Teenage Head: "Let It Show", Toronto, 1981

Teenage Head was formed in 1975. They spent a couple of years practicing in their garage before hitting the club scene in Toronto. Influenced by the requisite CBGB crowd, the group also loved early rock & rollers like Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, and Chuck Berry. Often billed as Canada's answer to the Ramones, Teenage Head were in truth just as much a new wave band as they were a punk rock outfit. They had a similar affection for pre-Beatles rock & roll, especially rockabilly, as well as a sense of trashy fun that made them a terrific party band when they were on. Their songs were unpretentious celebrations of all the classic rock & roll staples: cars, booze, girls, partying, and teenage rebellion. By May 1978, they released their first single "Picture My Face" on Epic Records, and their self-titled debut, Teenage Head, followed a year later, which went gold. The band's performance at The Last Pogo concert on December 1, 1978, at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, ended in a riot and was shut down by the police. The concert was made into a short film by Colin Brunton, The Last Pogo. In June 1980 their performance at Toronto's Ontario Place sparked a riot. The incident made headlines across the country, and led Ontario Place to ban rock concerts for several years. Their 1983 record Tornado was marked by controversy, with the band's new American label MCA Records demanding that they change their name to 'Teenage Heads' to placate the more conservative American audience and to avoid the double-entendre.