Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Waiting For the Real Thing... Pointed Sticks Story and Show # 197




The Pointed Sticks are a Canadian punk/power pop band that came from Vancouver in Canada. Forming in 1978, the band named themselves after a Monty Python sketch. The band was a mix of punk and pop and only lasted until 1981. They were the first Canadian band signed to stiff records, but the label never released an album by the band just a few singles. After releasing four singles, the band released their only full length album during their first incarnation, it was titled Perfect Youth. Coming out in 1980, the album was produced by Bob Rock (later of Metallica producing fame) and contained twelve tracks.

The band consisted of Nick Jones (vocals), Tony Bardach (bass), Bill Naper-Hemy (guitar), and Ian Tiles on drums. The line up would switch up a bit when Scott Watson went on bass and Tiles was replaced by Robert Bruce. They would also get a keyboard player named Gord Nicholl who was from another Canadian band called Active Dog; Bruce (also from Active Dog) would also be replaced by Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery on drums.

In 1995, the band released the Part Of The Noise Compilation. The album was a mix of unreleased songs and songs from their previous releases, serving as a greatest hits of sorts. In 2005, Sudden Death Records re-issued the bands Perfect Youth album and released the live bootleg Waiting For the Real Thing. All of the re-issues contained bonus tracks, but Waiting For the Real Thing serves in my opinion as the best release by the band. It is an energetic and exciting album and its loaded with songs, 24 of them.

In 1980, the band was featured in Dennis Hopper's movie Out of the Blue. In 2006, the band reunited for a series of shows in Japan, and in tours in Canada and the US in 2006 and early 2007. The band has plans to tour and record again. For more info on the band you can visit their official website. Next week I will continue counting down to my 200th show by doing a show focusing on the band The Kinks. Leave requests in the comments section if there's anything you'd like to hear.

The Play List:

1. What Do You Want Me To Do? (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
2. Somebody's Mom (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
3. Real Thing (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
4. Marching Song (Perfect Youth 1980)
5. Perfect Youth (Perfect Youth 1980)
6. American Song (Perfect Youth 1980)
7. Must Be Crazy (Part of the Noise 1995)
8. Nothing Else To Do (Part of the Noise 1995)
9. Shape of Things To Come (Part of the Noise 1995)
10. Man of the Crowd (Part of the Noise 1995)
11. Careless (1980 Demo)
12. Middle Aged Teenagers (1980 Demo)
13. When She's Alone (Perfect Youth 1980)
14. True Love (Perfect Youth 1980)
15. 1-2 (Perfect Youth 1980)
16. The Witch (Perfect Youth 1980)
17. Out of Luck (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
18. Lies (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
19. I'm Numb (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
20. It's O.K. (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
21. Apologies (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
22. New Ways (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
23. All That Matters (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
24. The Witch (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
25. Part of the Noise (Perfect Youth 1980)
26. Somebody's Mom (Single Version) (Perfect Youth 1980)
27. Way You Do (Perfect Youth 1980)
28. My Japanese Fan (7" Single 2007)

Pointed Videos:

Lies
Out of Luck/Somebody's Mom (From Out of the Blue 1980)

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