Downtown Brantford Music Scene

Brantford, Ontario has a very healthy music scene with many different types of musical genres. In relation to the punk rock music genre, its history can be traced to starting in 1977 with a band called the Wages which had Scott Bradshaw in it. Though almost classifying as a New Wave band, their punk ideologies placed them within the punk domain. Another band called the Pelicans would come into the scene in 1979, which followed the same lines as Wages but with more of a harder edge to their songs. Pelicans would disband in 1981 due to their equipment being stolen.

In 1980 a punk band called the Corporals [http://www.unconventionalart.ca/bands/bands.htm] started and eventually evolved into the punk band called Social Suicide [http://www.unconventionalart.ca/bands/bands.htm] in 1984. This created a spark in the minds of the teenager that would see their few Brantford shows. More punk bands were appearing within the Brantford punk movement. Mr. Yuk formed in 1985 and had a unique difference with three vocalists taking turns during their fast aggressive sets. Eventually this band would fall apart and create Brantford's most popular hardcore punk band, Drunk 'n Anger in 1990.

The 1980s for punk rock in Brantford was very challenging for the people involved with it. The bands played out side of town for a large amount of the shows, often going to large centres such as Toronto, Ontario. Such was the case for Social Suicide, which played their first show in Toronto. The social acceptability of punks in Brantford was also very difficult and many were outcast due to their appearance. The punk rock music movement in Brantford has its strongest years throughout the early 1990s. Brantford's Hardcore punk scene was thriving with bands like Psychosomatic and Drunk 'n Anger playing more aggressive, political based music. Other bands started to appear on the scene very quickly, such as, Distorted Reality, Noisy Bastards, Banned, Acid Toad Secretion and Fed Up Crew. Venues were starting to become more acceptable or tolerant of punk shows in Brantford, such as the Ex-Imperial Hall at 115-119 Market Street [http://mail.brantford.ca/Inventory.nsf/heritage_web?OpenFrameSet&Frame=left&Src=%2FInventory.nsf%2Fe6a90eb030f9a3d485256cfe006dc8bf%2F0aa00ac359d925d285256b5f0075cea1%3FOpenDocument%26AutoFramed] , Klymaxx at 89 Colborne Street, Reflextions at 179 Dalhousie Street, Jake and Elwood's at 235 Market Street, legion halls were booked and there were always house parties to attend with live acts.

Record stores were very supportive of local talent, Records on Wheels was one records store that would cater to local music. With the closing of Records on Wheels in 1990 another independent record store opened up downtown Brantford at 121 Colborne Street [http://mail.brantford.ca/Inventory.nsf/heritage_web?OpenFrameSet&Frame=left&Src=%2FInventory.nsf%2FSearchWeb%2Fe35a97d971bfc43185256a8b005861be%3FOpenDocument%26AutoFramed] called Second Wave [http://www.geocities.com/cartoon_khaki/2ndwave.htm] . Originating from Guelph, Ontario, Paul Evans decided to take his chances in an economically devastated town. He would support local music more than any previous record store in Brantford ever did. He would also frequently hold live local acts in his store. Eventually Paul moved his store to 122 Colborne Street [http://mail.brantford.ca/Inventory.nsf/heritage_web?OpenFrameSet&Frame=left&Src=%2FInventory.nsf%2FSearchWeb%2Fe35a97d971bfc43185256a8b005861be%3FOpenDocument%26AutoFramed] in 1994 and would stay there until he went out of business July 1996. Throughout the mid 1990s the punk movement was constantly evolving, new bands were appearing more frequently and more diversity was happening within the punk movement. This was centred around Second Wave and a few doors down at the Turnaround, at 114 Colborne Street , both acted as a meeting place for like-minded musicians. A more apparent music community for punk and other musical fringe groups was starting to take place within Brantford during the mid 1990s.

Groups like Outcast, Twerps, Loser Parade [http://www.geocities.com/cartoon_khaki/arcloserparade.htm] , Bound By Twine, Young Offensive, Cartoon Khaki [http://www.geocities.com/cartoon_khaki/960804.htm] , Defcuntz, No Reason, Indepenant Threat, Digital Curtis, Furry Ongion [http://www.geocities.com/furryongion] , and Earthlings were appearing by the mid 1990s. By this time Rumbles at 112 Dalhousie Street had opened up. It later changed its name to the Pelican, when it came under new management and accepted punk music even after hearing about some of the reputations that other bars placed, often wrongly on some of the bands the Pelican would allow to play. A collective appeared in 1994 called Humpin' In The Back Room Music, run by Vic Moya [http://www.geocities.com/cartoon_khaki/arcvicmoya.htm] . This collective helped network a small hand full of local bands. A music 'zine was started with the same name as the collective, this 'zine lasted longer then a previous 'zine attempt from 1990 called the G.O.Y.A. 'zine.

