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June 6, 2009 - photo by Kamini Steinberg
Hmm….Let’s see – For many years, I was known as “David Quinton”. My real name is David Alexander Steinberg. I would have called myself “David Alexander”, but that would have been creepy (due to the death of the Stooges original bassist, Dave Alexander)…Calling myself David Steinberg was completely out of the question (because of my friend and former comedian “thee” David Steinberg). Are you bored yet?? I first got a bit of attention in 1978 as the drummer for Toronto band ‘The Mods’. I played too much, too loud and never shut up. I “peaked” during my phase with Stiv Bators where I served as a member of Bators’ band and a later version of the ‘Dead Boys’ with Stiv and Jimmy Zero (where I replaced original drummer Johnny Blitz). However, my fun in music dated back to 1976, where as a 15 year old, I formed a freaky little prog band called ‘Syndrome’ with James Gray (later of ‘Blue Rodeo’) and Mitch Starkman (later of Zappacosta). By late 1976, I didn’t care anymore about prog or anything else after seeing UK punk band ‘The Damned’ on a late night show with paper bags on their heads – I became consumed by punk rock and joined Toronto band ‘The Androids’ with Sally Cato and Bart Lewis (who later moved to New York and formed “Smashed Gladys”). While rehearsing with The Androids in an abandoned ‘Philips Electronics’ factory building (an infamous Toronto punk rehearsal space also used by ‘The Diodes’ and ‘The Ugly’), I first met ‘The Mods’. I became their drummer and embarked on two years of teenage fun and lunacy. The Mods were one of Toronto’s leading power-pop punk bands of the late 70’s. Aside from being a regular headliner at clubs like “The Horseshoe” and “The Edge”, we also opened for ‘The Police’, ‘Ultravox’, ‘Squeeze’ and ‘The Specials’ at larger venues. We had a lot of local media support in the press and on radio. Through 1978 and ‘79, The Mods played throughout Canada and toured the east coast and mid-western United States (sometimes with ‘Teenage Head’ from Hamilton). The Mods released one single in 1978 (“Step Out Tonight”) and during that same year appeared in Colin Brunton’s movie “The Last Pogo” – a filmed document of the Toronto punk scene. Our final gig – which included me crying my ass off - was at “The Music Hall” in Toronto and simulcast live on CFNY-FM. Although we recorded a full-length album in 1979, the release became mired in a haze of failed expectations and legal difficulties involving CBS Records – yucckkk! The album was finally released, together with an assortment of demos and live tracks, in 1995 on a CD entitled “Twenty-Two Months”. Dead Boys’ lead singer Stiv Bators accidentally discovered me while I was playing with The Mods - he used to hang around Toronto quite a bit in those days because of Cynthia. In the summer of ’79, when I was only 18 years old, Stiv invited me to Los Angeles to play on some of his solo recordings. I was a huge Dead Boys fan, so this was an exciting experience for me. Following that summer, The Mods disintegrated and I moved to the U.S. to join Stiv Bators on a permanent basis. I toured the U.S. with Stiv until 1981 (the ‘Dead Boys’ name being finally dropped in 1980 after Jimmy Zero left the group). I worked on Stiv’s solo album “Disconnected” and recorded a number of other tracks with Bators, all of which have been released on various singles and albums over the years. I also wrote some songs for Bators, played some piano and - as usual - added my sloppy drumming to the mix. In early 1981, Brian James (former lead guitarist for ‘The Damned’) came over from London (without a paper bag on his head) to join the Bators’ band. After a handful of gigs in 1980-81 – and for a variety of very good reasons - my time with Bators and James came to an end. The group re-located to London and morphed into ‘Lords of The New Church’. After recording some demos with a reformed version of Ohio band ‘Blue Ash’, I decided to return to school in Toronto. Stiv Bators tragically died in France in 1990. I think about him every day. After returning to Toronto, I signed a solo recording deal with “Bomb Records” and recorded a solo album in 1981 with producer/guitarist Stan Meissner. I attempted to promote the stupid thing (sometimes as lead singer only; other times also playing