Synopsis
Sylvie’s days playing bass in dingy venues may have been short-lived, but her feminist
legacy lives on. The only remnants of all-female punk band ‘Toxic Shock’ are their 1981
single ‘Intoxicated’, and the contents of Sylvie’s own archives. But what remains of their
impact is one of Australia’s first sexual assault support centres. Intoxicated is a 5-minute
documentary that shines a light on a microcosm of Melbourne’s iconic 80s sound and the
women who played it.
Credits
A film by Charlie Stamatogiannis and Jaden Arendtsz
Featuring Sylvie Leber
Archive Photos
Sylvie Leber’s personal collection
Other Materials
‘CWA group meeting in Emerald, 1939’
State Library of Queensland, Public Domain
‘COUNTRY WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION, FIRST COMMITTEE’
Gawler History on Flickr, (CC BY-SA 2.0)
‘Brunswick Street, from Gertrude Street’
State Library of Victoria, Public Domain
‘1962 – Even For Single Girls!’
clotho98 on Flickr, (CC BY-NC 2.0), changes made
‘Vintage Ad #1,477: An Ad I Never Expected to See in a Comic Book…’
jbcurio on Flickr, (CC BY 2.0), changes made
‘”Trust yourself” Tampax 1976’
Nesster on Flickr, (CC BY 2.0), changes made
‘The Advertiser – November 1985’
ryanthescooterguy on Flickr, (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), changes made
‘Pilule contraceptive’
Ceridwen~commonswiki, (CC BY-SA 2.0 FR)
‘The 1930s-1939 Marie-Claire’
april-mo on Flickr, (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), changes made
‘Melbourne Tram 1979’
nicksarebi on Flickr, (CC BY 2.0), changes made
‘Bishop-priest-acolytes-vimpas’
Timothy Titus, (CC BY-SA 3.0), changes made
‘Luna park melbourne’
Adam.J.W.C., (CC BY-SA 2.5), changes made
‘Veiled female prisoner at the Surrey House of Correction John Johnson’
Henry Mayhew, (CC BY 4.0), changes made
‘Dental Nurse fashion, 1940s’
Archives New Zealand on Flickr, (CC BY 2.0), changes made
‘… hazmat mold!’
James Vaughan on Flickr, (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), changes made
Music
‘Intoxicated’
Performed by Toxic Shock
Courtesy of Sylvie Leber
‘Housewives’
Performed by Toxic Shock
Courtesy of Sylvie Leber
‘Prisoner’
Performed by Toxic Shock
Courtesy of Sylvie Leber
‘Punk Drum Track’
Performed by John Page Contraband
Via Youtube.com
With thanks to
Josh Nelson
Technical Officers, RMIT Media and Communication
Studio Instructor
Rohan Spong
Created as part of
PEOPLE + PLACES
School of Media and Communication
RMIT University
2023