The Essentials on Trésor National's Post Punk New Wave Compilation - NOME NOMA 2 - January 28, 2024

 

Photo by Vava Vol © 2023 

It was with great glee that I opened my mailbox over the holidays and found the key to my drop box to discover a copy of Trésor National's 'NOME NOMA 2' album laying peacefully inside! 

What a surprise I had upon unwrapping Volume 2 of this very special Québec Post Punk New Wave record!  There are lots of fond memories nestled in this compilation!  I quickly flipped through the bilingual zine to The Essentials page and found my expectations were pleasantly met! Everything on our page was perfect! Mick would have been so proud. The best was yet to come!

The Essentials are featured on the back cover of the album along with Men Without Hats and Nudimension. Tucked away on the zine's back insert is a shot of band founder Mick Lynes happily playing guitar in our 1979 second floor rehearsal studio above the old Eva Braun building, before it was a consignment vintage store on St-Laurent. Very cool! 

Our back cover album photo was taken in the early 80s at a Club Tatou on Parc Avenue gig. I never in my dreams thought it would end up on a post-punk/new wave compilation album 45 years later! 

As I rummaged around in the album jacket, I pulled out the wondrous 16 page lime green zine and guess who was on the cover???  Térapi's Franklyne!! Seeing her on the cover brought back so many crazy hilarious times at Les Foufounes and at live shows!  What a nice touch guys!  

And now for the best part... l'écoute! Carefully placing that pristine vinyl on my turntable and cranking up the sound was ritualistic! As I sat back on my couch and listened to the entire LP from the intro track Life is a Blast by C.C. Orchestra to the final track Amour Programmé by Nudimension, I was impressed by the production and sound quality of these wonderful 80s tracks!  NOME NOMA 2 brought me right back to the frenzied underground night clubbing lifestyle of Montreal's gritty, nocturnal late 70s & early 80s.  

Welcome to my Babe Cave NOME NOMA 2!  You are now perpetually filed under the 'N' section of my ever growing eclectic vinyl collection!

On a final note, I would like to thank Sébastien and Victor for including Zilon along with the other dearly departed Mick Lynes, Giuseppe "Joe" DiMauro, and Robert Ditchburn.  RIP gentlemen! 

As we say in Québec

'à la prochaine chicane!'

The cassette that made it happen!
'You're Too Rude' b/w 'Can't Afford'

Photo by Vava Vol © 2023

The Essentials - The Legacy Lives On

Sebastien Desrosiers

NOME NOMA 2

Soundcloud

La Pressse

Nome Noma Compilation #2 - Quebec Post Punk and New Wave from 1979 - 1987 - November 07 , 2023

Nome Noma 2 is a 13 track vinyl compilation of Quebec Post Punk and New Wave from 1979 - 1987 released by the Montreal record label Les Disques du Trésor National.  

'You're Too Rude' is a song by Montreal's The Essentials, a band I co-founded with Mick Lynes, Carlos Soria, Anthony Chrumka and Rich Lacoste in 1979.  

It's previewed here on Track #5 of Nome Noma 2. 

The record launch for the compilation will be held on November 15th, 2023 at Le Cheval Blanc tavern in Montreal, QC. 

Tap the link below to preview "You're Too Rude' and 12 other amazing Quebec post punk and new wave artists from that era!

Nome Noma 2

Les Disques du Trésor National

A Moment In Time With Kraftwerk in Montreal 1981 - April 07, 2022

This is a photo of The Essentials before a show at the hip Studio One club in Montreal's downtown core in June 1981.

(l-r) Rick, Mick & Vava

A month later, I was at the sold out Kraftwerk show at the Théâtre St-Denis and 'après show' the band went to the Studio to party.

I was already there with my friends having drinks when they walked in.  Our guitar player and lead singer Mick had painted a large promo poster of the band and it was still up on the wall near the dance floor.

After grabbing drinks at the bar, Kraftwerk sat down on a bench below. As I walked over and introduced myself, I told them The Essentials was a band I was in and the poster was from a recent show at the club. 

They all turned around to look up and Ralf Hutter said, "Good!  Don't stop doing your music! Stay with it!"

That was a tremendously beautiful moment for me and still is! 

Then they got up to dance! 

Have a look at this cool site:

Endless Kraftwerk

Photo: Vava Vol 1980s Archives

The Essentials "You're Too Rude" b/w "Can't Afford" on YouTube

The Essentials live at the Tatou Club, Montreal, Quebec, Canada ca. 1980.

The popular and well-known songs “You’re Too Rude” and “Can’t Afford” were recorded by The Essentials in Montreal in 1980.  Band members were Mick Lynes on guitar, lead vocals; Vava Vol on her Farfisa Fast Five organ, lead and back vocals; Carlos Soria on bass guitar and Richard (Rich) Lacoste on drums. A few years later, Mick would move to London, England to pursue his musical career, Carlos would become a member of The Nils and Rich would join the franco-rock band Les Parfaits Salauds. Video collage are live photos taken at Station 10 and the Tatou Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada ca. 1980.  Music and lyrics © The Essentials ca 1980.  All rights reserved.

The Essentials - "You're Too Rude"

Live at Station 10, Montreal,Quebec, Canada 1980

The Essentials were an 80s Montreal-based alternative punk band with Mick Lynes on guitar, lead vocals; Vava Vol on her Farfisa Fast Five organ, lead and back vocals; Carlos Soria on bass guitar and Richard (Rich) Lacoste on drums. Later on in the 80s, Mick would move to London, England, Richard would join the franco-rock band "Les Parfaits Salauds" and Carlos would join his brother's band "The Nils".

Some time in 1979-1980, we recorded "Can't Afford" and "You're Too Rude" and I was the only band member who managed to keep a cassette copy of these two songs over the years. With the help of Mick Lynes and Aaron McIntosh, we were able to recently re-engineer "You're Too Rude", so here it is! 

In our 80s rehearsal space on blvd. St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Music and lyrics © The Essentials circa 1980.  All rights reserved.