Closed Shop/Violence Grows

This 12” split EP was the recording debut of Essex based Poison Girls and Fatal Microbes, on the Small Wonder and XNTRIX Records co-release. The Fatal Microbes side was re-released in 1979 on Small Wonder as a 7″ single with an extra track Cry Baby. Both The Poison Girls and Honey Bane from The Fatal Microbes were to go on to work very closely with nearby Essex based neighbours Crass in 1979 sharing gigs, recording at Southern Studios and releases on Crass Records. This release was recorded at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge. After Fatal Microbes split, Honey Bane was first to release a non Crass record on the Crass Record label, then she went solo and worked with Jimmy Pursey releasing records on EMI. Pete Fender and Gem Stone formed Rubella Ballet with fellow Essex punks Sid and Zillah Minx.

During the lifespan of the group, Poison Girls became a massive influence to the audiences in the UK. Originally hailing from Brighton in 1976 before moving to Burleigh House in Essex the band featured singer/guitarist, Vi Subversa, who just happened to be 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. They worked closely for a number of years with fellow anarchist band Crass, playing over 100 gigs together. In 1979 they contributed to the revival of the peace movement by playing a number of benefit gigs, again with Crass and paying for the production of the first CND badges since CND's heyday.

Ripped from the original 12” single to something resembling MP3 @ 320kbps

Poison Girls/Fatal Microbes; Closed Shop (Split 12”)

A1.  Closed Shop – Poison Girls

A2.  Piano Lessons – Poison Girls

B1.  Violence Grows – Fatal Microbes

B2.  Beautiful Pictures – Fatal Microbes

Fatal Microbes 7” EP and Honey Bane’s single Guilty are available here