The Stand: 35 years

The Stand in the chicken coop, circa 1986.

It was March 15, 1985.

35 years ago today Glen and I got together to bang out some songs in his bedroom. I had a cheap electric guitar and an amp. Wally had his kit. 

Wally behind his original kit. This is circa 1985.

It's memorable for us, because the lady across the road burst into his house and bedroom to scream at us for making a god-awful racket, cutting our first rehearsal rather sort. Wally took the brunt of her verbal assault as I hid behind his bedroom door. 

Doug joined our new band soon after. And eventually Todd came along on bass to round out the original line up.  

Doug circa 1985-ish.

Todd hams it up at a band rehearsal. Note the Traynor stacks! I still have the head on the right, plus the 4x10 that Doug used.

While the first official practice of what would become The Stand was in the books, we now had the task of finding a decent rehearsal space.

We practiced, just once, in an old barn that stunk of cow crap.

Our pal Steph got us a stint in the round church in Dalhousie Mills, which was creepy but cool.

We eventually settled into an abandoned chicken coop on my parent's property at Curry Hill during the warm months.

For winter months, we had to travel to a local country school in Lancaster Township. The supportive Principal there allowed us to go in after hours, set up and make as much 'racket' as we wanted. For hours. We'll forever be grateful to Huntly McDonnell for being so good to us young punks.  

Many of these photos are by Stephanie Carpenter, who documented so much of our early years.