Poison Girls’ ViSubversa dies

Subversa was born of East European Jewish parents. She spent two years in Israel in the late 1950s working in a ceramic pottery in Beersheba under Nehemia Azaz, before returning to the United Kingdom. She had two children, Pete Fender (born Daniel Sansom, 1964) and Gem Stone (born Gemma Sansom, 1967), who both became members of the punk bands Fatal Microbes and Rubella Ballet. Martin Goldschmidt was the person on Cooking Vinyl that re-issued their catalogue: “Subsequently I re-issued their catalogue on Cooking Vinyl, so I guess I have worked with them for my whole career. I have so many memories…they bought me my first suit, weird because it looked like the old black and white TV test card, weirder to be bought your first suit by an anarchist punk band?! I remember Vi and the band at my wedding.

We had some crazy times on the road and they were always generous and respectful to everyone they worked with. Wonderful support acts like Rory McLeod, Tony Allen, Toxic Shock and Chumbawamba. I introduced them to my school and college friend Tom, who worked with them for the rest of their career, and to Sian who joined as Cynth Ethics.

Their nickname for me was MartinoZinc a cheeky throwback from my anti nuclear days. Vi and Richard always sent me beautiful handmade original Christmas cards.
Vi, Richard, Gary, Mick, Dave, Sian, Tom (and Neil) and very talented kids Dan and Gemma, were Poisongirls to me.

Punk was cutting edge. Anarcho punk, was bleeding Edge, Poisongirls were the shit.”

Sources: Music Week / Wikipedia
Image Credit: Creative Common License