The 3tards

Last updated
The 3tards
The 3tards in performance (Toronto, 2008).jpg
The 3tards perform at the Opera House in Toronto, opening for Green Jelly (July 4, 2008)
Background information
Origin Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Genres Punk rock, hardcore punk
Years active2001–2009
LabelsWounded Paw, Spinerazor, Universal Music Canada
Past members
  • John Romanelli
  • Gus Pynn
  • Andrew Fox
  • Eric Carr
  • Keith MacIntyre
  • Devin Fox
  • Mark Pezzelato
Website the3tards.com

The 3tards was a Canadian hardcore punk rock band that was formed in Brampton, Ontario, in 2001. [1] The 3tards released two full-length albums - Greatest Hits Vol. 2, and Crystal Balls. [2]

Contents

They were known for their provocative, vulgar and sexual lyrics, theatrical costumed live shows [3] and political satire. [4] Their shows featured live births, circumcisions and a mock gay wedding. [5] They have been self described as "Canada's most politically incorrect punk band." [6] [7]

History

Early years (2001-2003)

In 2001, vocalist John Romanelli (John Tard) formed The Trouser Snakes with John Tard's brother-in-law Rich on bass. At this point the band's name was changed to The 3tards, and they played their first and only show with this line-up at Harry Flashman's in Brampton. [8] Shortly thereafter Rich left the band. Gus Pynn (Gus Tard), who had played with Toronto thrash band Sacrifice (and later rejoined it), was approached to play drums. This line-up played ten shows in the Toronto area [9] [10] and, in 2002, independently released a nine-track cassette called This Is A 3Tards Tape.

Greatest Hits, Vol 2 (2003-2005)

In August 2003, Andrew Fox (Fox Tard), formerly of Toronto punk bands Delirium Tremor, Shitloads of Fuck-All and Los Goblynz, joined as bassist. It was at this time that the band was signed by Preston Sims of Toronto punk label Wounded Paw Records to record their first album, Greatest Hits, Vol 2. Recorded over December 2003 and January 2004, the album included "3tarded", "Bigger The Better", and "Gay Heavy Metal Singer", an ode to Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford. [11]

During recording, the band was invited to play a benefit concert at Toronto club The Kathedral. [12] This was the band's first large-scale exposure to an all-ages crowd, with several hundred teenagers in attendance. The 3tards also played with the Misfits, Dayglo Abortions, The Dickies, Ripcordz, and Agent Orange.

In 2004, the band formed the promotional company Little Dog, and began promoting their own local shows. They also began promoting local up-and-coming punk bands by organizing large-scale, youth-friendly events. The band either headlined the shows themselves or brought in touring acts, including D.O.A., Forgotten Rebels and SNFU. [13]

Crystal Balls (2005-2007)

In 2005, Wounded Paw merged with Spinerazor Records, which had a distribution partnership with Universal Music Canada. Through Universal, The 3tards recorded of their second album, Crystal Balls in the fall of 2005. Produced by Rob Sanzo at Signal 2 Noise Studio in downtown Toronto, the record was released in stores across Canada, and included the title track, Stuck On You, and Manrapist. It was 28 minutes long, and received generally negative reviews. [14] [15] [16] [17]

Also in 2005, the 3Tards made their second appearance on the variety show Ed & Red's Night Party. [18]

On June 10, 2006, the band played inside the street-level studio of Toronto radio station 102.1 The Edge. Hundreds of fans, mainly teenagers, showed up, far past the capacity for the small studio. The crowd spilled out onto Yonge Street, closing down a portion of the busy traffic artery, and resulting in the station being cited by local police. [19]

One week later, the band opened for D.O.A. One Month later Eric Carr (Le Tard), formerly of Toronto punk legends Bunchofuckingoofs joined the band.

