AUTHOR RICH CROSS is the guest on the latest edition of the always unmissable Punk Rock Creatives podcast.
Host Marie Repulsive discusses with Rich the history of Poison Girls, the new PM Press book on the band, and the new seven-CD retrospective boxset Persons Unknown: The Complete Recorded History.
Their conversation ranges wide – taking in the challenges of being a writer and historian; pitching a book to a publisher like PM Press; teenage punk rock life in Exeter; the ebb and flow of countercultures; and the insistence of resistance; the dynamic between ageing, activism and inclusion; and much more besides.
But the key focus of the conversation is the extraordinary and remarkable Poison Girls – their significance, their music, their practice, their creativity and their cultural and political impact.
In this episode, we’re joined by writer and anarcho-punk historian Rich Cross to dig into radical music culture, DIY ethics, and the legacy of anarchist art.
We talk Vi Subversa and the Poison Girls, exploring her role in shaping anarcho-punk, the fusion of feminism and music in her work, and why her voice still hits today.
We also get into PM Press—its roots, its mission, and the ongoing challenge of keeping publishing truly DIY in a corporate world.
Plus, we break down the “Bullshit Detector” compilations and their role in amplifying new voices, embodying DIY culture, and inspiring generations of underground artists.
It’s a conversation about anarcho-punk’s lasting impact, DIY as both practice and politics, and the importance of keeping radical histories and spaces alive.
— Punk Rock Creatives
Punk Rock Creatives. 2026. The Hippies Now Wear Black (Rich Cross in conversation with Marie Repulsive). 28 April. https://rss.com/podcasts/kathleen-riot-street-voice/2769154.
Rich Cross with Alec Dunn and Eric Yanke. 2025. This is a Message to Persons Unknown: The Story of Poison Girls. PM Press. [ PM Press (UK) | PM Press (US) ]
Poison Girls 2026. Persons Unknown: The Complete Recorded History. PM Press, Cooking Vinyl, Active Distribution, Free Dirt. (A seven-disc CD boxset of studio, live and demo recordings, with 96-page full colour booklet) [ PM Press / Cooking Vinyl ]
The Hippies Now Wear Black 