Introduction

[martinpond]

Hi Richard,
glad you found your ideal guitar, as have I after years of blundering and expense; I guess we all discover the fine things in life as we learn to ignore the superficials. In truth Spixworth is what could be seen as a frighteningly long time ago, but let's choose to view it as a launching-pad (and it was fun, as I recall). My email is [e-mail]; would be good to hear from you.
Martin.

[doanythingformoney]

Hi my name is Richard, i first saw Poison Girls in Norwich 1982 with Tracey(farmhouse) Think we spent the night in the Ambulance, then a two day hitch to Durham to find out the gig had been cancelled, back down to Bradford where we caught up with the Poisons again. I saw Poison Girls on many occasions, Old Kent rd, Chats Palace, Bristol and Stonehenge. I think the last time i saw you was on the Thekla in Bristol where you played for two nights. I remember David Rappaport dancing away to The Poison Girls on the Thekla in Bristol. For anyone who does not know he was Randall in Time bandits.
Best to all
Richard

[mej313]

I am not a groupie, I just heard Poison Girls this morning on an on line radio station called Last.FM I had been listening to the Crass "channel" and on came Vi Subversa singing about pets, Nazi sex slaves, and the obliteration of our domesticated subordinates. So I tried to find an email address for Vi, and finally someone directed me to this site.

don't want to disrupt the jolly mood of this board, so I just want to say if Vi, or anyone with feminist leanings, would be so kind to listen to an interview I had on a (silly sexist but dangerous) talk show called "The Morning Liberty Show" on August 7Th (my name was given as MJ, the subject of the interview was MK ULTRA and sex slaves) then I would be appreciative. I wonder if Vi or anyone else in the band has the same sharp-edged anger at the atrocities and if my interview would provoke a response. I would like to get some kind of feedback from someone or some people who I actually have an affinity with, in some way. I wanted to get my message out, and this talk show was the only entity willing to listen. Even if people criticize, I would like to know what anyone has to say about this.

The interview can also be downloaded from the parent radio network www.themicroeffect.com/

[daves]

Hi Richard

I first saw Poison Girls with Crass at Digbeth Civic Hall in Brum and they instantly became my favourite band, and have remained so to this day.

I must have seen them another 8 or 10 times after this, the last time being a gig down in Aldershot about 23/24 years ago. I was supposed to be coming with my wife, but she was pregnant with our son at the time and experiencing some complications, so I made the 200+ mile round trip with a mate.

I am now playing guitar in a folk/blues duo and we do a radically re-worked cover of Real Woman. I hope this is OK.

[richardfamous]

Hi Mj and welcome
Thanks for your post, and apologies for not replying sooner. I have tried to access your interview with no luck so far. I will try later (I am very busy at the moment) and make sure that Vi is aware of the post. She is however in the process of relocating so is difficult to pin down at the moment, so please be patient.
The track you heard was 'The Offending Article', from the album '7 Year Scratch', and the lyrics can be found in the 'Music' section of the website Poisongirls.co.uk.
It is slightly ironic that you heard the track on Crass Radio, as this track was directly responsible for our expulsion from the Crass family. It led to all our 2inch 24track master tapes, all 1/4in masters, all artwork and any other material of ours held at Southern Studios, being dumped on our doorstep whilst we were on tour! (for some reason that is lost in the distant past)
Hey ho
Richard

[richardfamous]

Hi Dave
I remember the Digbeth Hall! The Brummie punks were a terrifying spectacle, seemed like they were all 6ft6 and totally hard core. Frightening!
The idea of a folk blues version of 'Real Woman' is delightful. Might even try one myself!
Keep playing
Richard

[pm]

Aug 11, 2012 7:24:57 GMT -5 richardfamous said:

The track you heard was 'The Offending Article', from the album '7 Year Scratch', and the lyrics can be found in the 'Music' section of the website Poisongirls.co.uk.
It is slightly ironic that you heard the track on Crass Radio, as this track was directly responsible for our expulsion from the Crass family. It led to all our 2inch 24track master tapes, all 1/4in masters, all artwork and any other material of ours held at Southern Studios, being dumped on our doorstep whilst we were on tour! (for some reason that is lost in the distant past)
Hey ho
Richard

Hello Richard
Are you able to elaborate? At the time I thought it was a very thoughtful piece full of compassion and rage from a particular point of view. An anarcho punk I vaguely knew at the time said it was an anti male rant so maybe that was the interpretation by some?

[richardfamous]

Hi pm

Apologies for not answering sooner.
The 'Offending Article' debacle was a strange episode in the history of the band.

The piece was basically a polemic rant, originally written for the sleeve of a Conflict Animal Lib album, which was to come out through Crass records. For some reason Crass took the hump and refused to let it appear citing some dubious reason that it was anti men. I must say we never really got to the bottom of their discomfort with the piece, but it lead to a lot of name calling and puffing and preening on all sides about freedom of speech, anarchy, artistic freedom and some such. In retrospect I reckon it was Conflict who stoked the fires, to play Crass and Poison Girls against themselves.
Anyway the net result was that all our master tapes, artwork, publicity material and miscellaneous stuff from Southern Studios (Crass business headquarters) were dumped on our doorstep whilst we were on tour.
We then, of course, had to record the piece!
As I say, a weird and wonderful episode

[pm]

Thanks for answering. Wasn’t sure whether I was out of order asking in case it was a case of Spinal Tap ‘best leave it’!

[aj]

Hiya...sorry in I just posted hellos in in the general forum../fuck it!
I'm Amelia, I got into the poison girls via crass, the songs/lyrics/music have always been in inspriation, .....love it!! sadly I can't claim to of ever seen them live tho xxxxxx

[richardfamous]

Hi Amelia
Welcome and nice to hear from you. I am always flattered and humbled to hear that we were in some small way an inspiration to people. Thanks for getting in touch, and spread the word. (ps. we were a shit hot live band!!)
Richard

[aj]

Poison Girls plus other bands we're a major influence, thro teenage discontent, marraige blues and divorce joy which the PG's got blasted out loud through those years lol...and obviously I'm still listening to your stuff to this day, hense how come I fell across this forum...nice to interact...cheers xx

[Farmhouse]

Ha, I remember that ill fated round trip with doanythingformoney (Richard) Norwich Gala Ballroom, up to Durham (no gig). I remember a splendid evening in Durham all the same then to Bradford Palm cove was it?
Remember a funny/terrifying gig at Morriseys was it? with Tony Allen. He had a way with skinheads!

[katiekhaos]

Hi there, I'm Katie Khaos. I'm a punk guitarist in Oklahoma, USA. I found the Poison Girls music through Youtube videos. I've never seen the band, and I imagine I won't get to unless I win the lottery! But the music has very much influenced me, and my band. We're huge fans and have been inspired to write with more social conscience as a result. I just wanted to say thank you for your music, and that it's reached quite a long way. We're going to learn "State Control" soon and "Jump Mama Jump", as two of the women in our band (John Wayne's Bitches, if you were wondering) are punk mothers. Anyways, thank you for all you've given us. Hope is a rare and fine gift.

[richardfamous]

Hi Katie Khaos
Thanks for getting in touch with us. It is always heartening to know there are like minded people out there. I will look up 'John Waynes Bitches' (great name). Do you do gigs/recording? Let us all know.
I'm afraid you will need more than a lottery win to see the band, unless you can buy a time machine these days! However it is great to know the passion still resonates and inspires. How could we ask for anything more.
I would suggest you listen to the 'HEX' recordings as a complete piece, available as downloads from the website (donations welcome, but free for all). Very much the voice of a punk mother in full flow.
All strength to you
Richard