Blog Post by Kris Hamlyn of the Secret East
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| Mount Pearl's Dopamine live at Peace-a-Chord in Bannerman Park in 2003. Photo courtesy of Dave Beck. |
In the introduction to our Punk Rock Pearl project, we made the bold statement that one of Mount Pearl’s biggest contributions to Newfoundland & Labrador art and culture has been in the form of punk music. If you had any doubt in this seemingly outlandish claim, perhaps this basic timeline we have assembled of bands from Newfoundland & Labrador’s second-largest city is enough to convince you otherwise.
Can you think of another artistic genre in which Mount Pearl has had such a unique impact? Not only is the sheer volume of bands from the city impressive, but the most striking trait of this community is that the bands, artists, and organizers from Mount Pearl have been almost entirely made up of teenagers. Young people from Mount Pearl have continuously fed the NL punk scene, and many of those involved remain active in the art and music community to this day.
This list may be in-depth, but it is far from complete. Our timeline of Mount Pearl’s contribution to Newfoundland & Labrador punk is ongoing and open-ended. We strongly encourage anyone with information and insight to reach out to us. We will be adding, editing, and building on this index as this project grows. Our intention is to continue to collect, archive, and tell these exceptional stories, and for this, we require your help.
Our criteria for this timeline is simple: we’re looking for bands and artists within the diverse musical spectrum of punk who had a strong connection to Mount Pearl. If you would like to contribute, please reach out to: admiraltyhouse@mountpearl.ca.
The Timeline of Mount Pearl Punk
1988–1991
Members: Kevin Dominic, Darren Ford, Dan Moore, Chris Turner, Rick White – As Sacrament A.D: Pat Dwyer, Rod Wills
Subgenres: Thrash metal
As our timeline is focused on punk rock and not heavy metal music, consider this the honourable mention. Festered Corpse / Sacrament A.D. were a Newfoundland & Labrador thrash metal band featuring Darren Ford and Chris Turner of Mount Pearl. The crossover of metal and punk inspired and helped create a platform for the first Mount Pearl punk band at the end of the 1980s.
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| Age of Majority at the LSPU Hall, 1990. Photo courtesy of Doug Jones |
Age of Majority
1989–1991
Members: Doug Jones, Kyle Power, Leon Rideout, Dave Cook, Rennie Squires
Subgenres: Hardcore punk
Age of Majority were the first hardcore punk band to start with an all Mount Pearl lineup. After their first show at the LSPU Hall in 1990, Dave Cook was replaced by Rennie Squires (the only member from St. John's) on drums. The band never had an official release, only undistributed demo tapes. For the full story, check out our profile of Age of Majority and the beginnings of Mount Pearl punk.
Pud
1991 - 1994
Members: Chris Brown, Jimmy Oakley, Derek Thistle, Kenneth Thistle
Subgenres: Punk, grunge
Pud were started by Junior High students in Mount Pearl in 1991 when the members were 12/13 years old. They won 2nd place at a Mount Pearl Frosty Festival Battle of the Bands with a Nirvana cover and played all ages gigs at the LSPU Hall in St. John's. Chris Brown still currently plays guitar with long-running NL noise rock band, Geinus.
Dropkick Jesus
1993–1994
Members: Ivan Coffen, Jud Haynes, Jon Jones, Mike Pardy
Subgenres: Punk, grunge, sludge metal
While this band only featured one member from Mount Pearl, Dropkick Jesus did regularly rehearse and jam in the city. Guitarist Mike Pardy would soon form the Mount Pearl punk band Good To Go in 1995.
1995–1998
Subgenres: Punk, skate punk
Members: Jeff Corcoran, Billy Green, John North, Mike Pardy, Trev Sturge
Good To Go were a Mount Pearl punk band who became a mainstay in the all ages scene in St. John's in the mid-1990s. They were the first Mount Pearl band to put their songs to wax with the split 7" EP titled Shot in the Snot Box, which paired Good To Go with St. John's band Molotov Smile. Good To Go also self-released a cassette titled GTG before breaking up in 1998.