the drums at the front of the stage), but the gigs weren’t satisfying and I wasn’t happy. I do still like the record though…8 track glory – no synthesizers. I temporarily gave up on the solo thing to join a new act in the early 80's called ‘The Jitters’ with Blair Packham. With a solo development deal in hand from EMI, I tried to record a follow-up solo album and did some session work with EMI recording act ‘Rational Youth’ (“Heredity”). The 80’s were closing in…drum machines, stupid haircuts, the death of rock ‘n roll. I hated my EMI demos. I was then asked to become the touring drummer for EMI recording act ‘Strange Advance’ and did that through 1985. I met the band after they had completed their second album (“2wo”), on which with the drums were primarily handled by a computer…I was never a good substitute for a computer and I think I pissed off the band on many nights – especially having come from where I came from. Nonetheless, some memorable highlights from the Strange Advance tours were 4 nights at the old Ontario Place forum in the summer of ’85, headlining the Red River Ex in Winnipeg and the ‘Spectrum’ in Montreal (where the band was filmed for a Much Music ‘Big Ticket’ Special) and opening several hockey arena dates for Tina Turner throughout Canada. Some of the band’s successful singles of the time (“Worlds Away”, “We Run”) were substantial radio hits – but, I didn’t play drums on ‘em – nor did any other human. In a rather bizarre twist, I rejoined The Jitters after completing my last tour with Strange Advance. As the band got set to sign a record deal with EMI Records, I decided to go to law school (which was fine because the band was fed up with me…). Due to the strange timing of my departure, I actually ended up appearing on The Jitters' debut album cover, in promo photos and the first video for “Last Of The Red Hot Fools”. No wonder I suffer from “imposter syndrome”! Although I half-heartedly attempted to stay active in music, it was over for me. I hated the 80’s, couldn’t play like a computer and, quite frankly, my style went out of style. All the reasons I got into it in the first place were gone. My follow-up solo album never materialized. After quitting music, I became an entertainment lawyer (working primarily in the film and television industry). However, in the early '90's I started playing part time with ‘Lost & Profound’ and, without trying, they got a record deal with Polygram Records. I negotiated their record contract and played drums on their debut album. Great fun. Bullseye Records released a retrospective of my solo stuff in 2001 on a CD entitled “Bombs and Lullabies” which included recordings from my first album, my aborted second album and other previously unreleased tracks. My involvement in music these days is pure joy – I’ve compiled masters from my archives and written liner notes for the 25th anniversary editions of the Stiv Bators albums “Disconnected” and “L.A., L.A.” (re-released as “LA Confidential”). I also recorded a track with some surviving Bators/Dead Boys alumni in early 2005 for the Greg Shaw tribute album (the owner of ‘Bomp’ Records who passed away in 2004). However, my biggest thrill has been the reunion gigs that I have played with ‘The Mods’ - especially "The Last Pogo" 30th Anniversary Show in 2008…
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June 6, 2009...in my "favourite drummers" T-shirt! photos by Kamini Steinberg
...with Strange Advance at Ontario Place (1985)
My favourite photo...(thanks Theresa)
...with Stiv and the boys backstage in Texas (1980)
Gig Poster for the Paramount/Seattle (1980)
...with Stiv Bators' Disconnected" Band - 1980
...in the basement - 1981
The Mods on the beach (1978)
Some Mods pins...
The Mods in good company on a 1979 gig poster...
An ad for our gig at The Atlanta Agora in 1980...Gentle Giant!!
1984...
Strange Advance - picture sleeve, 1985
with The Jitters, 1986...
1976...a 15 yr old pre-punk
Detroit, Dec. 31/80 (my 20th b-day) with Stiv, Brian James, George and Frank (with toothpix in his nostrels for some reason...) - This was the beginning of what became 'Lords of The New Church' - another band I wasn't in!
I love this handbill by Colin Brunton...and just about everyone on it - 1979
THE LAST POGO - 30TH ANNIVERSARY POSTER BY COLIN BRUNTON - 2008
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