Flyer - Wednesday December 30, 1987

The Bookmen "Volume One Delicatessen" LP

Dave Bookman used to have a radio show on CIUT and later on CFNY and loved to play Elvis Costello. This is mostly in the folk vein and may have something to do with the recording. It was recorded in "The Pit" in Ottawa by Rob Sanzo. They do a Dylan cover at the end. Think of Dylan meets Billy Bragg meets the Violent Femmes. This LP was released by Chapter Records and was distributed by Star Records who was also responsible for some of the Forgotten Rebels releases. The songs on here are:

1. High Fashion Swinger

2. I Can Dig It #69-70

3. Come Down From Space

4. It's Your Life

5. Nobody Like You

6. Everything We Could Have

7. Waste My Time Away

8. All Alone

9. Sound Advice

10. Modes of Alienation

11. Steaming Star

12. Under Glass

13. (Tell Me But...) Don't think Twice (Bob Dylan)

Flyer - Saturday December 19, 1987

Nomind "Punkusraucousrex" cassette

Nomind were made up of some seasoned veterans in the scene. As a result this tape collects records from a number of sessions. In fact almost every song on here is from a different recording. the recording dates span from June '86 to August '87 and most of them were recorded at Reaction Studios. The songs on here are:

1. Dirt Desire

2. Lunchbucket

3. Strontium Dog

4. No Mind (Discio Mix)

5. Bonehead

6. Big Bad Bugs

7. My New Amp!

8. Millions of People

9. 5 Year Plan

Flyer - Saturday December 12, 1987

Flyer - Friday, December 11th, 1987

Flyer - Friday December 11, 1987

All local bill at our favourite club, the Slither, which was in the basement of the Paddock. It was at Queen and Bathurst.

Death Sentence "Stop Killing Me" LP

This was the second full length by Death Sentence. It was recorded after the band toured with Black Flag, MDC, Bad Brains, D.O.A., G.B.H. and others. This recording has more of a rock sound and big production making it less appealing to punks and fans of the last 12". The songs on this release are:


1. B.M.O.C.

2. Brand New Day
3. Bad News
4. So Civilized
5. Danger Zone
6. I.W.A.W.F.T. Soviet Union
7. Stop Killing Me
8. Fascist Gun in the West
9. Terminate
10. Use Your Head

Zine - The Pig Paper #32

Click for download

Zine - Still Thinking #3

The last issue of Still Thinking to come out although there was a fourth issue that they were hoping to publish. Looks like this came out after the "Progress?!" compilation written about elsewhere on the blog. Still Thinking interviewed C.O.C. in their first issue and the familiarity with them helps the interviewer cut straight to the chase with getting to label mismanagement from the outset. They talk about political action and peace and boxer shorts...... It is a pretty good interview. At least better than the first one.

A mail interview with CONCRETE SOX follows this up. This was the first mail interview I read in Still Thinking. Usually they interview bands that have come through town. This interview is with the bass player, Les. This is one of the best interviews I have read in this zine. The interview starts out with he various line up changes that bring them to the line up at the time. They talk about the lyric absences with the HERESY split, specifically the lack of animal rights songs. There is a discussion about anarchism and how to bring it about, similar to Marx evolution from capitalism to communism. There is a discussion about their scene in Nottingham and their loss of their club. They talk about the metal influence on hardcore and they bring up the VARUKERS offshoot band ARBITRAITOR. The song "Speak Siberian or Die" comes up with CONCRETE SOX critique of the racist sentiments behind "Speak English or Die" by S.O.D. They talk about their views on Religion with a few songs. 

A phone interview with Alec Mackaye is done about IGNITION. This was the period just after the first two singles. IGNITION were working on their first full length. There is talk of reviews, talk about DAG NASTY and talk about touring up in Toronto, which never happened. 

The next interview is with Mike Watt of FIREHOSE and they start out by talking about how MINUTEMEN formed which was fascinating. Then they dig back further with talk about the REACTIONARIES. They talk about how MINUTEMEN formed out of that, what the scene was like and what role Raymond Pettibon played in the band. But this talks into how important Raymond Pettibon's artwork is and how protecting Jello was actually protecting Raymond. And eventually they get into how FIREHOSE came to be with Ed from Ohio coming down to audition. There is a number of songs explained through the interview which you don't see in a lot of interviews. 

