The Many Faces of Doris Fish

The Many Faces of Doris Fish

January 26th, 2009 · 1 Comment

Best known for her role in “Vegas in Space,” Doris Fish entertained San Francisco with her exotic Australian smarts in shows at the 181 Club and other venues as an alternative to the punk club scene during the 1980s.
In 1972 Miss Fish joined a group called Sylvia and the Synthetics. Like the Cockettes of San Francisco fame, both groups looked upon drag as “political theatre” -muscles and high heels, lipstick and hairy backs.  In 1986, “Tippi” and Doris were doing a weekly cable news show about the gay community.  An angry viewer wrote, “Having Doris Fish… reporting the news of the gay community is akin to having Aunt Jemima anchor the news for the black community.”  Doris retorted, “I am not interested in acceptance from the straight community if it means I have to pretend to be something I am not. Freedom and equality are not just for those who present a positive image. They are for all.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

steaming ahead...

We are building a mountain of information about the brief but spectacular history of Sylvia &The Synthetics.

More great footage has been uncovered.

Still waiting to hear from more from those who attended a Syliva event: come on, you must be out that drug haze by now !!

leave a comment on  here or contact me on:

societyoscar@gmail.com

UPDATE

VegasInSpace by Michael Verrat

HELLO ALL...

sorry for such a loooooong delay.

Thank you for your comments (all three!!!) and thank you the over 2900 7896 visitors who passed this way.

PLEASE NOTE:


we are now working with Danny Abood ( Archer) and compiling the history of Sylvia &The Synthetics.


It's quite a long process (mainly because many of us have brains like Swiss cheese and life intervened along the way) but not Danny who is a natural historian and a fabulous story teller (should have his own chat show).


We are working with the Mitchell Library where Danny has stored many documents and we have tracked down some wonderful and unique (never before seen!) vision from the USA, Australia and UK.


We estimate to have the proper website up and running by the end of 2012 (now being built)..an exhibition for 2013 and there is very positive talk about a documentary.

HOWEVER..we need YOU !

If you ever went to a Synthetic party or event, appeared on stage with them, slept with one, or all of them, passed one in the street, knocked one out, knocked one up, loved or hated one, owe one money or are owed money, stole their drugs or basically had a Syliva & The Synthetic moment in your life and it affected you...we want your story !!

Please check back after 5th August 2012 for contact numbers, emails, carrier pigeon names etc etc.  xxxxx love, Oscar.

news photos coming

we will upload some new photos from the old days..1970s -of Sylvia & The Synthetics in Sydney.

Thanks for being patient.

Update soon...

Hi folks-

apologies for being so slow in getting things up and running but we have been working on a proposed exhibition of Sylvia and the Synthetics and all who travelled along with them.

We hope to have the proper website up and running by LATE 2013 and exciting news about the exhibition!..

lots of love until then..

xx Oscar

Murder at the Pink Tarantula

By Jack Boulware Wednesday, Jun 18 1997 

...continued from page 1

Carmel Sanger's death -- a walk-in shooting at a SOMA hair salon called the Pink Tarantula -- was professionally brutal. Her life was a wondrous combination of the drag queens and musicians and druggies and gays and bikers and lesbians and tattooists

 The hustling came in many forms. A boyfriend who did advertising voice-overs got her a similar gig. Soon, her young voice was heard on Australian television, shilling for an ambulance service. She made and sold jewelry and sang in punk bands, but her true talent -- her eye for the outlandish edge of fashion -- was already emerging. On her own body. Her head was totally shaved; outrageous mascara and eyeliner swoops launched out from her eyes and whooshed back across the temples, twin ocular flames that met at the back of her skull. She modeled for the hip '70s Australian designer Zandra Rhodes. British photographer Norman Parkinson came to town, in the midst of putting together a book on punk fashion called Beautiful Women. Although his finished product focused on the street-rat scene of London, two shots were included from Australia. Both were of Carmel.

http://www.sfweekly.com/1997-06-18/news/murder-at-the-pink-tarantula/2/

Hi

Welcome to the home of the legendary Sylvia and The Synthetics