Pointed Sticks
Encyclopedia
Pointed Sticks are a Canadian
punk rock
/power pop
band from Vancouver
. Originally active from 1978 to 1981, they reunited to perform in 2006 and have remained together since then.
They were the first Canadian band signed to Stiff Records
, although the label was going through financial problems and never released an album by the band. The original band consisted of vocalist Nick Jones, guitarist Bill Napier-Hemy, bassist Tony Bardach and drummer Ian Tiles.Keyboard player Gord Nicholl joined soon after. Johnny Ferreira later joined on saxophone
, Bardach was replaced by Scott Watson on bass, and Tiles was replaced by drummer Robert Bruce (from Active Dog), and later by Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery. The band released four singles before releasing their only full-length album, Perfect Youth in 1980.
The first compilation of their recordings was released in 1995 on Zulu Records. "Part Of The Noise", now out of print, included five songs from the "Perfect Youth" album as well as 45's and rarities. In 2005, the complete Perfect Youth album, with 4 bonus tracks, was reissued by Sudden Death Records
, followed the next year by a compilation of singles, outtakes, and other rarities, entitled Waiting for the Real Thing also on Sudden Death. These two releases do not share/repeat any tracks. The original band members reunited in 2006 for a Japan
ese tour, and they continued to play sporadic concerts in Canada and the United States through 2010. In 2009 the band recorded an album of all new material,"Three Lefts Make A Right",which will be released Nov 1 on Northern Electric records. Advance reviews have been spectacular. The band returned to Japan in August 2010 with support from a re-united "Dishrags", their all girl contemporaries from the original Vancouver Punk scene. Pointed Sticks are set to participate in a Vancouver benefit concert for Japan earthquake relief May 12, 2011. "Three Lefts Make a Right" was mixed by Vancouver's Mike Fraser
.
by Monty Python
, "Self Defence Against Fresh Fruit," wherein Eric Idle
repeatedly suggests that learning to defend against something like a pointed stick might be more useful than defending against fresh fruit. They chose this name after discovering that their first six choices had all been taken. At the beginning of their career they were briefly known as "Ernie Dick and the Pointed Sticks". Ernie turned out to be a better librarian than a drummer.
The band are known for their fast melodic pop music and liberal use of harmony singing by all five members—also for unusual graphic images that acted as counterpoint to the music.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
band from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Originally active from 1978 to 1981, they reunited to perform in 2006 and have remained together since then.
They were the first Canadian band signed to Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
, although the label was going through financial problems and never released an album by the band. The original band consisted of vocalist Nick Jones, guitarist Bill Napier-Hemy, bassist Tony Bardach and drummer Ian Tiles.Keyboard player Gord Nicholl joined soon after. Johnny Ferreira later joined on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, Bardach was replaced by Scott Watson on bass, and Tiles was replaced by drummer Robert Bruce (from Active Dog), and later by Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery. The band released four singles before releasing their only full-length album, Perfect Youth in 1980.
The first compilation of their recordings was released in 1995 on Zulu Records. "Part Of The Noise", now out of print, included five songs from the "Perfect Youth" album as well as 45's and rarities. In 2005, the complete Perfect Youth album, with 4 bonus tracks, was reissued by Sudden Death Records
Sudden Death Records
Sudden Death Records is a Vancouver, British Columbia based record label run by Joe "Shithead" Keithley.Sudden Death Records arrived in Canada's burgeoning punk scene in 1978. It was only a part-time label until 1998, when they began to expand further into punk rock music...
, followed the next year by a compilation of singles, outtakes, and other rarities, entitled Waiting for the Real Thing also on Sudden Death. These two releases do not share/repeat any tracks. The original band members reunited in 2006 for a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese tour, and they continued to play sporadic concerts in Canada and the United States through 2010. In 2009 the band recorded an album of all new material,"Three Lefts Make A Right",which will be released Nov 1 on Northern Electric records. Advance reviews have been spectacular. The band returned to Japan in August 2010 with support from a re-united "Dishrags", their all girl contemporaries from the original Vancouver Punk scene. Pointed Sticks are set to participate in a Vancouver benefit concert for Japan earthquake relief May 12, 2011. "Three Lefts Make a Right" was mixed by Vancouver's Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser is a Canadian record producer, engineer, and mixer. Mike is best known for his work with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith and Joe Satriani...
.
Name
The band gets its name from dialogue in a famous sketchSketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
by Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
, "Self Defence Against Fresh Fruit," wherein Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
repeatedly suggests that learning to defend against something like a pointed stick might be more useful than defending against fresh fruit. They chose this name after discovering that their first six choices had all been taken. At the beginning of their career they were briefly known as "Ernie Dick and the Pointed Sticks". Ernie turned out to be a better librarian than a drummer.
The band are known for their fast melodic pop music and liberal use of harmony singing by all five members—also for unusual graphic images that acted as counterpoint to the music.
External links
- Pointed Sticks on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Pointed Sticks at Jam!Jam!Jam! is a Canadian website, which covers entertainment news. It is part of the CANOE online portal, owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division....
Pop Encyclopedia - Johnny Ferreira official website
- Canuckistan Music review of Perfect Youth LP