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Bio By She Rox All Female Bands: Long Island, New York based rockers Poison Dollys, began in 1981 and soon gained local stardom for their slicked over hard rock fronted by vocalist Velena La Leuce, aka Roulette, real name Amy Brammer, keyboardist Hot Dot Ravish, drummer Jewel, bassist Mad Mef D’ Terror aka Mef Manning, real name Mary Ellen Felicione, and guitarist Gigi Taris aka Gina Stile, real name Gina Tagliente. This line up would play their first show by 1983 and began earning their rock badges and quickly gained a strong local fan base. With a replacement on drums by hard hitting Gail Kenny and the departure of their keyboardist the Dollys emerged stronger and the reformed line-up proved to be beneficial and the band was signed to release a debut album. Released in 1985 the self-titled debut won critics over with intricate and crunchy guitar hooks and Benatar esque vocals. Playing along side heavy weight bands from Blue Oyster Cult and Aerosmith opened the band’s fan base to expand far from just the east coast, and when fellow east coast rockers Twisted Sister covered the band’s opening track from the debut album “Love is For Suckers” in 1987 it became a cult classic for both the bands. Soon after the debut release guitarist Gina Stile would leave to start the band Envy with her sister Ronnie, later as well the all-female band Thunderbox before joining the Vixen line-up in 1998. The Dollys would continue on without missing a beat and soon added guitar virtuoso Laura Left (Nunziata) and eventually a second guitarist with veteran player Danielle Kern, formerly of Leather Angel and Jaded Lady. By 1988 the band would relocate to Los Angeles and earned a performance spot in the 1988 cult classic movie, The Rejuvenator and produced several new studio tracks. The Dollys soon emerged as part of the infamous Sunset Strip club circuit that launched many bands from Motley Crue to Poison, however the Poison Dollys found that regardless of being better musicians then most of their male counterparts, the male dominated hair metal scene left little if any room for its thriving and underrated female counterparts. Refusing to be pigeonhole in a Vixen or Lita Ford clique the Dollys played for several more years before disbanding in the early 1990’s and along with many other hard rocking female bands, remain a true undiscovered classic for some, however a current revival of hard rock and the many bands that should have gotten just as much radio play, if not more than others are quickly gaining new fans and the Poison Dollys certainly are one of these bands and with rumors circulating one time of a reunion by former guitarist Gina Stile, giving fans reasons to hope, for the chance to see these truly amazing talented women once again. like us at like the band at On My Way, from the 1985 self-titled album, Poison Dollys, With Roulette-Vocals, Gina Stile-Guitar, Gail Kenny-Drums, Mef Manning-Bass
