Flyer - Wednesday December 31, 1980

Zine - Smash It Up, December 1980

 

Smash It Up was a Toronto punk fanzine. This issue came out in December 1980. This issues starts out with a report about local bands by Randy Swagger, which included information on the Points, the Sharks, the Government, the Demics, Martha and the Muffins, the Civilians, Teenage Head, Blank Generation, the Spoons, the B-Girls, the Secrets, True Confessions, the Viletones, Tyranna, and the Bop Cats.

The first interview is with the Slits where they wind up talking about Sid Vicious death, which had just happened.

There is an interview with Martha Johnson at a Hamilton show, where she sheds some light on how crappy it is to be signed to major label. I wish she had more space to elaborate.

There is an article on Ultravox which was done around a show they played in Toronto supporting "Vienna". I didn't realize that Midge Ure was in the Rich Kids and was offered the guitarist spot for the Pistols when Steve Jones left. This all seems weird talking about him as a guitarist in light of Ultravox being a synth band.

There is a review of a Joan Jett and the Blackhearts show with lots of photos.

There is an amazingly designed piece on a Siouxsie and the Banshees show on November 18th, 1980 at the Music Hall.

There is part one of an interview with Bangkok who were a new band that featured Mickey Skin of the Curse on vocals.

There is a back page ad for Edge Records which I am guessing had something to do with the Garys and were reported to have been releasing the Sharks record.

 

Thinks appears thanks to the archive of Dhaibid James, host of Moondog Ballroom, also on CIUT 89.5FM.

 



Pointed Sticks "Waiting for the Real Thing" CD

This is a collection of singles and recordings by the Pointed Sticks originally recorded between 1978 and 1980 so they predated the "Perfect Youth" LP. This was re-issued by Sudden Death Records in 2006. The songs on here are:

1. What do you Want me to Do?

2. Somebody's Mom

3. Real Thing

4. Out of Luck

5. Lies

6. I'm Numb

7. It's O.K.

8. All I Could Take

9. How Could You?

10. Apologies

11. Marching Song

12. True Love

13. New Ways

14. All That Matters

15. Love or Money

16. The Witch

17. Real Thing

18. You Must Be Crazy

19. Care Less

20. Worse

21. Middle Age Teenagers / No More Love

22. Found Another Boy

23. Middle Class

24. Automatic You

Flyer - Friday December 12 - Saturday December 13, 1980

Flyer - Thursday, December 11th, 1980

Flyer - Thursday December 11 - Saturday December 13, 1980

From the archives of Henry Martinuk.

Flyer - Wednesday, December 10th, 1980

 


Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM.

Flyer - Monday December 8, 1980

Flyer - Friday December 5 - Saturday December 6, 1980

Flyer - Thursday December 4th - Saturday, December 6th, 1980

 

Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM.

Flyer - Tuesday, December 2nd,1980

 

Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM.

Zine - Smash It Up, November 1980

This issue of Smash It Up is all about politics. This issue came out in November 1980.

It starts out with an article on the KKK trying to start up a chapter in Toronto and the writer calls for a media blackout of the organization.

This article is followed by a piece on Rock Against Racism which looked at how the organization evolved in Toronto. They mentioned the English roots to the organization with bands like Elvis Costello and Gang of Four and the Specials and the Clash. And then there was references to local punk bands like the Sharks who write a tribute to Albert Johnson called "Metro's Number one Problem". And Young Lions had a sing with the lyrics "One little nazi is one too many".

There is an interview with the leader of the Young Communist League of Canada, Sylvie Baillargeon.

There is a piece on Leon Trotsky.

And there is a note about a cancellation of a Clash gig and Maple Leaf Gardens that Teenage Head was supposed to play.

This issue appears here courtesy of Dhaibid James's archival collection. Dhaibid is host of the Moondog's Ballroom on CIUT 89.5 FM.