The Turnaround was becoming a strong hardcore punk venue in Brantford and would bring many larger punk acts from other areas of Ontario and across Canada. The Pelican was also dong the same on Dalhousie Street. These bars welcomed the punk scene in Brantford. Bands from across the country would pack the bars with Brantford's more aggressive youth. Some of the more well known musicians, like Steve Goof(BFG's), Anus (Dirty Bird) Jimbo (Dayglo Abortions) have fond memories of playing in Brantford's seedy bars. Brantford gained an excellent reputation for great shows and energetic audiences out of this movement.

The late 1990s saw downtown Brantford crumble. The Mayor of Brantford, Chris Friel, was quoted as saying "Brantford is the worst downtown in Canada." This comment sparked major controversy in the area. It was the truth. The downtown was literally crumbling and burning down. Second Wave had closed and would never be replaced again by any other independent record store. Pelican had closed and returned to Rumbles name which did not allow hardcore punk in its club. The Turnaround was still operating and this gained the bar more presence in the punk movement of Brantford. The Pelican reopened on Colborne Street a few months after it left 112 Dalhousie Street, again allowing punk bands to play. The Pelican would close again and turn into an Irish Pub called Purdy's Pub. The Turnaround closed down and reopened later as the Crown under the management of previous owner of the Pelican. Of course the brought the same ideology of shows that the Pelican had previously and didn't change anything with the punk shows going on at the address. Transylvania 500 started to appear more regularly but there was no venue in town that was very accepting of them other than the Pelican. They would play outside of town in Hamilton, Toronto, Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph, which confused people into thinking that they were from those areas rather than from Brantford. This type of relation to Brantford was echoed by many other bands.

By 2001 the Crown had closed, Drunk 'n Anger stopped playing two years prior in 1999. The singer from Drunk 'n Anger. Chico Tamilia went on to be a member of Democracy Crisis and that band still played a few shows in the area and drew crowds in larger cities like Toronto and Montreal. Outcast, Twerps, Young Offensive were still playing and were drawing crowds. By the early 2000s Brantford's music scene for punk and other fringe music had seemingly dried up with the closing of venues. All that was left was a house party or the chance that someone would rent a legion hall to put on a show. In 2002 the Ford Plant had started on the south side of Colborne Street in Downtown Brantford, gearing more towards the "indie rock" crowd. 2003 saw the destruction of a large part of downtown Brantford on Colborne Street and Dalhousie Street, making way for what the city terms as downtown revitalization. This process removed buildings that formerly had the Crown and Second Wave Records.

At a time of economic distress which the downtown core still suffers through, this music scene was the sole source of entertainment for many local youths. Downtown Brantford still stands as one of the most desolate and empty downtowns in all of Canada. This movement was the single spark in the place. Today the Ford Plant offers the downtown a chance for entertainment that caters toward youth and independent music. It has brought in acts from all over Canada ( i.e. The Sadies, Arcade Fire, Blue Rodeo). New punk bands from the late 2000s are appearing. The Clusterbombs have started to play regularly with Chico Tamilia, former Drunk 'n Anger vocalist. Also, a second-generation Brantford punk/ska band, [http://www.myspace.com/undergroundecay Underground Decay] , has started playing shows. They consist of Johnny Hover (son of Rob Hover, who was the bassist for Psychosomatic), Ryan Walsh, and Jesse Turvey (the son of Tim Turvey, who was the drummer for Drunk N' Anger). J's Place, at 6 Eagle Avenue opened its doors to the metal, emo and Screamo crowds in the mid 2000s. Also, the shows at Bottoms-Up, at 67 Charing Cross, have brought back the punk scene in Brantford and is pulling older punk acts that used to play in Brantford in the late 1980' and 1990s back into the city. Recently, a new venue has opened downtown on 72 Colborne Street called Randy's Lounge that is booking bands of all genres. These venues are continuing on with the long heritage of music in the downtown area of Brantford. They are providing large, safe venues for many great bands to play in, and a chance to inspire more people to start new punk bands.

For more information:

www.brantmuseum.ca/contact/

Brant County Music and Solo Artists [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=93286693]