(1935-06-20)20 June 1935 London, England, United Kingdom
Died
19 February 2016(2016-02-19) (aged 80)
Genres
Anarcho punk
Occupation(s)
Musician, singer
Instrument(s)
Vocals, guitar
Years active
1975–2016
Labels
Crass, XNTrix, Cooking Vinyl
Musical artist
Frances Sokolov (20 June 1935 – 19 February 2016),[1] better known by her stage name Vi Subversa, was the lead singer, lyricist and rhythm guitarist of British anarcho-punk band Poison Girls.[2]
Subversa was born of Ashkenazi Jewish parents. She spent two years in Israel in the late 1950s working in a ceramic pottery in Beersheba under Nehemia Azaz,[3] 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.[4]
Subversa's first public performance was at The Body Show at Sussex University in 1975. In 1979, at 44 years old and a mother of two, she released her first single with the Poison Girls.[5] Her lyrics were written from a radical feminist punk perspective.[6]
She is featured in the documentary film She's a Punk Rocker.[7]
Subversa's last musical venture was with the cabaret trio Vi Subversa's Naughty Thoughts, which she formed with Michael Coates and Judy Bayley. She played her final live performance with Naughty Thoughts at Brighton's Green Door Store on 5 December 2015, with The Cravats.[8]
Subversa's son Pete Fender announced on Facebook on 19 February 2016 that she had died, following a short illness.[1]
^ abGed Babey (20 February 2016). "Vi Subversa: 20th June 1935 – 19th February 2016: Flesh and blood is what we are". LouderThanWar. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
^Raha, Maria. Cinderella's big score: women of the punk and indie underground. Seal Press, 2005. p. 67.
^Grant, Brigit (25 July 1986). "Subversive? On the contrary". Jewish Chronicle. p. 15. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016.
^Glasper, Ian (2006) The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980 - 1984, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 978-1-901447-70-5
^Cope, Julian. Album of the Month #96. Head Heritage. 2007.
^Leblanc, Lauraine. Pretty in Punk. Rutgers University Press. 1999.
^"She's A Punk Rocker | Raindance Film Festival 2007". Raindance.co.uk. 7 October 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
^Salewicz, Chris (23 February 2016). "Vi Subversa: Inspirational elder stateswoman of punk who co-founded Poison Girls, denizens of its anarchist fringe". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
by her stage name ViSubversa, was the lead singer, lyricist and rhythm guitarist of British anarcho-punk band Poison Girls. Subversa was born of Ashkenazi...
Look up Vi, VI, vi, .vi, V.I., v.i., or Appendix:Variations of "vi" in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Vi or vi most commonly refers to: vi (text editor)...
were an English anarcho-punk band from Brighton. The singer/guitarist, ViSubversa, was a middle-aged mother of two at the band's inception, and wrote songs...
Bradley Suzi Gutsy (fr) Tessa Pollitt Toyah The Dishrags The Raincoats ViSubversa Vivien Goldman Lene Lovich is an American-born English singer, known...
February 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-25. Babey, Ged (20 February 2016). "ViSubversa: 20th June 1935 – 19th February 2016: Flesh and blood is what we are"...
Grows", which also featured the Epping-based Poison Girls (whose singer, ViSubversa, was also mother to Gem Stone and Pete Fender). In the same year Fatal...
former member of Flux Of Pink Indians Sole: American rapper and producer ViSubversa (1935–2016): English singer-songwriter, and guitarist; performed punk...
2021/2022". Retrieved 18 May 2021. Salewicz, Chris (22 February 2016). "ViSubversa: Inspirational elder stateswoman of punk who co-founded Poison Girls...
piano Lance D'Boyle - drums, percussion Nil - violin Gem Stone - vocals ViSubversa - vocals, guitar Richard Famous - vocals, guitar Technical John Loder...
learning to play the bass in the process. They were mentored by the late ViSubversa of the Poison Girls, and gained some notoriety on the local scene. The...
Sir William O'Brien, 99, British admiral, Naval Secretary (1964–1966). ViSubversa, 80, British musician (Poison Girls). Mutsuo Tahara, 72, Japanese judge...
95 18 February – Brendan Healy, 59, actor and musician 19 February – ViSubversa, musician (Poison Girls), 80 25 February – John Chilton, jazz musician...
Birkenhead). Fender and Stone were the son and daughter of Poison Girls singer ViSubversa. The band used Poison Girls equipment to jam and write songs and their...
Elliott-Said 1957-2011 English musician and singer-songwriter (X-Ray Spex) ViSubversa Frances Sokolov 1935-2016 English singer and musician (Poison Girls)...
Their first EP The Word of the Womb was produced by Pete Fender ( son of ViSubversa and guitarist in Honey Bane's Fatal Microbes ) and released on Conflict's...
judge. Sir William O'Brien, 99, admiral, Naval Secretary (1964–1966). ViSubversa, 80, musician (Poison Girls). 20 February – Jon Rollason, 84, actor (The...
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