On December 16, 2006, Beetlejuice of the Howard Stern Show MC'd and opened for The 3tards at The Kathedral. The show was filmed for DVD release as The 3tards & Beetlejuice: Live 3tardation. [20] With the assistance of a licensed tattoo artist, Beetlejuice managed to tattoo half his name ("Beetle") across one half of John's chest during the show. He then entertained the crowd with a few jokes, introduced the 3tards set, and joined them in their anthem 3tarded. [3]

333: Halfway To Hell (2007-2013)

The 3tards spent the next two years touring across Canada. [21] In the summer of 2007 Gus Pynn left the band, and was replaced by Keith MacIntyre (Keith Tard), formerly of The Antics. Work began immediately on the writing of the band's third album, 333: Halfway To Hell.

In 2008, for the first time, the band became a five-piece by adding Fox Tard's brother, Devin Shael Fox (Dee Tard), of Toronto bands Platypi and The New Effector, as rhythm guitarist.

Oshawa incident

In June 2009, The 3tards played a benefit concert for breast cancer research at Memorial Park in Oshawa, along with The Groopies, Black Cat Attack and Caution Inc. Because of concerns about possible alcohol abuse and property damage, the event was at first considered "too risky" to be promoted on Oshawa's municipal website, [22] but after receiving a number of letters from 3tards fans, the city council allowed the promotion. [23]

On the day of the concert, limited promotion, a late start and pouring rain led to a small crowd, and no money was raised for cancer research. Bubble bath added to the fountain by audience members overflowed onto the park grounds. The 3tards commenced their set late, at approximately 7:30 pm; the event permit expired at 8:00 pm. During their fourth song, Durham Region police arrived to shut down the event. Because of noise complaints and an out-of-control crowd, power was cut to the stage, and some arrests were made. [24] In spite of more letters from fans, the Oshawa City Council declined to add The 3tards to the city's July 1st Canada Day Lakeview Park concert event. [25]

On July 19, 2009, the 3Tards headlined at The Kathedral, and announced that they were playing their last show. [26] This was incorrect.

Disbandment

In June of 2013, the 3tards appeared at the Bovine Sex Club to play music from their third and final album 333: Halfway To Hell. [27] The 3tards then decided to break up. They performed their final show on July 18 at the Kathedral in Toronto, where Romanelli introduced his new band, the Terrorchargers. [28] Fox began playing bass for Toronto pop rock band Crush Luther. Eric Carr started his own band with Gymbo Jak (of the Dayglo Abortions) call Grey Bush.

Critical response

The 3tards' music shows has been compared to The Dead Milkmen and Forgotten Rebels, [29] that is, punk with some metal, but with crude, repetitive lyrical themes. [17] [30] Their comedy style has been compared to Chevy Chase. [30] The anarcho-punk zine Slug and Lettuce referred to Crystal Balls as "the worst record ever" and of the band said "They thank their wives. For all that is sacred in this world, I hope these knobs do not breed." [31]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simple Plan</span> Canadian rock band

Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 1999, the band's current lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier, Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco, and Sébastien Lefebvre. David Desrosiers joined the band in early 2000 and left in July 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexisonfire</span> Canadian post-hardcore band

Alexisonfire is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, Ontario in 2001. The band's members are George Pettit (vocals), Dallas Green, Wade MacNeil, Chris Steele (bass) and Jordan Hastings. The band has won numerous awards, and in Canada their albums have all been certified either gold or platinum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Talent</span> Canadian rock band

Billy Talent is a Canadian rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup changes, although Solowoniuk has been on hiatus from the band since 2016 due to a relapse of multiple sclerosis. In the three decades since their inception, Billy Talent has sold well over a million physical albums in Canada alone and nearly 3 million albums internationally. During their most successful period, they were ranked as one of the top 10 best-selling native bands in Canada.

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.

Armed and Hammered is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, spawned from Bunchofuckingoofs scene of the early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedouin Soundclash</span> Canadian band

Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band based in Toronto and consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bass player Eon Sinclair and drummer Chuck Treece. Their sound has been described as a combination of reggae and ska. Bedouin Soundclash was formed in 2001, and has released six studio albums, most recently in 2022.