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| A later era Plan 13 band photo |
1996–2001
Members: TJ Clarke, Ronnie O’Dwyer, Mark McCrowe, Dave Mullett, Jimmy Mullett, Regan Ryan, Corey Slade
Subgenres: Punk, skate punk, pop punk
While Plan 13 were very active contributors to the St. John's punk scene for five years, various members lived in Mount Pearl throughout the band’s tenure. The band also regularly rehearsed in the city. Plan 13 released a full-length CD titled Stranger Things Have Happened on Dirtneck Records in 2000, and also appear on the record label's Newfoundland punk compilation CD titled Freedom Is.
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| LSPU Hall poster featuring The Farts and Good To Go |
1996
Subgenres: Punk, skate punk
The Farts are a Mount Pearl punk band that we know little about. Their name appears on some all ages show flyers from 1996. There are a few rare hand-dubbed demo cassettes in circulation under their name. If you have any further information on this short-lived band and their cassette release, please get in touch!
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| Freedom Is compilation by Dirtneck Records |
1997–2000
Members: Grant Dawson, Karl Langer, Jason Perchard, Corey Slade, Dave Vokey
Subgenres: Punk, skate punk
Mount Pearl's Bud regularly played St. John's gigs as well as featured five songs on the Dirtneck Records compilation CD Freedom Is. Bud helped bring British Columbia pop punk band Gob to NL during the peak of their success—they even shared the stage with them in Corner Brook. The last Bud show was at the annual Peace A Chord festival in Bannerman Park in the summer of 2000.
Hung Up
1998–2001
Members: Wes Hodgson, Sherman Downey, Trev Sturge, Corey Slade, Mike Stewart
Subgenres: Pop punk, skate punk
Hung Up was formed in 1998 and featured Mount Pearl's Trev Sturge of Good To Go, as well as Corey Slade of Plan 13 and Bud. Their first show was Summersault in Bowering Park in September of 1998. The Summersault Festival featured notable headliners I Mother Earth, Our Lady Peace, Moist and Treble Charger. Hung Up toured Canada in support of their album Runnin' Out on Winnipeg-based record label Crack Records in 1999. Vocalist Sherman Downey is a Newfoundland & Labrador singer/songwriter who is still making music today.
Crooked
2000–2003
Members: Jon Collins, Steve Corcoran, James Green, Chris McCarthy, Ryan Pryor, Dave Beck, Sean Power
Subgenres: Skate punk
Though Mount Pearl's Crooked never officially released any of their music, they were a frequent live band in the St. John's punk scene in the early 2000s. Crooked helped bridge the 90s punk sound with the next wave of Mount Pearl bands at the turn of the millennium.
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Dopamine
2000–2004
Members: Dave Beck, Jen Collins, Jennifer Harding, Jerry Martin, Chris Oliver, Scott Parrell
Subgenres: Punk, grunge, pop punk
All but one founding member of Dopamine were residents of Mount Pearl. The band also notably penned the tonge-in-cheek anthem, "Mount Pearl Sucks". With vocalist Jen Collins, Dopamine were the first Mount Pearl punk band fronted by a woman. Members of the band launched the DIY record label Cold Turkey Records in the early 2000s and subsequently released Dopamine's sole self-titled CD in 2003.
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| TxMxFxI live at PWYC. Photo courtesy of Steve Renouf |
TxMxFxI
2000–2004
Members: Scott Cowan, Kyle Griffin, Steve Renouf, Steve Hayes
Subgenres: Punk, hardcore punk
TxMxFxI began with Kyle Griffin and Steve Renouf banging on pots and pans in a basement in Mount Pearl. Soon after, the band became a regular at hardcore punk shows in St. John's. TxMxFxI released a split with St. John's band Get Stabbed. The first attempt at TxMxFxI's last show at the Rabbit Town Theatre in St. John's was shut down due to the chaotic nature of their set, and so their last official performance took place at St. Andrew's Hall in 2004. A full-length album was recorded but was not released.
