Peter Zaremba screamed out the vocals, blew his harp and played his keyboards, 2 finger style, like a speed crazed madman. Guitarist, Keith Streng, wore a blond wig for the entire show because his real hair was just too cool for Toronto. Gordon Spaeth wailed on his harp and blew on the sax for all he was worth, to add texture to the already 3 dimensional sound of the band. The ultra-steady rhythm section of Jan Marek Pakulski on super-bass and Bill Milhizer on super-drums kept the sound together. The crowd loved it when the 'Tones did their synchronized dancing and playing - just like the Raiders used to. At one point, The Fleshtones left the stage parade style - in single file, playing their instruments and dancing in unison. Even Bill took part of his drum kit with him, only to have the screaming crowd bring them back for an encore. They did three, or was it four encores (I lost count), each time the crowd yelling, screaming and banging for more. Finally the house lights went on, with most of the crowd still hollering for more fun.

What Wave conducted an interview with Keith Streng and Jan Marek Pakulski just before the show. The following is most of that interview with little bits missing because the tape recorder didn't pick them up with all the noise and confusion of the dressing room.

What Wave: You guys played at the International Centre (Aug 23, 1984). How did you like it?

Keith Streng: How did I like it?

WW: Ya. You guys went on at 8 o'clock .....

Jan Marek: We were Just discussing that before you came in. Everybody that came to see us thought we were going on second on the bill or something. As it turned out, the second act Billy Bragg was maybe donna go on first so they all came and we were just finishing sets. And that happened throughout the entire tour. This was not the only place that that happened. But a lot of people did come back after and said, 'What happened, we just got here and you just went off'. There was a big screw up.

WW: So, were you pretty pissed off, going on before the crowd got in there?

JM: Well. there were a good lot of people in there.

K: I don't say it was right, but I wasn't pissed off.

JM: Some places it was worse than it was there. Ya, some places you'd start and you'd be playing to about a quarter to a third of the crowd.

WW: That's what it was there (the International Centre) too.

JM: I thought that by the end of the set that we had a lot more people in there, but, I mean it was a big place.

WW: So, what did you think of playing with Echo and the Bunnymen?

K: Well, I had a good time. A lot of it was kind of like a whirlpool. A lot of drinking involved. The Bunnymen, they like to drink.

JM: Ya, the Bunnymen like to drink. (thick British accent)

K: They love to drink and so do we and so right there we hit it off. And opening for them was good. I always liked them too. I had their first record before they were known at all in America. 'Crocodiles - it's a great record. They're really great guys. I think it was great for all of us. Saw some great sides of America. What more could I want?

WW: Did you play anywhere else in Canada?

JM: Montreal, that went over fairly well. Montreal was pretty good.

K: I think Montreal was actually better than Toronto.

WW: Have you played Canada before the last tour?

JM: No, that was it.

K: No, that's not all.

JM: That's right - Vancouver. Way back when, with the Go-Go's and the Payolas.

WW: That must have been a good time.

K: It was a good time. Good crowd, good response, and good bar.

JM: It was Diplomat Ballroom or Commodore Ballroom. I forget. It was good though, but we always sort of wanted to come to Toronto because way back when, when we were hanging around the New York new-wave-punk, so-called scene, CBGB's 76-77, there was a lot of bands coming down from Toronto. They got a really swinging scene up there, you know. Of course we've known about this club since way back when, you know.

WW: There used to be better clubs like the Edge.

JM: Ya, we've heard of that one. Who was it that was supposed to come down from here? Is Destroy All Monsters a Toronto band?

WW: Detroit

JM: That's right - it was Teenage Head, The Diodes. The Poles, Nazi Dog.

K: That was The Viletones.

JM: Ya, The Viletones. I remember when we once threw a big party in Miriam Linna's apartment. The Cramps original drummer. We had all gone down to see The Viletones and Nazi Dog, of course, slashed himself all up and went to the emergency room, but he came to the party afterwards, using two girls as crutches. And he was such a mess. But, he came to the party anyways. We threw this blue whale party in which Keith made this incredible drink. Who was there? Actually Keith and Handsome Dick Manitoba were mixing it in the sink of Miriam's apartment. They filled up the sink with this stuff. It turned out to be a wild bash. And do we remember those parties.

WW: How do you like playing smaller clubs? Usually, in New York, you'll play the big clubs like the Peppermint Lounge and the Irving Plaza - which we consider huge.

K: Well, the Ritz is pretty big, Peppermint Lounge is medium...

JM: It holds more people than the Irving Plaza actually, 'cause it has 3 floors.

K: Well I like playing the small clubs. I think playing here (El Mocombo) is gonna be really good. Like, it will be conducive to what we do best.

WW: How are you guys doing in New York? Lots of loyal fans?

JM: Parties.

