JUNKSHOP
Junkshop glam is a nuanced music genre term coined in the early 2000s by former Buzzcocks bassist, Tony Barber, and Lush bassist, Phil King. Junkshop glam describes the nearly forgotten vinyl records of 1970s glam rock bands whose unsuccessful records had limited release, virtually no airplay, and have thus been relegated to the cheap record bins and often overlooked record stacks found in junk shops, charity shops, thrift stores, and the like.
So, our night JUNKSHOP simply put, is a ride through the ages of guitar music via the backroads. But, no-one wants to sip on a beverage to inaccessible b-sides of ear-death, so worry not as there is a healthy mix of their contemporaries and the inspired bands that followed as well. Pre-Punk, Post-Punk, Glam, No Wave, New Wave, Powerpop, Garage etc.
Our JUNKSHOP night ran for 5 years in Toronto before I moved to London and a few months ago now, Berlin. It was every Monday, bringing a dedicated group of fans of these types of bands to enjoy a drink and reminisce about the times they were born after. Steam Whistle, a local beer provided incredible support offering a usual $7 beer for $3.75 which helped a huge deal. They also provided free drinks for the participating bands in the monthly held themed cover nights which you can read about more below.
Read more about “Junkshop Glam” here. Listen to our favourite station here.
Berlin Poster Concepts
Here are some concept posters for JUNKSHOP here in Berlin. A long list of some of the more accessible bands on display. Features a picture with Iggy, Lou Reed and the crew. In Toronto we had a beer sponsor which subsidised a portion of the their drink price to help people come out on a Monday. Tuesday would be a good day to have JUNKSHOP in Berlin and it would be nice to find a partner to help support the night and encourage people to join. Below are a few of the posters from the Cover Nights in Toronto.
Toronto Cover Nights
Once a month in Toronto, JUNKSHOP hosted a cover night with a specific theme related to JUNKSHOP-like bands. Local bands would message with which songs they’d like to do and we’d reply to confirm so that not every band was playing the same songs. Usually 2, 3 max songs per band. The Cure vs The Smiths, Iggy and the Stooges vs Lou and The Velvet Underground, The Clash, and even The Kinks were fantastic packed nights to name a few.
Toronto Bowie Cover Night
Our most popular and requested night hands down was BOWIE NIGHT. The creativity and the coming together of the community to celebrate and share Bowie music was electric.