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| Three Chord Revolution live at Riverdale |
Three Chord Revolution
2001–2006
Members: Mark Hillyard, Dave Beck, Mike Fagner, Steve Tiffany, Adam Rickert, Rob Windsor
Subgenres: Punk, skate punk
Three Chord Revolution were a quintessential Mount Pearl skate punk band. The band played many live gigs including opening spots for touring Canadian bands such as Moneen, Choke, Fallen Year and Buried Inside. Three Chord Revolution released a CD titled Dern Diddley Ern 101 on Cold Turkey Records in 2003, as well as the self-released IBTC CD in 2005. Three Chord Revolution performed at Mount Pearl's Frosty Festival in the early 2000s and garnered a not-so-favourable reaction from the local Lion's Club (the venue of their show) due to their loud and rambunctious performance. Mark Hillyard currently plays in Sanity In Numbers in Calgary, Alberta. Rob Windsor went on to play with De-Mons in Mount Pearl.
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| Nerve Attack live at Riverdale in St. John’s |
2002–2006
Members: Kyle Griffin, Jean-Francois Forsey, Steve Renouf, Doug Sellars, Steve Ward
Subgenres: Hardcore punk
Nerve Attack's No F*cking Class was the first cassette tape released by Mount Pearl-based DIY record label Scum Tribe Records in 2003. Nerve Attack frequently played and organized all ages punk shows in St. John's and made way for a new slew of Mount Pearl bands on Scum Tribe Records in the mid 2000s.
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| Three members of The Ridiculice next to a tag in Mount Pearl |
The Ridiculice
2003–2007, sporadic reunions
Members: Matt Morgan, John Putt, Steve Renouf, Andrew Rice, Thomas Whelan
Subgenres: Punk, hardcore punk, street punk
The Ridiculice featured an all Mount Pearl-based lineup and played many shows with a variety of local and touring punk bands in St. John's. Their Last Out EP cassette is the third release from Scum Tribe Records. The Ridiculice recorded 12 songs for an unreleased album, though the tracks became available digitally in the years after the band was active.
Moke Cove
2003–2010
Members: Colin Coombes, Tim White, Dave Whitty
Subgenres: Folk punk
Moke Cove was made up of the rhythm section of Mount Pearl punk band De-Mons, along with singer/songwriter Dave Whitty on guitar and vocals. All three members of Moke Cove were from Mount Pearl. Moke Cove played many gigs in St. John's and Mount Pearl, including the Frosty Festival Battle of the Bands, and produced some unreleased demos and a CD titled Live at the Glacier. Dave Whitty remains active as a singer/songwriter in the local music scene.
My Antonia promo photo
My Antonia
2003–2007
Members: Chris Baldwin, John Boone, Joe Crowley, Johnny O
Subgenres: Pop punk, emo
My Antonia formed from two members of St. John's punk band Under Authority and two musicians with a Mount Pearl connection. They released a self-titled EP and toured the east coast of Canada with fellow NL band Roundelay.
Second Last
2003–2004
Members: Dawson Forsey, Josh Mooney, Aaron Mosher
Subgenres: Pop punk, skate punk
Within a short year of activity, Mount Pearl's Second Last released demo recordings and played Under Authority's last show at the Masonic Temple in St. John's. Members went on to play in Over the Top, Nikita for the Taking and the Bloomsbury Group.
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| The David Butler Band at Brother O'Hehir in St. John's, 2005 |
2004–2006
Members: David Butler, Robert Forward, Kris Hamlyn, Kady Meaney, Michelle LaCour, Thomas Whelan
Subgenre: Hardcore punk
This band was typically billed as David Butler & the _____, with a new name added for every show. The second lineup had 3/5 members from Mount Pearl and the band almost exclusively rehearsed in the city. The David Butler Band played many all ages punk shows over a two-year period, most of which were organized by Scum Tribe Records. A few demo recordings were made, but nothing was officially released.
