|
Tuesday, 03 February 2009 |
The old and the new came together at Sneaky Dee's tonight. In between what was called New Wave and Punk in the late 1970s there was Power Pop, combining New wave's melodic hooks and Punk's exhuberant energy. In May 1977, the Diodes opened Toronto's first punk club called the Crash 'n' Burn. The first U.S. band to be booked there was The Nerves, featuring Peter Case on bass, Jack Lee on guitar and Paul Collins on drums. All three members know how to write the perfect, catchty power pop song. After the Nerves broke up Jack made a good deal of money when Blondie recorded his song "Hanging On The Telephone"; Peter formed the Plimsouls and went on a successful solo career; and Paul formed the Beat and toured with everyone from the Ramones and the Jam to the Police and Huey Lewis. Tonight, 1970's power pop, represented by Paul Collins' Beat and Toronto's ZRO4, met next generation power pop, represented by Gentlemen Jesse and His Men. Not only did Paul rip through some great versions of Nerves and Beat songs, but the beauty of this show was that Paul was backed up by Gentlemen Jesse's band! It was a night of power pop perfection. The show was captured on video by ToBeScene's Aldo Erdic and videographer Derek Emerson who, along with his wife Heather, directed the very entertaining documentary on one man bands Let Me Be Your Band. The night was topped off with Aldo interviewing Paul about the Crash 'n' Burn days for his upcoming documentary on the Diodes.
|
