We recently unearthed a long-lost audio recording of the first SCW performance documented in an earlier post. This performance occurred on November 30, 1984 in the Chandelier Room of the Mayfair Hotel in downtown Kitchener, Canada. Along with the four members of SCW, additional performers were: Charles on vacuum cleaner/balloon, Jim on sewing machine, Claudio on power tools and John on heavy metal. Enjoy!
SCW’s God, Family, Country show was performed on November 9, 1989 at Toronto’s venerable Music Gallery as part of the 20th Century and how to leave it series curated by Myke Dyer.
Poster for the God Family Country show (designed by PnrH)
The show was based on a series of videos SCW had prepared in advance. There were three sections, one for each topic: God, Family and Country. Each section began with a taped introduction by SCW collaborator Charles ‘Militant’ Doubt, plus a CGI animated intro (pretty advanced for 1989).
For the show the pre-recorded videos were processed and animated live with Amiga computers operated by SCW collaborators Bruce Becker and Catherine Willson, accompanied with sequenced and improvised musical performances by SCW. Because the main focus of the show was the live processed video, the three band members were set up at the back of the darkened hall wearing their Who Shot the Pope? hats, which were created – as always – by SCW’s wardrobe designer Cathie Whittaker.
Here’s some photos from the show (taken with flash – the hall was actually dark):
Although SCW had planned on recording the GFC show, someone (R.I.P. GBH) accidentally unplugged the video recorder right before the show began, so there’s no record of the performance as the audience experienced it. There is however a live audio recording which was made separately. To give a taste of the performance, the following clips show the pre-recorded video clips along with the live audio.
Here are the pre-recorded intros for the GFC show along with the live audio:
Each of the three members of SCW wrote tunes addressing each of the topics of God, Family, and Country. Here is the pre-recorded video for dWM’s “Who Shot the Pope?” (part of the God section) along with the live audio:
Here is the pre-recorded video for Jeff-0’s “Mary Dear” (part of the Family section) along with the live audio:
Here is the pre-recorded video for Roba’s “That’s Wrong!” (also part of the Family section) along with the live audio:
In 1989 SCW as a five-piece disco-jazz-punk-funk live band ceased to exist. Scott left the band, and PnrH – while no longer an active musical member – continued on as SCW’s graphic designer and artist-in-residence. These photos from April 21, 1989 mark the last live show of this funky-ass version of SCW.
Here’s the flyer from the show…
On December 31 1988 SCW hosted their second annual New Year’s party, once again at ARC on Queen St. West in Toronto. This time they topped the previous year’s show by having four different costume changes, all created by official SCW wardrobe designer Cathie Whittaker.
Poster for the show designed by PnrH and Jeff-0
Here’s a photo gallery highlighting some of the costume changes.
Newspaper Ad for the Show
Here’s some video featuring MCs Eddie Fast and Old Lang supervising the limbo contest!
On Dec 31 1987 SCW presented their first annual New Year’s show at a gallery space on Queen St. West in Toronto. With DJs, MCs, limbo dancing and more! Why? Because!
Poster for the show designed by PnrH and Jeff-0
This show provided SCW with an opportunity to showcase their new five-piece lineup and new disco-punk-funk sound.
Here’s some video!
And here’s a photo gallery…
In July of 1987 SCW was invited to play a show in a park back in Waterloo, Ontario where SCW started out from. The city fathers wouldn’t allow SCW to perform as Sucking Chest Wound so the band temporarily changed their name back to Sweet Children of the West, which had been used previously.
The lineup for the show consisted of legendary Waterloo band X-cessive Rancidity, followed by SCW, and finishing with our friend Eli’s band Abstress (who were the organizers of the show).
This performance marked SCW’s final gig as a free improvisation ensemble. After this show SCW saw the light and was reborn – at least for live shows – as a disco-funk-punk-jazz band.
On the way to the show the band stopped by the local St. Vincent de Paul charity shop to buy their stage outfits. Check it out…
Here’s a gallery of photos from the show taken by Cathie Whittaker
SCW’s cover version of an Arthur Jones composition called Sad Eyes
In January of 1987 the full line-up of SCW finally played another live show – the first since moving to Toronto. The show was at a sleazy nightclub called Ildiko’s above a Hungarian restaurant at Bloor St. and Brunswick Ave. in Toronto. SCW played there at the invitation of some friends (thanks Eli!) whose band was also playing. The audience was less than 10 people and they all hated SCW (plus the place was freezing). Unbeknownst to SCW, their friends and collaborators DJ FunKY and William T. Francis had purchased several pounds of raw chicken feet before the show, and proceeded to throw them at the band during our performance. The club owner was not happy about this.
For this show SCW performed strictly improvised music, using drums, bass, guitar, sax, and other noisemakers.The show was recorded on audio tape which was assumed to have been lost but was recently discovered – to be featured in a future posting!.
Here’s a gallery of photos from the show taken by DJ FunKY
In November 1986 PhrH and dWM put on a live performance, once again operating under the name Security Operations Consultants. The performance took place at Artculture Resource Centre, a Toronto arts performance space located on Queen St. West. The full title of the show was:
A PERFORMANCE (As In Apostacy) or… I’d Rather Be Killing Communists
Phrh and dWM each produced their own halves of the show separately. PnrH’s was titled “Wrecked Baby Killers”and dealt with the military-industrial complex. dWM’s was titled “Dial ‘M’ For Monkey” and dealt with the psychiatric-industrial complex. Prosthetics and make-up were by William T. Francis. Glitter-ball headpiece was by DJ FunKY.
Here’s a gallery of promotional material for the show
The show included the other members of SCW as well as many of the people who had participated in previous SCW shows.
Here’s the booklet that was handed out to the audience
Here’s some backstage images from “Dial ‘M’ for Monkey”
Although the performances were recorded to video and digital audio, all the tapes have long been lost.
Only a few still images from the performance were preserved, captured from video monitors during the show
On April 17 1985 SCW returned to the Mayfair Hotel in Kitchener, Canada for another performance. This time they performed upstairs at a club called Level 21. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear they performed as Sweet Children of the West; the name would be resurrected later on when they were banned from performing as Sucking Chest Wound. The focus of the show was on videos prepared beforehand and played back on video monitors located throughout the performance space, along with slides projected onto the stage. SCW performed largely behind screens, occasionally venturing out onto the stage to tweak knobs etc.
The first proper SCW performance occurred on November 30, 1984 at the Chandelier Room of the Mayfair Hotel in Kitchener, Canada. The show came about through a Fine Arts course that PnrH was taking at the University of Waterloo. The show was actually marked by his professor and applied towards his credit for the course!
The performers included all four members of SCW plus an additional four performers recruited for the show. SCW played in the background while the other four were up front using various mic-ed up domestic and industrial tools: Charles on vacuum cleaner/balloon, Jim on sewing machine, Claudio on power tools and John on heavy metal. Film projections and video were also part of the staging. All the performers wore masks cast from their faces with plaster bandages, similar to the ‘death masks’ dating back to the middle ages. The workers rose up against their slave masters but the power tools of the workers were no match for the media tools of their slave masters…
After the performance, SCW played a set that included Albert Ayler’s Ghosts and Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, before the power was cut by the hotel proprietor. This excerpt illustrates SCW’s critique of the disco-industrial complex that would would be a central theme of SCW’s work right through until their demise in 1997.
Sucking Chest Wound 