Yesterday’s Hero
2004–2007
Members: Greg Collins, Robbie Grandy, Jason Mooney, Aaron Mosher, Adam O'Brien
Subgenres: Pop punk Yesterday's Hero featured two members from Mount Pearl and regularly performed at all ages shows and house parties in St. John's (even the Petty Harbour Rec Centre). The band released a self-titled album before their breakup. Members also played with Over the Top, Dead Departed, Hogan's Daughter, Second Last and the Bloomsbury Group.
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| Shit Legion live at Brother O’Hehir Arena in St. John’s |
Shit Legion
2004–2008, occasional reunions
Members: Kyle Griffin, Kady Meaney, John Putt, Steve Renouf – First show lineup featured Phil Coates and Steve Loveless
Subgenres: Crust punk
The main four-piece lineup of Shit Legion was entirely based in Mount Pearl. The band's self-titled cassette was the 6th release from Scum Tribe Records. Shit Legion played many all ages, bar, and house shows, as well as a pop-up performance in Bannerman Park. Currently, 3/4 members of Shit Legion play in the local crust punk band Dark Era.
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| De-Mons live at Distortion in St. John’s |
De-Mons
2004–2018
Members: Colin Coombes, Brad Dunne, Jean-Francois Forsey, Dave Mandeville Jeremy McDonald, Tim White, Rob Windsor
Subgenres: Punk, skate punk
De-Mons were one of the longest active punk bands from Mount Pearl. This band performed, sometimes sporadically, for about 14 years in St. John's and Mount Pearl, and released two albums: Live Off the Floor and Big Time, Good Time. De-Mons also opened for Ontario punk band The Flatliners during a tour stop in St. John's. Members of De-Mons also played in Moke Cove, and for a period of time, the band featured Rob Windsor of Three Chord Revolution.
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| Cider Squadron 666 live at Brother O'Hehir in St John's. Photo courtesy of Steve Renouf |
Cider Squadron 666
2004–still occasionally active
Members: Kyle Griffin, Matt Morgan, Jeff Rose, Thomas Whelan
Subgenres: Punk, hardcore punk, street punk
Cider Squadron 666 feature a full lineup of members from Mount Pearl and are the longest-running punk band from the city who are still sporadically playing today. Their cassette from 2005 was the 6th release by Scum Tribe Records. CS666 (Cider Squadron 666) has played all-ages, bar, and house shows for many years with a long list of local and touring bands. They still play occasional free outdoor shows, most recently at the Mundy Pond Skate Park.
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| Profession:ill live at Brother O'Hehir in St. John's |
Profession:ill
2005–2007
Members: Robert Forward, Kyle Gryphon, Kris Hamlyn, Kady Meaney
Subgenre: Hardcore punk
3/4 members of Profession:ill lived in Mount Pearl and the band exclusively rehearsed in the city. This band played a wide variety of all ages punk shows in St. John's over just a few years. Profession:ill self-released a CD entitled What It's Worth, as well as a Discography CD on Victoria, British Columbia-based Shred City Records.
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| Call the Ambulance Live |
Call the Ambulance
2006–2009
Members: Ryan Dinn, Will Dray, Travis Fanning, Doug Jackman, Paul Jackman
Subgenres: Melodic hardcore punk, screamo, post-hardcore
Call the Ambulance were a Mount Pearl-based band that performed extensively over a three year span. They played the Frosty Festival as well as Children of Eve's album release. The band released a self-titled album of their own, and their members went on to play with Children of Eve, Hogan's Daughter, Ridgefield, and Billie Dray, and the Poor Boys in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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| Crusades live |
Crusades
2006–2008
Members: Peter Andrews, David Butler, Nick Baker, Corey Cooper, Robert Forward
Subgenres: Hardcore punk, metallic hardcore
Half of the lineup of Crusades were from Mount Pearl and played with bands Profession:ill and Narrators. The band self-released a demo in 2006, a 7" EP in 2007, and a Discography in 2008.