Anagram was a Canadian punk rock band from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada later based out of Toronto. The group was known for loud, frenzied and sometimes violent live shows.

Crush Luther was a Canadian pop-rock band based in Toronto, best known for their 2007 single "City Girl" and 2010 single "A Light".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Castles</span> Canadian electronic music group

Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass. Crystal Castles was known for their chaotic live shows and lo-fi melancholic homemade productions. They released many limited vinyl singles between 2006 and 2007 before releasing four studio albums between 2008 and 2016.

3's a Crowd was a folk rock band from Vancouver who existed from 1964 to 1969, spending most of that time in Toronto and Ottawa. The group had some Canadian chart success, but is particularly notable for the caliber of Canadian musicians who passed through its ranks and would later establish successful careers of their own, including Bruce Cockburn, Colleen Peterson, David Wiffen, Trevor Veitch, and Brent Titcomb. 3's a Crowd is also remembered for its association with Cass Elliott, who co-produced the group's only album.

The Carps were a Canadian rock music duo consisting of bassist Neil White and drummer Jahmal Tonge. They were signed to Toronto-based URBNET Records.

Oppressed Logic are an American punk band from Oakland, California, United States, who formed in 1994. Currently, the band consists of vocalist Mike Avilez, drummer Jim Redens, guitar and bassist Jake Martinez, and guitarist Mike Fuentes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunchofuckingoofs</span> Canadian hardcore punk band

BunchoFuckinGoofs, or the BFGs, is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto's Kensington Market neighbourhood, formed in November 1983. From July 1983 to July 1988, they ran a 24/7 boozecan at their Baldwin Street address known on the street as "Fort Goof". For another three and a half years they continued their antics at the 26A Oxford Street warehouse, "Goof World". They lived communally and, while they were known for smashing TVs on stage and opening bottles of beer with chainsaws, they described themselves as anti-drug crusaders, community activists and the neighbourhood guardians.

Masochistic Religion was a Canadian goth music group and one of the first goth bands from Toronto, Ontario. The band went through many line-up changes over the years, with the only consistent member being its founder, Mitchell D. Krol.

Cunter is a five-piece hardcore punk supergroup from Brampton, Ontario whose members are from Moneen, Alexisonfire, BWC Studios and The Abandoned Hearts Club. The band motto is "All intensity, all the time," and they are known for short, ferociously intense songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 222s</span> Canadian punk band

The 222s was a Canadian punk band active from 1978 to 2018. They are among the first original Canadian punk bands and the first to emerge from Montreal. They are best known for their 1979 single I Love Susan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organ Thieves</span>

Organ Thieves is a southern and soul-influenced experimental hard rock side project by Brown Brigade guitarists Chuck Coles and Dave Baksh, formed by Coles in mid-2008. It has since become their main project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian hardcore punk</span>

Canadian hardcore punk originated in the early 1980s. It was harder, faster, and heavier than the Canadian punk rock that preceded it. Hardcore punk is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A. may have helped to popularize the term with the title of their 1981 album, Hardcore '81. Hardcore historian Steven Blush said that the term "hardcore" is also a reference to the sense of being "fed up" with the existing punk and new wave music. Blush also states that the term refers to "an extreme: the absolute most Punk." An article in Drowned in Sound argues that 1980s-era "hardcore is the true spirit of punk", because "after all the poseurs and fashionistas fucked off to the next trend of skinny pink ties with New Romantic haircuts, singing wimpy lyrics", the punk scene consisted only of people "completely dedicated to the DIY ethics". One definition of the genre is "a form of exceptionally harsh punk rock."

Burning Love was a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto formed in 2007 by vocalist Chris Colohan (also of the band Cursed and former members of the sludge band Our Father: David O'Connor, Andrus Meret, and Easton 'The Business' Lannaman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 'B' Girls</span> Canadian punk rock band

The 'B' Girls were a Toronto punk rock band from the first wave of punk rock in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Where Toronto band The Curse was North America's first all-female punk band, the B-Girls were the second such band in Toronto.

