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This is issue #20 of Smash It Up, which is a Toronto punk fanzine put out by Nick Smash. This issue came out in December 1981. The issue starts out with a road trip diary for the Young Lions and 20th Century Rebels for a nuclear disarmament benefit show they play in Montreal. It didn't go so well.
There is an article on the Professionals who played the Voodoo Club. there is bits of an interview with Paul Cook in the piece.
There is an interview with Simple Minds who are from Scotland. This was the second time they had come to Toronto and was around the time that "Sons of Fascination / Sister Feelings Call" had come out because the band talks about it in the interview. They are pretty chatty and down to earth which is surprising to me because I saw them play Maple Leaf Gardens when they were a bit full of themselves and scolded the audience for coming up on stage. Difficult to think of them as the same band.
There is an update on Toots and the Maytals who had broken up and then gotten a new band together to come back up to Toronto. This is the man who wrote "Pressure Drop". There is a lengthy interview with Echo and the Bunnymen at their second show which took place at the El Mocambo. I think all the shows were happening there after the Edge closed down.
Jill Heath does an interview with the Young Lions where she starts out with the show in Montreal. They also cover:
- the song "United"
- the song "Goodnight Belfast"
- the Toronto Sun newspaper
- the song "One Little Nazi"
- and a big show they have organized featuring seven of Toronto's newest punk bands.
Jill Heath also does an interview with the ska band from Vancouver called the Villains. it was at a sold out show at the Masonic Temple on November 14th, 1981 and they were booked to come back for the end of December to play the Headspace for 8 days which was unheard of back then.
There is an update on Toots and the Maytals who had broken up and then formed with a new line up. This is the guy who wrote "Pressure Drop".
There is an article written about Youth Youth Youth, which is one of the only pieces I have ever seen written about what I would consider Canada's best hardcore band. The article provides some insight into motivations behind their songs and some interpretation into lyrics. There are a couple of quotes from Rob Mallion the guitarist and they mention that the third issue of Civil Disobedience had come out. They refer to Civil Disbobedience as a political zine that members of the band published.
There are some record reviews of John Foxx of Ultravoxx and Bow Wow Wow.
There is an interview with a band from Toronto called Boys Brigade. They sound like a percussion based dance new wave band similar to bands like Bow Wow Wow or Pigbag or Parachute Club or Norda. There was lots of other bands doing that same sound. Boys Brigade formed out of members of Arson and the Androids. I don't think they ever went anywhere because I never heard of anything about them outsude of this interview.
There is a write up on the Pinkertones who relocated to Toronto from Halifax.
There is an interesting scene report on Liverpool that writes about bands like Big in Japan, the Spitfire Boys, Crucial Three, the Nova Mob, the ID which became OMD, Dalek I Love You, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Teardrop Explodes.
There is a show review of Siouxsie and the Banshees at the El Mocambo.
There is a review of a Start Dancing show at a hall on Claremont that motsly describes the V-Necks.
There is also a review of an Iggy Pop show at the Music Hall.
Johnny Bubblegum, of Tyranna, started up a garage bubblegum band with his friend Mike Anderchuk. They recruited Cleave Anderson to play drums on this single. The songs on here are:
1. No Time
2. I Just Want To
3. Red Rover
4. Wild at the Beach
5. Wayouts Theme
The Young Lions and the Rent Boys play the Turning Point.
Afhakken
This is the very first gig as Swindled with new drummer Jason Clarke on December 7, 1981.
Doomed Youth
This feature on Screamin' Sam and the Problems appeared in Shades #19/20.
This was a self-released. The Government featured Andrew Paterson (vocals, guitar), Robert Stewart (vocals, bass, steel drum), Billy Bryans (drums) and Jeremiah Chechik (scratch guitar). The songs on here are:
This was the first Start Dancing show where bands played. This is the Young Lions.
Civil Disobedience is a Toronto punk fanzine. I think members of Youth Youth Youth are involved because there is a Youth Youth Youth logo on the front cover and partially because I remember the guitarist, Rob, told me about this zine. But I have never seen a copy until this one that Dhaibid James of Moondog Ballroom loaned me to scan. This issue came out in 1981, but I have no clue as to which month. I believe this is the second issue because it makes reference in an editorial to feedback they received about the last zine. The zine has opinions and collage artwork to lyrics by other bands. This issue has:
- a piece on lookism or discrimination based on looking like a punk;
- a piece on World War III possibly coming out of Libya;
- a piece criticizing the US;
- a piece promoting the local scene which may have been inspired by the band's choice to cover the Young Lions "Made in England";
- a piece bring attention to pseudo intellectual hyperbole from the press; and
- a back cover poster about the riots in Brixton.
You can download this issue as a PDF here.
Schrik is a Toronto zine pulled together by Deanna and this issue came out in September 1981. The issue starts out with an editorial which explains why a local band named FATAL K.O. would move to Vancouver. Later there is a review section that hypes the "Vancouver Independence" compilation. There is also a great scene report disguised as a gossip column. There is an article that explains what fanzines are. There is a bio piece on a band from Edinburgh called Another Pretty Face and posthumous one on the Mods. This zine also has the first interview that I ever read about the Young Lions. There is a part 2 of an interview with L'Etranger. there is a show review of Stiff Little Fingers and one of the Viletones during their rockabilly phase. there was also an interview with someone trying to make a film around the Young Lions. And there is a section on self-publishing authors from Toronto like Stuart Ross and Crad Kilodney. Thanks to Dhaibid James for loaning us this so we could scan it.
Smash It Up is one of Toronto's best and most dynamic punk fanzines, which came out in the hardcore and new wave eras. The zine was produced by Nick Smash. This issue is #19 and it came out at the end of September 1981 which can be placed by the Dead Kennedys interview which happened on the 25th of September. That must have been the last thing written before going to print. There is a show review and interview is mostly with Jello Biafra (singer) and a little bit with Deron Peligro (drummer). There is also comments about East Bay Ray. Jello displays an impressive knowledge of the Toronto punk scene. This might have been the show that New Music did a fluff piece on that I saw as a kid.
There is a piece about DOA where they are touring England. I learned that the "Let them Eat Jellybeans" comp was put together to promote North American bands in the UK and Europe.
There is a piece about the L.A. scene and reviews of releases that had come out then like Black Flag's "Six Pack" and The Germs "Germicide" and the Adolescents LP. THis worth the read because it is written from someone who lived there so they have insight into the sound of the bands.
There is some coverage on the first Police Picnic which took place in Oakville in a farmer's field. There is nothing on the Specials or the Go-Go's or Iggy Pop, but there is a pretty amazing piece on Killing Joke. There is also a piece on John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett who were greeted with fresh fruit and rotting vegetables, which is better than what Nash the Slash got which was a pulling of the cord.
Around that same time (August 30th) the Cure played the Concert Hall and there is an interview with them although my issue has part of it cut out. You will see the gap in the PDF.
John Foxx from Ultravox had just released a solo record named "Metamatic" and the drummer from 999 was involved in the recording.
On the reggae side of things there is an interview with Horace Faith. There is a review of the Equators full length along with a solo piece by Michaele Jordana of the Poles.
This issue appears courtesy of Dhaibid James's archival collection. Dhaibid hosts a show on CIUT called Moondog's Ballroom.
This is issue #20 of Smash It Up, which is a Toronto punk fanzine put out by Nick Smash. This issue came out in December 1981. The issue starts out with a road trip diary for the Young Lions and 20th Century Rebels for a nuclear disarmament benefit show they play in Montreal. It didn't go so well. 