King Sized Kids
2006–2010
Members: Andre Aucoin, Brandon Coaker, Daniel King, Glen May, Kieran O'Connell, Josh Quinlan
Genres: Pop punk
King Sized Kids mostly played all ages shows in Mount Pearl, St. John's, and Paradise over four years. They performed at Mount Pearl's Frosty Festival Battle of the Bands in both 2007 and 2008, and opened for Burlington, Ontario band Silverstein at Junctions in St. John's in 2009. Members went on to form other local punk bands on our list including I Was a Skywalker, Clocked In, and Pockethands, and continue to play music today.
The Lost Ark!
2007–2008
Members: Brandon Coaker, Jared Earles, Darren McDonald, Mike Simms, Stephen Spencer
Subgenres: Hardcore punk
The Lost Ark! was a short-lived Mount Pearl hardcore band that played two all-ages shows at Distortion in St. John's, a Mount Pearl Frosty Festival Battle of the Bands, and the yearly Spence-a-Palooza house show in Mount Pearl in 2008. The band released a four-song demo in 2007. Both Brandon Coaker and Stephen Spencer went on to play with Astonish Yourself and Clocked In. Narrators 2007 - 2010 Members: Matt Barron, Nick Baker, Ronnie Bishop, Brandon Coaker, Travis Fanning, Aaron McLoughlan, Andrew Morgan Subgenres: Hardcore punk, screamo Throughout various lineups of the band, Narrators featured multiple members from Mount Pearl. The band released a demo in 2007 and a Tour EP for a trip to Marystown in 2008.
Houston We Have a Problem
2008–2010
Members: Matt Kenny, Gilbert Meadus, Jeff O'Leary Walter Puddester
Houston We Have a Problem rehearsed and jammed in Mount Pearl, just down the street from the Admiralty House Communications Museum. They released a demo called A Collection of Poorly Named Songs in 2009. Members went on to play in the bands Knockout and Bannerman.
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| Elsa Simms, Derek Ashley, and Stephen Spencer of Astonish Yourself at the Paradise Rec Centre |
Astonish Yourself
2009
Members: Derek Ashley, Brandon Coaker, Billy Temple, Elsa Simms, Stephen Spencer
Subgenres: Pop punk
Astonish Yourself was solely active in 2009 and regularly jammed and play house shows like Spence-a-Palooza in Mount Pearl. They opened for local band Children of Eve, Ottawa's Today I Caught The Plague, Charlottetown's Syracuse Me, and Halifax's Shelter with Thieves at all-ages matinees at Distortion in St. John's. The band did not have any official recordings or releases. Derek Ashley and Elsa Simms went on to form I Was a Skywalker, while Brandon Coaker and Stephen Spencer later played with Clocked In.
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| I Was a Skywalker live at Junctions |
2009–2011, sporadic reunions
Members: Derek Ashley, Matt Earle, Glen May, Kieran O'Connell, Elsa Simms
Subgenres: Hardcore punk, pop punk
I Was a Skywalker was comprised of members of past and future Mount Pearl punk bands. They played many all-ages, bar, and house shows in St. John's and Mount Pearl with a variety of local and touring bands, including Toronto pop punk band !ATTENTION!. I Was a Skywalker released a self-titled EP in 2009, and have played sporadic reunion shows as recent as 2018.
Good News, Everyone!
2009–2011
Members: Andre Aucoin, Glen May, Kieran O'Connell
Subgenres: Pop punk
Good News, Everyone! were a Mount Pearl trio with all three members originating in King Sized Kids. They released a four-song demo in 2009.
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| Over The Top promo photo |
Over The Top
2009–2012
Members: Paul Bradley, Jason Mooney, Josh Mooney, Tim Reynolds, Adam O'Brien, Chris Vano
Subgenres: Hardcore punk, pop punk
3/5 members of Over The Top were from Mount Pearl. The band played with a vast variety of local and touring punk and hardcore bands over a three-year period. Over The Top released a 14 song album titled Never A Night Alone in 2010 and the Community EP in 2011. Members went on to form Bannerman in 2013.
