Christian Dior Poison Girl Eau de Toilette 30ml spray

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How was it that Vi, at the age of 40, decided to start performing in front of kids less than half her age, play loud distorted guitar and sing about her life, love and politics? And get away with it! Throughout her 19 years stay in Spain, Frances was continually writing. As well as songs for performance, she also took her poetry writing seriously and was a committed member of writing groups, from which she gained both support and recognition. Right up till a few days before she returned to the UK, Frances was singing and recording new material, accompanied by Lance and a good friend Rosie on piano. Now, with Poison Girls disbanded and her Community Education projects winding down, Vi was restless and looking for a new adventure, albeit at a more leisurely pace. Spurned on by medical advice to move to a warmer, drier climate, she had an open house sale of her possessions, and relocated to Southern Spain, to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Lance had moved to the area 3 years previously, and whilst on holiday visits to see him, Frances decided that she could find scope for the things she loved most. So by the end of 1993, she was in Spain living in the countryside again. She also decided to ‘retire’ Vi Subversa and to revert to Frances Sokolov. Her anti-authoritarian nature and ideas about alternative education led her to engage with the Brighton Free School movement. It was at this time that Vi was to form a 12 year long personal and musical partnership with Richard Famous, which, along with Lance d’Boyle, was to provide the creative heart of Poison Girls.

In the early 70s Frances’ relationship with Philip broke down and she moved to Brighton to live with Lance. Brighton of the 70s was, even then, a hotbed of radical and sexual politics. Frances became seriously involved in the Feminist movement (still under the name Womens Lib), taking part in a Sexuality conference, and setting up Womens’ consciousness raising and Womens’ therapy groups. The feminist movement at this time tended towards the extreme, and Frances had difficulties, and arguments, with the more ‘separatist’ factions. Later she was to get little support for being in a punk band, and what’s more, working with men! Frances countered by saying “I have a son, so what can I do?” The first gig as Poison Girls was in the Vault in Brighton (1977). The last being a dozen years later in a very tense Zagreb (1989) immediately prior to the violent devolution of what was then still Yugoslavia. In between they played over 500 times, throughout Britain, extensively in Europe, USA and Canada. The band released 4 studio albums (12” vinyl of course), a couple of live albums, a handful of 12” and 7” singles,4 issues of Lance d’Boyles’‘The Impossible `Dream’ poetry and collage fanzine, wads of posters, lyric sheets, badges and what seemed like a million interviews. They would play local halls and music biz venues, the free Stonehenge festival and well paid Glastonbury. They were all but ignored by the mainstream music media – very little radio play (never offered even a John Peel session) and no TV recordings – but had a worldwide influence and international following of fans, friends and fellow travelers. Closed Shop" / "Piano Lessons" (split 12" single with Fatal Microbes - X-N-Trix Records / Small Wonder Records)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. The pair have performed as That Famous Subversa, until Subversa's death in February 2016. [6] Members [ edit ] Spain is famous for its people's love of music and partying, and Frances was involved in this from the start. Both she and Lance were continually meeting old friends, fans, Stonehenge / Peace convoy veterans and fellow travelers. Their most common greeting was “Vi. You totally changed my life!” Many had been expelled from the UK, or other parts of Europe, and were looking for a place to park up or even settle down. The area was to host the ‘Dragon Free Music Festival’, which at its peak attracted upwards of 5,000 people. Frances (Vi for the day) and Lance played regularly with friends, and on one memorable occasion led a massive rendition of the Poison Girls anthem ‘Persons Unknown’.

The Poison Girls were an English anarcho-punk band from Brighton. The 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, often from an anarchist perspective. [1] [2] 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). It was also at this time that one of Frances’ close friends was severely beaten, around the testicles, by the French police during the 1968 Paris Student protests. This experience stayed with her, and she was from then on wary of the brutal power of the establishment to suppress dissent. She saw protest that escalated into violence, from whichever side, as just part of ‘male’ power politics. It played into the hands of the authorities who were more than willing and able to use and abuse excessive violence. This episode reinforced Frances’ belief in non-violent direct action

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Still known as Frances, but by this time much more confident about her voice and performance she sang a selection of Kurt Weill songs, no mean feat, accompanied by her good friend Adrian Arriva as a support act for The Dandies, Adrian’s band. She was to continue her love of Kurt Weill songs and sang a couple at her 80th birthday party. She also performed various theatrical ‘turns’ during the Dandies set, including, for the 1977 silver Jubilee celebrations (!) arriving on stage riding a pantomime horse whilst dressed as the Queen. The Body Show, a revue show with sketches and songs on the themes of personal and sexual politics, was a major success. This was in no small part due to being banned from the original council venue. Refusal to provide a script (there was no script, but the group, under the howls of artistic freedom, point blank refused to provide one!) made the threat of full frontal nudity too much for good folk of Edinburgh council! The show was banished to a hall above a bus garage, and the guarantee of full houses. There was never going to be any nudity of course, but being banned was, as ever, brilliant for business. The Body Show featured Vi’s first ‘proper’ song, ‘Kitchen Floor Stomp’, with music by Richard Famous (generously borrowed from Muddy Waters via David Bowie).

Persons Unknown" (joint single with Crass as a benefit to raise funds to start an Anarchist Centre - Crass Records) Many people have talked about Frances’ razor sharp insights, her listening skills, her sense of humour and deep belly laugh, her common sense, her moments of sadness and happiness, her absolute presence, and the love and generosity with which she lived her life. Anyone who met her was affected in one way or other. She was truly a one off.In 1989 Vi and Poison Girls were to write the music and lyrics for the Lenya Hobnoobs Theatre Groups international productions of ‘AIDS - the Musical’. She also performed in one production, according to Steven Wells, as “the wonderful sight of Vi Subversa, dressed as a vicar, holding a bible with ‘Holy Shit’ emblazoned across the front”. There were more Lenya productions and Vi continued to contribute songs. 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. Frances, with Lance, played with a variety of jamming bands, centered around the ‘Bands at Bills’ sessions. She was still writing new songs and one band, ‘The Rooms’, became more serious. They rehearsed, and for a year toured the local area, with one gig in Madrid. Frances shared vocal and writing chores with Manolo, a Spanish musician and bass player, (a rare live CD of ‘The Rooms’ exists). Frances was an only child, born mid summers day 1935. Her parents, Sarah and Sydney Sokolov were from the Jewish immigrant community settled in the East End of London. It is thought they came from somewhere in what is now North East Poland. The actual location was always in doubt, though there is certainly a town called Sokolov in that area. Who knows?