roles, usually from an anarchist perspective. The original Poison Girls line-up also included: Lance D'Boyle (drums); Richard Famous (guitar/vocals); Nil (tapes/bass/electric violin); and Bernhardt Rebours (bass/synthesiser/piano).

History

Poison Girls formed in Brighton in 1976, before moving to Burleigh House in Essex, near to Dial House, the home of fellow anarchist band Crass, with whom they worked closely for a number of years, playing over 100 gigs with the band. In 1979 they contributed to the revival of the peace movement by playing a number of benefit gigs with Crass and paying for the production of the first CND badges since CND's heyday. Again in 1979, and again with Crass, they proved influential to the establishment of the short lived Wapping Autonomy Centre by contributing the track "Persons Unknown" to a split single with Crass (who contributed "Bloody Revolutions") and raising over £10,000. Their song "Bully Boys", an attack on violent machismo led to the band being blacklisted by the left-wing Socialist Workers Party and, ironically, attacked by members of the National Front both convinced it was an attack on them.Fact|date=May 2007 The band also set up the label X-N-Trix alongside a publishing arm for the "Impossible Dream" magazine and recording studios for other artists.

Though their last studio recording to date was in 1985, a number of Poison Girls compilations have since been released, and their songs frequently appear on punk anthologies.

Poison Girls were involved with the production of "Aids — The Musical", through a company called The Lenya Hobnoobs Theatre Company. They did another show called "Mother Russia was a Lesbian" in 1992, and reunited for a show at the London Astoria II in 1995, celebrating the 60th birthday of Vi Subversa. Currently, Richard Famous works as a painter and decorator. Vi Subversa lives in Spain. The pair have performed as That Famous Subversa, a cabaret act they did together before the Poison Girls.

Band members

*Vi Subversa - vocals/guitar
*Richard Famous - guitar/vocals
*Lance d’Boyle - drums/backing vocals (1976-84)
*Bella Donna - bass (1976-77)
*Pete Fender - bass (1978, 1984)
*Scott Barker - bass (1978)
*Bernhardt Rebours - bass/synth/piano/backing vocals (1979-81)
*Nil - tapes (1979-1981)
*Chris Grace - bass (1982-83)
*Mark Dunn - bass (1983-84)
*Cynth Ethics (Sian Daniels) - synth/vocals (1983-85)
*Martin Heath - bass (1984)
*Max Vol - bass (1984-87)
*Agent Orange - drums (1984-87)

in the early days of the band some reports quote Vi as using the names Vi Squad or Vi Perversa

Discography

*"Closed Shop/Piano Lessons" (X-N-Trix Records / Small Wonder, 1979, split 12" single with Fatal Microbes)
*"Hex" (X-N-Trix, 1979, re-released on Crass Records, 1981)
*"Persons Unknown" (Crass Records, 1980, joint single with Crass as a benefit to raise funds to start an Anarchist Centre)
*"Chappaquiddick Bridge" (Crass Records, 1980, plus "A Statement" flexi disc)
*"Bully Boys/Pretty Polly" (flexi disc free with In The City #15)
*"All Systems Go!" (Crass Records, 1981)
*"Total Exposure" (live LP) (X-N-Trix, 1981)
*"Where's the Pleasure?" (X-N-Trix, 1982)
*"One Good Reason" (Illuminated Records, 1983)
*"Are You Happy Now?" (Illuminated Records, 1983)
*"I'm Not A Real Woman" (X-N-Trix, 1984)
*"7 Year Scratch" (X-N-Trix, 1984, double compilation from previous releases plus live material)
*"Songs of Praise" (CD Presents 1985, features cover artwork by Clifford Harper)
*"The Price of Grain" (1985)
*"Statement - The Complete Recordings" (Cooking Vinyl, 1995, 4 CD boxed set with accompanying lyric and history booklets)

External links

* [http://www.cookingvinyl.com/poison_girls/index.php cookingvinyl.com]
* [http://idiot-dog.com/music/poisongirls/indexp.html On-line discography]
* [http://www.kersplebedeb.com/poisongirls/index.html Lyrics to all their songs, plus some mp3s]