Severed Tongue
2010 - 2011
Members: Nick Baker, Robert Forward, Jordan Kelly, Robbie MacDonald
Subgenres: Hardcore punk, powerviolence
Severed Tongue was started by two members of Crusades. The band released Demo I, Demo II and appeared on the 100 in 10 compilation by Intellect Records, all in 2010.
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Clocked In live at Derek Ashley's Shed |
Clocked In
2010–2012
Members: Brandon Coaker, Robert Forward, Brendon O'Rourke, Stephen Spencer
Subgenres: Hardcore punk
Though only active for two years, Clocked In were one of the most prolific punk bands from Mount Pearl. The band's releases include a 2010 Demo, Distractions EP (2010), Clocked In cassette EP (2011), a split 7" EP with Prince Edward Island's Year of The Rat, as well as a digital single entitled Red Flags Part I/II. Clocked In toured throughout Atlantic Canada and Ontario in the spring of 2011, and opened local shows for touring bands such as Ottawa's METZ, Burlington's Silverstein, Montreal's Solids, and many others.
Wreckage
2010–2012
Members: Mitch Dyke, Michael Lewis, Jonny May, Eric Perry, Kyle Simms
Subgenres: Hardcore punk
Wreckage were a Mount Pearl hardcore band who played shows for two years. They released a five-song demo in 2011.
Knockout
2011–2013
Members: Nick Callahan, Dan George, Matt Kenny, Brad Nicholson, Jeff O'Leary, Jeff Osmond
Genres: Pop punk, hardcore punk
Knockout featured members of Houston We Have a Problem and also jammed in Mount Pearl, just down the street from the Admiralty House Communications Museum. In two years, Knockout released a self-titled two-song EP, a demo called This One's For You Guys, and a two-song EP entitled Garage.
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| Pockethands Live at the Manhole |
Pockethands
2011–2015
Members: Derek Ashley, Matt Earle, Kyle Langille (first lineup), Glen May, Kieran O'Connell
Subgenres: Pop punk
Pockethands were made up of four former members of I Was a Skywalker. The band played various bar and house shows over the span of four years and released a self-titled EP in 2014. By the end of the band, the members had largely relocated to St. John's. Pockethands have since played a few reunion sets and all continue to play in local punk bands today.
Bees & Honey
2011–2012
Members: Derek Ashley, Jonny May, Meghan McDonald, Brendon O'Rourke
Subgenres: Pop punk Within a year of activity, Mount Pearl's Bees & Honey released a three song demo, a cassette split with St. John's band Pap Pap, and a five song EP titled Hectically Frank.
Bayward
2012–2013
Subgenres: Hardcore punk
Bayward were a short-lived Mount Pearl hardcore band from former members of Wreckage. They released a 12-song demo in 2012.
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| Bannerman live, 2016 |
2013–2018
Members: Matt Kenny, James Piercey, Tim Reynolds, Adam O'Brien, Jeff O'Leary
Subgenres: Pop punk, hardcore punk
Bannerman was formed by members of Over The Top and Knockout. In addition to playing punk shows in St. John's for five years, they also released the Benched EP in 2013 and the Bannerman Street EP in 2015.
Blog post by Kris Hamlyn.
A special thanks to Griffin Simpson for his contributions, as well as any members of the bands who continue to be generous with their time and effort. Much of this information was collected in the form of oral history, corrections or further contributions are highly encouraged. Edits and updates will be made on this timeline as new information becomes available. If you have any bands or information to add, please get in touch: admiraltyhouse@mountpearl.ca
Just stumbled across this! Lovely reliving the nostalgia of all these awesome bands.
ReplyDeletei think Tarmouth was a Mount Pearl band from early 2000s too! not so much punk rock but...never forget <3
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