And this must be one of the first FUGAZI interviews as well. This is with Ian Mackaye and like most interviews I have read with Ian you come out feeling inspired. The interview covers the lineage of the band, how the PAILHEAD project came together, how Revolution Summer came together, some MINOR THREAT gossip, Positive Force DC, some compilations about to come out, and the need to be active. "Always outraged and never discouraged". 

There is an incredible scene report on the Polish scene which talks about some of the difficulties of being a punk in Soviet Poland. Particularly getting jailed or sent to do mandatory military service. And bands having problems getting past censors or being able to afford equipment or riding a place to practise. There is a great list of bands that were active past and present. Just a unique time capsule of punk behind the iron curtain. And they were also starting to make contact with bands from East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Russia. Good to see these scenes networking. 

And then there is a DC holy trinity interview with Brian Baker about DAG NASTY. Brian starts out talking about the early days of MINOR THREAT. There is some great insight into the band dynamics specifically with Lyle Preslar. There is a part two of this interview that is supposed to be for the next issue, but the next issue didn't come out as far as I know. 

Flyer - Saturday, November 21st, 1987

 

This was a later period version of the band and may have been the period where the band co-existed with the Doughboys. Noxious Art made this flyer.

Flyer - Saturday November 21, 1987

Flyer - Wednesday November 18, 1987

Various Artists "Progress?!" ep

This comp was put together by a group of kids who did a fanzine titled "Still Thinking". The zine was hardcore in focus but also covered issues of a political nature. The group decided to put together a local comp and make it a benefit comp for an organizatin called "Tools for Peace" who worked at bringing in educational aid to Nicaragua, when America waged their secret war against the Sandinistas.



MSI was the first band and they contributed three songs. The first two run into each other. "Choke" was a song that a joke punk band played on an episode of "Quincy" which trashed punks. MSI learned the song and did it as a cover. The song it runs into is an original called "Infection" which is a song about violence. It is a theme as that what "Fighting for Nothing" is about. John provides an explanation in their page below. Click on it to enlarge.

Death of Gods had a new line up and were recording for a 7" but these songs may have come from their demo. They contributed "Corporate Fuckheads" and "This is God" and their ep had not come out yet. But Scott Williams, their guitar player had just lost his life. He had been killed by a hit and run.

Sons of Ishmael were working on the "Pariah Martyr Demands a Sacrifice" LP. Their page uses some of the artwork that would appear on the cover of that release so this was the next release after "Hayseed Hardcore". It was with a band that was a newer line up than the first ep. The song they do is called "Slow Children Playing" and is a song about the Cold War.

The Nunfuckers were from Kitchener / Waterloo. They had just released the "Dead and on the Floor" ep and "Be Yourself" was on it. It was one of the band's best known songs. They also had a cover of "Purple Haze" played super fast and done long before Snuff did their version.

Guilt Parade had just moved to Toronto from Fredericton. They contributed a cover of Elvis's "Heartbreak Hotel". This was before the LP that was to come out on Fringe.

Flyer - Saturday November 14, 1987

D.O.G. "Death Omnipotent Deceiver" cassette

Flyer - Friday November 6th, 1987

Flyer - Saturday October 31, 1987

This was the second show I ever put on. It was an afternoon matinee show with some bands from Ohio. I had some punk friends who put me in touch with Hyper as Hell who were from Kent and False Hope and Confront who were from Cleveland. The show was a matinee because we could do it as an all ages show.

But more importantly, my brother's friend was moving out of his house and they house was to be levelled so we had a house wrecking party that night at which these bands were supposed to play. Things went horribly wrong at the night show and the bands didn't even get to take their equipment out of the vans. The night ended with thousand of high school kids being dispersed by cops and Sons of Ishmael would go on to write a song called "The Hallowe'en Party" which would get released on the "Sons of Ishmael sing Generic Crap" ep. Above is the flyer we handed out at the matinee. It was like a bonus show.

Flyer - SNFU / Down Syndrome

Flyer - Tuesday October 27, 1987

The bass player, Alisdiar Jones, made this flyer. Other flyers can be viewed at http://homepage.mac.com/alisdairjones/PhotoAlbum85.html.