K: A lot of parties. A lot of good times. We go out and see a lot of bands, have a lot of fun and raise a lot of hell.

JM: We have loyal fans.

K: Definitely, even at the Irving Plaza.

JM: That was almost a record breaker. That was a good show. That was with The Smithereens and The Raunch Hands. A pretty sick bunch.

Paul(soundman): I just did a show with them, last week.

K: I think The Raunch Hands are one of the better New York groups around right now. Them, and I like The Mad Violets a lot. The Violets have got, like kinda their own sound. It's not the strict garage sound.

JM: Or not a 'copy the records', like the Fuzztones. Which you can print, if they read it, well, my apologies guys, facts are facts. Ira's a great drummer, but he's not in charge there. It's all Rudi. (lead snarls)

K: They've got a really good sound. They're real nice people. I think they're pretty good.

JM: They are good you know. But, they are more of a copy band of that kind of period stuff.

WW: They've got some pretty good obscure covers.

K: This is true.

JM: Ya, I guess so. Except that all of the obscure covers that they do, I think we used to do them about five years ago.

WW: They've all been on Pebbles albums too.

JM: Ya, we used to do them before they were on Pebbles. That's where they get all their material from.

K: Ya, well what the hell.

JM: Ya , well. Right. Live and let live I guess.

WW: How's the latest single (American Beat) doing?

K: That didn't do too much. I think it's our best record. But, what did more than anything, was the video that was made from that single for MTV. It got a lot of airplay. In fact more than the radio play. Not that it's any contest but, radio play was only minimal. It was all right. It just didn't make the buzz it should have. Well, it's really a whole album behind and we need to follow it up.

JM: Ya, the soundtrack album from Party Animal. We hear that it's been released up here just recently. It's worth seeing. But, you really can't hear the music. They didn't mix it well.

K: Into the scene live.

JM: You can't tell who's who.

K: Sometimes music in rock and roll movies is so cool and its really loud and it makes the scene, it makes sense and its sorta kick-ass and (in) other scenes it's wimpy.

JM: It's so stupid 'cause it's a good scene to have loud music in it. "Ambient Sound track". But, the Movie did okay. I mean it was released last summer, it was number six for the summer. I recommend it.

WW: Did it (the movie) help you in any way?

JM: Ya, it kept us going.

KS: It didn't hurt us.

JM: At least there was a new video out and that's where a lot of people, you know... If your records aren't getting played on the radio stations because the radio programming formats are so strict, at least MTV plays videos by bands like ourselves. MTV has certainly kept itself open to a lot of the newer stuff. Still, most radio isn't that good. I don't know, maybe you've got better radio. New York radio is really bad. College stations are usually pretty good.

WW: When is the new album coming out?

JM: It's coming out in France about March 7th or 8th (1985). Only in France.

K: Immediately, in Europe and France. And probably sometime around the middle of May around here.

JM: We are going to Paris to record a live album the first week of March.

WW: Which label will that be on?

JM: This is on ours. But it will be released immediately on completion there (France). It will be recorded in about three days and have it pressed and shipped on the fourth day.

WW: Where else are you going to play in Europe?

JM: Just around France for the month of March. Oh, they love us there. We're big, we actually sell more records in France, maybe as many as the...

K: Oh we do, but it's true.

JM: That's 'cause the French kids being in a smaller country, plus their radio just went wild a couple of years ago. It opened up from one or two stations to hundreds of like, rooftop pirate stations all over the country and it's some of the best radio in the world.

WW: So, what is the album going to be called?

K: It's going to be called 'Gig Masters'. (laughter)

JM: 'Gig Masters'? No, actually it's 'Speed Connection' because it's going to be done immediately.

WW: Are you gonna be playing anywhere else?

JM: No, we're just going over for the month. We were just gonna do that (the live album) but then we sorta, shall we say, fleshed out the month with some more dates in France. But in April we're going to Brazil to play. Fourteen shows in Brazil.

WW: You played on a compilation from the U.K., Start Swimming, how did that come about?

JM: That was our first British show way back when, and the woman that runs Danceteria put together this package tour with all these bands and Poly(?) - who don't appear on it because they thought they were donna make it big and they didn't want to associate with that bunch. We've been to Britain twice subsequent to that show, but never found (pause), we hated it. I mean I enjoyed travelling around Britain, but I probably would have had more fun if I wasn't playing.

WW: There's a group of bands coming out of Britain, like The Stingrays, The Milkshakes etc., that are your mold. What do you think of them?

JM: I guess it's imitation (or maybe limitation) in its best form. I mean The Barracudas always were really good. There's been an undercurrent to the British scene. I guess basically, these people are the goof-offs and outcasts in their areas. More power to them if they decide to buck the Duran Duran syndrome.

WW: Are you supporting yourselves by the band?

K: I have been for the past two years.

JM: We ain't got Corvette Stingrays, but we make a living.