Pointed Sticks "Perfect Youth" CD

The Pointed Sticks had gotten Dimwit from the Subhumans to play drums. He records on this. This recording was done in Vancouver after a frustrating tour and recording session in the UK. Quintessence releases this in November 1980 and the record sells very well. Sudden Death re-issues this on CD in 2005 with some bonus tracks. The songs on here are:

1. Marching Song

2. Perfect Youth

3. No Use for U

4. American Song

5. When She's Alone

6. True Love

7. 1-2

8. The Witch

9. Real Thing

10. Way You Do

11. Out of Luck

12. Part of the Noise

13. Somebody's Mom

14. Destitute

15. American Song

16. Angeline

V/A " No Pedestrains" LP

This was the secon Toronto comp that contained punk bands on it. New Wave was started to impact the scene so you get abnds like the Sharjs and True Confessions, but you also get the Arson, the Secrets, Tyranna, and Zr04. Here is the back cover which had lots of awesome photos.

The songs on here are:

1. The Sharks - Get off the Radio

2. Winston Hancock - Girls, Girls

3. The Secrets - All the Words

4. Arson - We've Gotta Get Out of This Place

5. S.S. - Working Girl

6. Winston Hancock - Leavin' Tonight

7. Tyranna - Back Off Baby

8. Zr04 - Blood

9. True Confessions - Fourth Base

10. The Secrets - I'll Cry Tomorrow

Pointed Sticks "Perfect Youth" LP

"Perfect Youth" was the band's only full length. It was a re-recorded version of the album that got shelved by Stiff when they went under. Quintessence would put it out but they didn't pay for the pressing and 5,000 out of 10,000 were destroyed by the pressing plant. This is one of many factors that led to the band's break up. You can find some details about this release at O'Canadarm! The songs on here are:

1. The Real Thing

2. Marching Song

3. True Love

4. All That Matters

5. All My Clocks Stopped

6. Nothing Else To Do

7. Careless

8. All I Could Take

9. Part of the Noise

10. How Could You

11. Middle Aged Teenagers

12. Worse

13. Love or Money

14. American Song

15. New Ways

16. Apologies

Flyer - Monday, November 17th, 1980

 

Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM

Flyer - Sunday November 16, 1980

Crash Kills Five "What Do You Do at Night" ep

Three members of the last lineup of Buick McKane (Brian, Reid and Alex) were originally from Calgary and left for Toronto after Buick McKane broke up. They added Don Pyle on vocals and formed Crash Kills Five. CK5 was a punk band more in the spirit of the Ramones than in the sound that Don, Reid and Brian would have with Shadowy Men.

Shortly before the "What Do You Do at Night" ep was recorded, Brian left the band and was replaced by Mohammed "Eddy" Nagdee (from the Toronto punk band The Dents) on guitar. The initial lineup was :
Don Pyle - vocals
Brian Connelly - guitar
Reid Diamond - bass
Alex Koch - drums

The second lineup, which recorded the ep was :
Donald Pyle - vocals
Alex - drums
Reid O'Matic - bass
Nagdee - guitar

Taking their name from a local newspaper headline, Toronto-based Crash Kills Five got their start in 1980 when transplanted Calgarian Reid Diamond hooked up with singer Don Pyle, leading to the release of this swell EP later that year. The band plied their sound around the Toronto punk circuit to moderate success, later opening for Ireland's Protex at the Edge club in September of that year. The three songs here are all taut slices of late seventies pop/punk. The slower a-side seemed the obvious choice for radio play at the time - this back in the relatively new wave-friendly airwaves of Toronto in the late seventies and early eighties - but the punchier punk and spiky edge of 'Special School' on the flip is the clear winner here (To wit: "They say I'm not too smart / that's why I go to special school"). With the initial run of the EP close to sold out, Crash Kills Five entered the studio to record eight more tracks, but money issues and lack of label interest lead the band to pack it in. Crash Kills Five would have earned a place in the dustbin of punk history had it not been for the fact that Diamond, Pyle and guitarist Brian Connelly would go on to form the near-mythical instrumental combo Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.

Mohammed "Eddy" Nagdee, who was originally from The Dents, went on to play with the Young Lions; Alex Koch joined brother Steve Koch and former Forgotten Rebels member Chris Houston to form The One-Eyed Jacks and later Coolmine and The Sticklebacks.