Flyer - Sunday October 25, 1987

Missing Link "Metalibut Torque Bastard" ep

Missing Link were from Pickering and they were friends with a scene out there which included Malhavoc, Al Nolan who would sing in Deep End, Dave Petretic of Intense fanzine, and MSI. The band had already released a cassette called "Murder Music" and this ep was self released. Missing Link recorded the m aterial at Reaction Studios in July 1987 and the session was engineered by Darrell Gasparini. The songs on here are:

1. Whirling Dervishes

2. The Cutting Edge

3. Never Good Enough

4. Looking Ahead

Release - Hype "Burned" LP

This album almost didn't happen. The band had a house in Oakville and it caught fire and burned down, hence the name of the LP. The tapes of the original recording for this LP were inside and didn't survive, so the band had to re-record. This version of the band captured the Barbasin Brothers. The liner notes has a neat shot from a Hype show at Ildiko's of the scene gathering together trying to get into the shot. It is as close as you get to a class photo. Songs on here are:

1. Life is Hard ... Then You Die

2. Free Trade

3. Ditch Pig

4. Sick Side Show

5. Chants

6. Asshole at Large

7. Wipeout

8. Scumtongue

9. Intermission

10. Have You Seen Nicole?

11. Burned

12. Insecurity

13. Our Glass

14. Need a Handgun

15. White Disease

16. The Fix

17. They Do as They Please

For more information check the Down Underground blog on this and the first LP. 

Nunfuckers "Dead and on the Floor" ep

The NUNFUCKERS formed in July of 1985 in Waterloo, Ontario. The first practice was in Bob’s garage - Bob on drums, Dave on guitar, Ian on vocals and Todd on guitar. Practice went for a couple of hours. When Todd got bored and left, Ian, Bob and Dave wrote and recorded the “Today is a Good Day” demo (on a tape recorder). At least one song on the demo had lyrics about actually fucking nuns. Ian’s dad was transferred to Calgary the following month and Ian left the band. Derek joined as bassist in the fall of 1985, followed by Rob on vocals. The NUNFUCKERS played house parties around Waterloo before playing their first show at Chuggy’s in Hamilton (now Hogtown) opening for the RESISTANCE from Vancouver. A few months later, the NUNFUCKERS recorded the “Into the Pit” demo at CKMS in Waterloo. Copies of the demo were made on low-end blank tapes stolen from CKMS while recording. One copy was given to members of BUNCHOFFUCKINGGOOFS while at the White House (punk home/hangout in Waterloo). Shortly after that, BFG invited the NUNFUCKERS to open for them at Lee’s Palace in Toronto. The place was packed and both bands were well received.The NUNFUCKERS played a lot after that, in and out of Waterloo, with bands like DOG, MSI, SONS OF ISHMAEL, NO MIND and the DOUGHBOYS (including a show with NO MIND in a Chinese restaurant in Kitchener). In 1987, the band returned to CKMS to record the “Dead and on the Floor” EP - 11 songs recorded live-to-stereo in 2 hours for $30. The songs on this ep are:

1. Decimation

2. Movin' On

3. Snap

4. My Shit

5. Up Your Ass with All Your Gossip

6. Social Butterfly

7. Blood Bath

8. Burning Chemicals

9. My Mom and Dad

10. Cheap Friends

11. Spoiled Brats

Flyer - Wednesday, October 7, 1987

Sons of Ishmael "Parasites", on October 6, 1987

Sons of Ishmael play "Parasites" live in Christie Pit's at a Food Not Bombs benefit on October 6, 1987.

Sons of Ishmael, October 6, 1987

The songs "Break Free / Democracy" by Sons of Ishmael performed at the Food Not Bombs benefit at Christie Pits, Toronto on October 6, 1987.

Sons of Ishmael - Christie Pits

Sons of Ishmael played a benefit outdoors at Christie Pits. the set didn't last very long even though they played a full set. That was a regular Sons of Ishmael show. We caught the last two songs.

Flyer - Saturday October 3, 1987

Flyer - Saturday October 3 - Sunday October 4, 198