Flyer - Sunday, February 17th, 1985

One of the most memorable shows that I attended. Part of a Hardcore Sundays series at Larry's. I think I got one of those discounted tickets from Records on Wheels. FAIR WARNING were kind of basic punk sounding. But the drummer looked like Ian Mackaye and had a similar kind of sense of humour. Very quick witted. And matched the incoming heckling. FAIR WARNING's "You Are the Scene" would become one of my favourite releases at the time and still remains a fucking classic. If you're into early SSD or DYS you'll love it, but at the time I couldn't truly appreciate what I was hearing/seeing. 

Genetic Control came out next. The singer had crimped hair. I got worried that I was going to have to sit through a goth or death rock set. And he had a Montreal Canadians jersey on. Who the fuck was wearing sports gear in the hardcore era? It only dawned on me years later that Larry's was close to Maple Leaf Gardens and a Habs jersey would have been one of the punkest things to wear given the sports rivalry between Toronto and Montreal. I hadn't heard their ep or their track on "Primitive Air Raid". "Suburban Life" remains a highlight with the crying as the chorus. And the band did an encore of Bad Brains songs. I didn't know who BAD BRAINS were at the time so the special ness of the whole thing was lost on me, but not on the crowd who went crazy. 

Learned so much that night. Think I missed Dead End because it was a school night so I had to get home.