Zine - EXD - Volume 12, Issue 4

Start Dancing was an all ages punk dance organized by kids in the scene. Vera Bigall and Paul Dakota were the main organizers. Gerry Doyle provided the sound system, Dan Hughes provided the music, and Mark Sanders did security. Andy Ford would help lug the equipment down to the space whatever it would be. Sometimes it was a Legion Hall, other times it was a church basement or a synagogue. Start Dancing was like a high school dance but for punk rockers and mods. They happened between 1981 and 1985 every Friday night and soon they added bands to the mix. When i think back upon it now I think that Start Dancing had something to do with why Toronto has a propensity towards all ages shows. be a reason for why Toronto has always had such a strong all ages scene. They were a lifeline for a kid like me who didn't know how to get fake ID but still wanted to meet kids like me. One of my main recollections was the way that people brought records and put them on this portable turntable. It was a great way to turn people onto your new singles without everyone having to go out and buy the single. Money was tight. It was like a community jukebox. Thanks to Mark Sanders for agreeing to get everyone together with exception of Paul Dakota. This interview originally ran on the radio show, but I really wanted more people to know about this special part of Toronto's punk past. You can download a PDF of the zine here.
http://archive.org/download/Volume12-Issue4/Volume12-issue4-small.pdf