References

  1. ↑ History
  2. ↑ Allmusic: The 3tards
  3. 1 2 "The Night The Kathedral Died". Torontoist, By Alex Nino Gheciu, January 2010
  4. ↑ Dickie, M. (December 2007), "3tards: Asscore for the masses", Gasoline Magazine[ dead link ]
  5. ↑ Rennie, Andrew. "3TARDS at the Horseshoe". nowtoronto.com. NOW Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Mastronardi, L.; Coutts, A.; Wong, B. (2007-01-04), "Punk band brings incorrectness to Office", London Free Press January 4, 2007. Archived January 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "3tards". interpunk.com. Interpunk. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  8. ↑ First show
  9. ↑ Shows
  10. ↑ "3tards, 2007". torontomusicscene.ca. Toronto Music Scene. 26 June 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. ↑ Bromstein, E. (2005-12-01), "Tard'n'heavy", NOW Magazine
  12. ↑ FUCK benefit
  13. ↑ "Then & Now: The Big Bop, part 2". Toronto Nightlife History, DENISE BENSON January 29, 2015
  14. ↑ Lamb, Chris (7 July 2006). "The 3Tards – Crystal Balls Review, July 2006". insidepulse.com. Inside Pulse. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  15. ↑ Huggins, Adrian. "3tards - Crystal Ball". pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Pennyblack Music. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  16. ↑ "On Disc: The 3tards Album: Crystal Balls". UWO Gazette, Dean Percy. April 7th, 2009[ dead link ]
  17. 1 2 Phelan, A., "RockMidgets.com review of The 3tards' Crystal Balls" Retrieved on 2009-03-08 Archived at the Wayback Machine.[ dead link ]
  18. ↑ "THE 3TARDS second appearance on Ed's Night Party with Ed The Sock 11-11-05". youtube.com. YouTube. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  19. ↑ The 3tards (06-10-06), "Little Dog Big Dick & 3tarded at 102.1 The Edge studio"
  20. ↑ "The 3Tards - Live 3Tardation - Featuring Beetlejuice". youtube.com. YouTube. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  21. ↑ "Brampton Gets 3tarded". The Brampton News 10/20/2006 Phil Winslade Archived 2006-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ Cole, L. (2009-06-03), "Local band's website too risky for city", Oshawa Express.
  23. ↑ Follert, J. (2009-06-17), "City Hall boosts punk band", Oshawa This Week
  24. ↑ Follert, J. (2009-06-22), "Police, City shut down 3tards punk concert in Oshawa", Oshawa This Week Archived 2009-06-26 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ Follert, J. (2009-07-03), "City wouldn't put punk band on Canada Day bill", Oshawa This Week
  26. ↑ Greg, Gruesome (19 July 2009). "Farewell to the 3Tards…July 2009". hellbound.ca. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  27. ↑ "The 3tards promo 333". youtube.com. YouTube. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  28. ↑ Gheciu, Alex Nino (30 January 2010). "The Night The Kathedral Died". torontoist.com. The Torontoist. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  29. ↑ Sharpe, J. (2006-01-05), "The 3tards' Crystal Balls CD Review", The Scene Magazine Archived 2022-04-05 at the Wayback Machine
  30. 1 2 Patchez, J.P. (July 2004), "Off the Record", The Nerve Magazine
  31. ↑ tnt (Winter 2006), "The 3tards-Crystal Balls", Slug and Lettuce.[ dead link ]
  32. ↑ "3Tards – This Is A 3Tards Tape". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  33. ↑ "The 3Tards – The Greatest Hits Vol. 2". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  34. ↑ "The 3Tards – Crystal Balls". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  35. ↑ "The 3Tards – 333 Halfway To Hell". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.