Hammer Gods.
That's what we called Teenage Head, arguably the greatest rock band Canada has ever produced, and arguably the greatest punk was a band.
We are a small country. Our bands, our artists often have to struggle to be recognized here. So we promulgate the Kancon Rules and the Foreign Ownership Act to protect and promote what little we have. A god who rarely experiences greatness up close and therefore needs no protection. A quartet with a bass-drum-guitar section like Melodic Machine and a frontman with more charisma than Elvis, we were sure they would be seen by the world as we were. .
Why weren't they big enough to deserve to be rich? It's not because you don't try hard enough. They played at every dump and dive in every corner of Canada and wowed everyone smart enough to check them out. They worked hard for many years.
But like a groupie who doesn't think the answer is no, bad luck befell them. they were cursed. When their singer Frankie Venom died suddenly in 2008, his death struck me like lightning. Frankie had his last performance at Hamilton's Friends Festival that same year. he was a friend
Frankie was also a wild guy, with wild eyes and sideways grin, expected a lot of trouble, but usually succeeded. In 2007, he opened in Ottawa as head of Barrymore's. But Frankie was late. He eventually staggered, the biker draped his jacket over his shoulders, his cheeks with large scabs from the fight.
It didn't look good. he couldn't see well. And Frankie strutting into Barrymore's mic, Wham. He, we were teenagers again. He and his band were magical. they were gods.
But the gods don't seem to be as immortal as they used to be. Frankie died, Gord Lewis died.
Lewis was an enigma and a gifted guitarist. He was the rock who anchored Frankie his Venom down to earth and provided riffs that have charmed fans from the Ramones to Eddie Vedder.
From the moment he heardPicture My Face debuting in 1978 toTornado playing his last big tune in 1983, Teenage Heads were underdogs. Superstars of the ground, few acknowledge their greatness. They deserved to be huge, but they really weren't.
And now Gord Lewis was found dead in Hamilton's apartment. His son was charged with his murder.
I also knew his son very well. So did many in the GTA music and political scene. A few years ago there were email threats to my family and local politicians. I stopped receiving emails for a while.
Over the weekend, the abusive emails started again. Dozens and dozens of them have reached me and many others. I was with my family over the weekend, so I deleted the email without reading it.
However, someone from theHamilton Spectatorsaw something wrong and called the police. They performed a medical examination on Gord and found his dead body.
The legal system has a son. Whatever happens, it will happen. But now I think it's the gods of rock and roll who have Frankie and Gordo.
It is impossible to describe how much loss Frankie and Gordo's death has caused to the music scene in this country. Is possible.
So don't mop. Do this: Go out and get yourself a copy of their first album, or perhaps a copy of Frantic City.
They were the Gods of the Hammer, and we shall never see anything like them again.
And ours.
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