John Kastner | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Jean-Guy Kastner |
Born | Beaconsfield, Quebec, Canada | 12 August 1969
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
Years active | 1983–present |
Labels |
Jean-Guy "John" Kastner (born 12 August 1969) is a Canadian musician and composer born in Beaconsfield, Quebec. He was the singer for Montreal hardcore punk band the Asexuals as well as singer-guitarist for Montreal alternative band Doughboys and alternative band All Systems Go!. [1] He is also the manager and former rhythm guitarist for the band Men Without Hats. [2]
Jean-Guy Kastner was born in Beaconsfield, Quebec, to Charles Kastner and Kathryn Ann Watt. He had been interested in rock 'n' roll since elementary school. By the time he was 9 years old, he was following musicians who worked in downtown Montreal and who performed at the Forum. [3]
Kastner joined the Asexuals in 1983 and recorded a 7-inch and two LPs with them before quitting in 1987, over musical differences. While a member of the Asexuals, he fronted the band and helped the Montreal hardcore scene become well known outside the city through the frequent tours the group made in Canada, the United States and Europe. [1]
Between 1990 and 1992, he played rhythm guitar in Men Without Hats, recording on their album Sideways .
After leaving the Asexuals, he started the Doughboys, releasing seven albums from 1987 to 1996. The band broke up in 1996 and Kastner moved to California; he established himself in Silverlake and started writing music for soundtracks. [1]
In 1998, he started the band All Systems Go! with Frank Daly and Mark Arnold of Big Drill Car [4] and released five albums and EPs from 1999 to 2003 before going on a hiatus in 2005. They released another album in 2007, then went on another hiatus. Kastner also recorded and released the 2006 album entitled "Have you seen Lucky?", [1] which featured a number of his previous bandmates. [5]
Kastner wrote music for many movies and TV show soundtracks, including Phil the Alien , Universal Soldier: The Return and Brats of the Lost Nebula . [1] and collaborated on records by Mega City Four, The Weekend, Mark Lanegan Band and Men Without Hats.
In 2008, John joined Bran Van 3000 as guitar player and in 2010 reunited with the Asexuals to play a show in Montreal. [6] [7]
In 2010, he appeared in the documentary Open Your Mouth And Say... Mr. Chi Pig, a Canadian film about the life of SNFU singer Mr. Chi Pig directed by Sean Patrck Shaul and released by Prairie Coast Films.
Kastner married actress Nicole de Boer on 18 December 1999. They have a daughter, Summer Lee Kastner, born in January 2007. [1] In 2012, Kastner and de Boer separated, [8] and later divorced.
In May 2013, Kastner began dating actress Jessica Paré. [2] [8] [9] On 19 March 2015, Paré gave birth to a son, who was named Blues Anthony Paré Kastner. [10]
Kastner has a sister, Debbie, and a brother, Jason. On 26 March 2008, Kastner's mother Kathryn Ann Watt died of cancer. [11]
Men Without Hats are a Canadian new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing. They achieved their greatest popularity in the 1980s with "The Safety Dance", a worldwide top ten hit, and "Pop Goes the World". After a hiatus for most of the 1990s and 2000s, Doroschuk reformed the band in 2010, and released Love in the Age of War (2012). The group, based in Vancouver, has continued to perform, including tour dates in support of the release of two studio albums, Men Without Hats Again , in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Bran Van 3000 is a Canadian alternative rock and hip hop collective from Montreal, Quebec. Founded by James Di Salvio and E.P. Bergen, they collaborated on a number of songs with Stéphane Moraille, Sara Johnston, Steve "Liquid" Hawley, Jayne Hill, Jean Leloup, Kim Bingham, Pierre-Luc Cerat and many other musicians.
Kim Anna Bingham, also known by her stage names Mudgirl and The Kim Band, is a Canadian singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter and musician. She is known for her musical collaborations with Nelly Furtado, Bran Van 3000 and David Usher.
Rational Youth was a Canadian new wave synth-pop band that was originally active between 1981 and 1986, and at various points up until the end of 2021.
Big Drill Car is a punk rock group from Costa Mesa, California, formed in 1987. While the group never gained a mainstream audience, they provided an influence on their contemporaries – most notably ALL, Chemical People and Dag Nasty – alongside of which they are considered early pioneers of melodic hardcore.
Sideways is the fifth studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats. Released on 30 April 1991, it featured a new sound based around electric guitars instead of the group's normal use of synthesizers. It was the second album to be recorded at Hudson Studios in New York and produced by bassist Stefan Doroschuk, with Mike Scott as co-producer.
Jessica Paré is a Canadian actress and musician known for her co-starring roles on the AMC series Mad Men and the CBS series SEAL Team. She has also appeared in the films Stardom (2000), Lost and Delirious (2001), Wicker Park (2004), Suck (2009), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), and Brooklyn (2015).
All Systems Go! was a Canadian punk rock supergroup with members from Big Drill Car, Doughboys, the Asexuals The Carnations, Descendents, C'mon and The Weakerthans.
Doughboys were a Canadian alternative rock band founded in 1987 that were active in the late 1980s and early/mid-1990s. The band was renowned for its musical blend of punk and pop-style melodies.
Timothy "T. V." Smith is an English singer-songwriter who was part of punk band The Adverts in the late 1970s. Since then he has fronted other bands, as well as pursuing a solo career.
Mega City Four were an English indie rock band formed in Farnborough, Hampshire, who obtained popularity throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.
The Stupids are an English hardcore punk band formed in the 1980s by Tom Withers.
The Nils are a Montreal punk rock band formed in 1978 by Alex Soria. The Nils first gained local notoriety upon the 1982 release of a five-song demo entitled Now. Their self-titled debut album was released to critical acclaim in 1987, and earned praise from Rolling Stone and contemporary punk rock bands, including Hüsker Dü. The Nils disbanded and reformed on various occasions in the 1990s and early 2000s, until the death of Alex Soria in 2004. In 2010 Carlos Soria reformed the band, and in 2015 The Nils released Shadows and Ghosts, their first album of new material in over 25 years.
James Childs is an English musician and composer-producer. He was born in Bristol, and grew up in the nearby town of Portishead. As a member of the rock group Airbus, he contributed to Bristol's flourishing music scene during the 1990s.
Suck is a 2009 rock-and-roll vampire black comedy horror film starring, written and directed by Rob Stefaniuk. Stefaniuk stars alongside Canadian actress Jessica Paré, Nicole de Boer, Malcolm McDowell and rock artists Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins and Alex Lifeson of Rush. Production took place in and around Toronto in late 2008.
Alex Soria (1965–2004) was a rock and roll musician and songwriter from Montreal. He was the founding member of the power pop/punk rock groups The Nils (1978–2004) and Chino (1999).
The Asexuals is a hardcore punk band from Beaconsfield that was a mainstay of the Montreal punk scene in the 1980s before changing into an alternative band following the departure of singer John Kastner. Kastner left to form the Doughboys and later, All Systems Go!.
"Zou Bisou Bisou" is a song written by Bill Shepherd and Alan Tew, and Michel Rivgauche for the lyrics of the French version. The song's origins stem from the Yé-yé movement with which an early version of the song was associated. Its theme is variously described as an open declaration of love and the joy of kissing.
Happy Accidents (1990) is the third album by Montreal pop-punk band Doughboys.
Grosses retrouvailles, le 1er octobre au Cabaret Juste pour rire, avec la version originale des Asexuals, pionniers de la scène punk. John Kastner, qui faisait partie du groupe avant de fonder les Doughboys
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