Flyer - The Feds "Calculated Crimes" ep

Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM

Flyer - Friday October 31, 1980

DOA "Something Better Change" LP

This is considered the debut LP of DOA's, even though things like "Triumph of the Ignoroids" came out. This LP was recorded between 1977 and 1980 and was released on a label titled Friends Records. Joey's label re-issued this as a CD on Sudden Death Records. Songs on here are:

1. New Age
2. The Enemy
3. 2 + 2
4. Get Out of My Life
5. Woke up Screaming

6. Last Night
7. Thirteen
8. Great White Hope
9. The Prisoner

10. Rich Bitch
11. Take a Chance
12. Watcha Gonna Do?

13. World War 3
14. New Wave Sucks

Flyer - Monday October 27, 1980

The Demics LP

Hypnotic Records, a label owned by Tom Treumuth, with a re-recorded version of "New York City". A lot of people think this was a shittier version of the song. Chris Spedding produced this recording. Steve Koch was in this version of the band. The Demics broke up shortly after the release to internal tensions within the band. The songs on this release are:


1. I Won't See You No More
2. Blueboy
3. New York City
4. The Grey and the Black
5. The 400 Blows
6. Talk, Talk
7. The News
8. The Least You Can Do
9. Lucy
10. All Gone Wrong

Download of this material can be gotten at O' Canadarm! - http://ocanadarm.blogspot.com/2007/01/demics-canada.html

Flyer - Wednesday October 22, 1980

Flyer - Friday, October 17th - Sunday, October 26th, 1980

Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM

Flyer - The Statics

Photos - the Statics

Teenage Head "Frantic City" CD

Teenage Head were from Hamilton. Their Ramones meets dolls inspired punk sound was catchy as fuck and got so many of us into punk. The band was made up of Frankie Venom on vocals, Gord Lewis on guitar, Steve Mahon on bass, and Nick Stipanitz on drums. "Frantic City" was the Head's first full length and it came out on Attic records. The band has recently self-released a CD version of it. Songs on here are:

1. Wild One

2. Somethin' On my Mind

3. Total Love

4. Let's Shake

5. Infected

6. Those things You Do

7. Somethin' Else

8. Take it

9. Brand New Cadillac

10. Disgusteen

11. Let's Shake

12. I Wanna Love You

Teenage Head "Frantic City" LP

The first full length by Hamilton's Teenage Head. Teenage Head were Frankie Venom on vocals, Gord Lewis on guitar, Steve Mahon on bass, and Nick Stipanitz on drums. the record originally came out on Attic Records and has been re-issued in a CD format by the band. Songs found on this are :

1. Wild One

2. Somethin' on my Mind

3. Total Love

4. Let's Shake

5. Infected

6. Those Things You Do

7. Somethin' Else

8. Take It

9. Brand New Cadillac

10. Disgusteen

The Diodes "Action/Reaction" LP

This record came out in October 1980 on Orient Records which was an independent label run by Willi Morrison and Ian Guenther. The Diodes decided to leave CBS after their second record "Released" was shelved. John Catto describes this record as their "commercial" album.  It has a huge sound from a production standpoint and the band had been touring extensively with bands like U2 so they were also at the top of their game from a musicianship standpoint.  John Hamilton had left the band and Mike Lengyell replaced him on drums. "Strange Time" and "Rock It" were the first single released from this record which came out around the same time. John Catto and Ian Mackaye felt "City of the Dead" was the strongest on this release. "Catwalker" was the song that got them rotation on radio. This was released as the second single along with the title track. However "Polaroid" is the hidden gem on this release in my opinion. The artwork is a photo of a collection of rayguns that George Whiteside which was fun and stunning. You can hear the band talk about this release on a show we did on November 13th, 2011. The songs on here are:

1. That Was The Way It Was
2. Catwalker
3. Strange time
4. Polaroid
5. Action Reaction
6. City of the dead
7. Rock it over and under
8. Everything I am
9. Edge of darkness
Bongo Beat Records has made this material available again on a CD which contains a number of other songs which are:

10. Survivors (an out take from the Action Reaction recording)
11. Ghost Story (recorded April 8, 1981 at Stagesound)
12. Heat of the beat (recorded April 8, 1981 at Stagesound)
13. Catwalker (recorded at Eastern Sound on December 1979)
14. Spanish Main (recorded at Eastern Sound on December 1979)

15. Play with fire (Live at Horseshoe and broadcast on CFNY on June 7, 1980)

Martha and the Muffins "Trance and Dance" LP

This is Martha and the Muffins second album released in October 1980. Although the album didn;t produce any hit singles like "Echo Beach" the songs on here are:

