Hey Buddy Punk Sucks, Rock and Roll Man!

"Go buddy, go buddy, go buddy, go buddy...go go go!"

I have never worn a white boiler suit (well actually I did but I would rather not talk about it - just coming officer) but I did own a 1969 Gibson SG and still have dark hair (just). Like Pete I jumped around a lot of stage in zeroption, unlike Pete it was more to do with hiding my lack of ability on the guitar (see Gaz's comments on the first time he saw zeroption play - kind words my friend, will you take a cheque or do you prefer cash?). Kealan and Chachi, sorry I mean Kealan and Gord, had been in a few garage bands - the first was named FLQ which was a nod in the direction of a Quebecois (French Canadian) separatist movement which was most bizarre as the boys couldn't speak French, had no intention in assisting in the dissolution of the Canadian state and lived in Ontario. It was bit like coming from East Belfast and calling your band... The IRA.
The other punks at Blakelock at the time also had a band with an equally interesting name, the Canadian Revolutionary Army, or CRA to their friends. What four middle class suburbanites wanted to revolt about I have no idea..."hey man, the beer store is closed early, dude hockey night in Canada is on an hour later than usual,... its snowing...!"

Chris from that band is currently playing in a band with Gord and Kealan called the young mothers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWYuhAUxfQQ A complex person with an ego bigger than mine and just slightly bigger than Kealan's, Gord wanted to take leadership or put his stamp on the direction of the group. Therefore I spent time thinking about a name that would reflect his importance as group leader. For example, I suggested using the title from the Jilted John classic, "Gordon is a Moron" or alternatively something with a Dr. Who flavour but "The Dr and the Timelords" was taken, so I suggested "Gordon and the Gaylords." He finally got fed up with my infantile offerings and came back with a few of his own such as "Stuartie and the shitheads." Finally after much bickering we settled on the name "Kealan and the Klu Klux Klangers". Seriously though, we opted to name ourselves after a semi automatic rifle issued to US forces - M16, why? I have absolutely no idea. In terms of who played what, things were pretty fluid to begin with. Finally, I took on the role as lead guitarist, Kealan liked to hit things and settled on the drums (although he didn't have a kit) and Gord opted for the bass guitar and became the group's most accomplished poser. All we needed was someone who could sing.

Oakville is a very suburban town. Miles of similarily constructed dwellings, built on streets designed along a grid pattern, punctuated by trees of varying specis, with the main focus of the community being the local Mall, the closest of which to me being Hopedale Mall. I would mooch around the mall and frequently be harassed by stoners. The most common encounter would go something like this. "Hey Buddy, punk sucks - rock and roll man!" The most common response would be, "don't call me Buddy I'm not your friend, also I don't know how something which is essentially inanimate can actually suck and if you like rock and roll so much, cut your fucking hair you hippy!" Niave, what I hadn't quite fathomed was that popular music came to Canada in 1969 and had not moved on. For your typical Canadian stoner - rock and roll wasn't Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis or the king...Alvin Stardust, but rather Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zepplin. Hanging around outside the men's toilets in the mall, however, gave me the opportunity to bump into someone who would become the first and last lead singer M16 ever had. His name was Colin and he thought he was Joe Strummer...absolutely perfect.