The Diodes
| The Diodes | |
|---|---|
From left to right: Ian Mackay, John Catto, Paul Robinson, and John Hamilton
Photo by Ralph Alfonso |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1976–1982 (reunions: 1998, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2015) |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | The Ramones |
| Website | www |
| Members | Paul Robinson - Vocals John Catto - Guitar Ian Mackay - Bass John Hamilton - Drums/Keyboards John Andrew - Drums |
| Past members | Mike Lengyell- Drums John Corbett - Bass Dave Clarkson - Bass Steve Robinson - Bass Richard Citroen - Drums Bo Cairo - Guitar |
The Diodes are a Canadian punk rock band formed in 1976 in Toronto. They released five albums: Diodes (1977), Released (1979), Action-Reaction (1980), Survivors (1982), and Time/Damage Live 1978 (2010). They were one of the first Canadian bands to embrace this style of music and helped to foster the original core Punk scene in Toronto.
The Diodes formed in October 1976 at Ontario College of Art (Now OCAD) after a chance meeting between members. They played their first gig supporting the Talking Heads in January 1977. The band, along with their manager Ralph Alfonso, went on to open Canada's first Punk nightclub the Crash 'n' Burn, in June 1977. Many of the city's founding Punk bands played. in this iconic venue. The first groups to play the club were The Nerves, on a bill with The Diodes. Other international Bands performing at The Crash n Burn included The Dead Boys. Visitors to the club included The Ramones, Phil Lynott and other members of Thin Lizzy. The club, which was housed in The Diodes basement rehearsal space, was closed at the end of the summer of 1977, due to complaints by the Liberal Party of Ontario (the principal tenants of the building). The Crash 'n' Burn was the subject of a movie by experimental filmmaker Ross McLaren, Crash 'n' Burn. Footage of the club also exists in the CBC Television archives because it was the subject of a TV special in 1977.
The band put out their first record (Summer 1977), a single featuring Bruce Eves and Amerigo Maras of the 'Centre For Experimental Art and Communication' (CEAC) an avant garde, performance art collective and gallery. Mickey Skin of the all-girl punk band The Curse spews profanities on one side, The Diodes provide musical backing with Paul Robinson counting down the spoken intervals, on the other. It was released on the Crash 'n' Burn label. One side was called "Raw," the other "War." It is considered one of the first Punk records to come out of Canada. The single was actually part of an issue of the CEAC Newsletter (published by CEAC, the owners of the building that housed the Crash 'n' Burn club).
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