1. Suburban Dream
2. Luna Park
3. Was Ezo
4. Teddy the Dink
5. Symptomatic Love
6. Primal Weekend
7. Halfway Through The Week
8. Am I On?
9. Motorbikin’
10. About Insomnia
11. Be Blasé
12. Trance and Dance

Flyer - Zero

Zine - Smash It Up

This is another issue of Smash It Up that came out somewhere in the fall of 1980. The editorial on the second mentions that this is the eigth issue to come out in the year so I imagine it would have been out in September or October. The cover is in Russian and in true Smash It Up fashion fills a need to play with the name of the publication. It was a provocative thing to do given that 1980 was the height of the Cold War being played out through a nuclear arms race. The zine plays up like a Russian issue that has been translated. The circulation of the zine was somewhere between 25 and 50 copies and was sold for $0.20 a copy.

This issue starts out with an interview with Gary Numan at the Holiday Inn, which was more like a shrug off. On the same page is a playlist and a list of new releases that had just come out.

The next feature is a piece on heavy metal with brief descriptions of bands like Sabbath and Priest and Saxon and KISS.

The next piece is about a band named the Civilians and they were about to release a record on Star Records (the label that put out the first Forgotten Rebels LP). The Garys thought they were too metal so they never booked them.

There was an interview with the Demics just after the album had been released. One of the big concerns by that record gets asked which is about the album sounding too overproduced.

There is a piece on the Sharks that took four attempts to get. The inteviewer spent some time trying to interview the band (four times) and there are some answers but different members in some of those times. But at the end the interview read a bit like the Tyranna interview that followed. I liked te Tyranna interview better.

There is a review section on punk films and one of those was a showing of a film named Crash 'n Burn about the club in Toronto that was shown in an art gallery. There was reviews of "D.O.A.", "Punking Out", "The Great Rock 'n Roll Swindle" and some reggae films like "The Harder they Come" and "Dread, Beat and Blood". There is also a big piece on a film which had the Clash in it called "Preacher Man".

There is also some great record reviews which includes one of the Talking Heads "Remain in Light".

The back cover had a neat poster photo of a band named the Feds that promotes a new single and a show for November at the Edge.

Thanks to Dhaibid James of Moondog Ballroom for loaning us the issue to scan.

Flyer - Monday September 29, 1980

Flyer - Friday September 26 - Saturday September 27, 1980

Flyer 0- Thursday September 18 - Saturday September 20, 1980

From the archives of Henry Martinuk.

Flyer - Monday, September 15th, 1980

Flyer - Friday September 5th - Saturday September 6th, 1980

Flyer - Monday, August 25th, 1980

Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM

Flyer - Saturday August 23, 1980

Flyer - Sunday August 17, 1980

The Nostrils were an first wave hardcore band from Winnipeg. they did this benefit show for Muscular Dystrophy. No info on the date or place.

Flyer - Saturday, August 9th, 1980

 

Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM

Flyer - Friday August 8 - Saturday August 9, 1980

The Secrets LP

The Secrets were a band that formed taking the best players of the first wave of the Toronto punk scene. Freddy Pompeii of the Viletones was on guitar and vocals, Chris Haight of the Viletones and the Ugly played guitar, John Hamilton - the drummer of the Diodes - played bass, and Motor Mike Anderson played drums. The band's name comes from the fact that the band members had to keep this band a secret from their other bands. It is not an all out punk record. The cover of "Pretty Woman" demonstrates the bands R and B roots. Songs like "All the Girls in the World" sound more like a mod song. And why not, the Mods were a part of this era of the Toronto punk scene. "Zoom" is sung as a barber shop quartet and the Nylons were also big at the time. There was a lot of promise for this release, but it was not to be the punk supergroup that they should have been. This did go along with bands like Battered Wives who were label mates. This was released by Bomb Records, the same label that did the Last Pogo. The songs on here are :

1. Suzie Peroxide
2. Teenage Rampage
3. Pretty Woman
4. All the Girls in the World
5. Zoom
6. Tattoo City
7. Rock Music
8. Strictly from Cough Syrup
9. New Blood
10. Take Another Look

Flyer - Wednesday, August 6th - Thursday August 7th, 1980

Contributed by CRAZYSTEVEGOOF@HOTMAIL.COM

Flyer - 1980

Bomb Records made a tour poster for the Secrets and the Scenics. This is from Gary "Pig" Gold's archive.