Teenage Head

Websites:  https://www.facebook.com/teenagehead/
Origin: Hamilton, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Teenage Head are one of the most important and influential bands in the history of Canadian punk and hard rock, emerging from Hamilton, Ontario in the mid-1970s and helping define a uniquely Canadian strain of high-energy, rock-and-roll-driven punk. Often labeled “Canada’s Ramones,” the band’s sound was in fact rooted as much in 1950s rockabilly, British Invasion beat music, and Detroit garage rock as in first-wave punk, giving them a raw, swaggering style that set them apart from both art-punk and hardcore contemporaries.

The band formed in 1975 among students from Westdale High School in Hamilton. The early core lineup featured Frank Kerr (later known as Frankie Venom) on vocals, Gord Lewis on guitar, Steve Mahon (later Steve Marshall) on bass, and Nick Stipanitz on drums. The group took their name from the 1971 Flamin’ Groovies album Teenage Head, signaling their allegiance to classic rock-and-roll energy rather than punk fashion or ideology.

Teenage Head quickly developed a reputation as one of Southern Ontario’s most ferocious live acts, playing relentlessly across the Hamilton-Toronto circuit and becoming regulars at key venues such as the Town Casino, Crash ’n’ Burn, and other hubs of the emerging new-wave and punk scene. Their first single, “Picture My Face,” was released in 1978 on Epic Records and immediately established them as a rising force.

Their self-titled debut album Teenage Head followed in 1979 and went gold in Canada, a remarkable achievement for a band so closely associated with the punk underground. The record captured their stripped-down, street-level energy and established a template that combined tough, fast rock with hooks and humor.

Teenage Head became nationally notorious following their appearance at The Last Pogo concert at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern on December 1, 1978. The show was shut down by police after erupting into chaos, and the event became one of the defining moments in Canadian punk history. The concert was later immortalized in Colin Brunton’s documentary The Last Pogo, cementing Teenage Head’s place in the mythology of the era.

The band’s breakthrough came with Frantic City in 1980, which produced their signature hits “Let’s Shake” and “Somethin’ On My Mind.” The album went gold and made Teenage Head national stars. That same year, their appearance at Ontario Place’s Forum in Toronto drew massive crowds and again ended in disorder, prompting Ontario Place to temporarily ban rock concerts. These highly publicized incidents helped create Teenage Head’s reputation as both crowd-drawers and cultural flashpoints.

Through the early 1980s, Teenage Head continued to release successful records including Some Kinda Fun (1981) and the Tornado EP (1983). The latter was released internationally on MCA Records, and for a brief period the band was pressured to perform under the name Teenage Heads in the United States to avoid perceived sexual connotations. The title track “Tornado” became another major Canadian hit.

The band also made notable appearances in Canadian popular culture, including performing as themselves in the cult film Class of 1984, further reinforcing their image as a hard-edged, no-nonsense rock band.

Lineup changes became more frequent as the decade progressed. Frankie Venom departed in the mid-1980s, with Dave “Dave Rave” DesRoches stepping in on vocals for albums including Trouble in the Jungle (1986) and Electric Guitar (1988). These records reflected a more contemporary hard rock and new-wave influence while retaining the band’s core rock-and-roll identity.

In later years, Teenage Head experienced multiple revivals and continued to tour and record, including the 2008 release Teenage Head with Marky Ramone, which featured re-recordings of classic material with the Ramones drummer and producer Daniel Rey. The project underscored the band’s enduring association with first-generation punk history.

Frankie Venom passed away in 2008 following a battle with throat cancer, marking the end of an era for the band. Despite this loss, Teenage Head continued to perform and record, keeping their catalogue and live legacy active for new generations of fans.

In 2014, journalist and author Geoff Pevere published Gods of the Hammer: The Teenage Head Story, providing the first full-length book-length history of the band and further solidifying their status as a foundational act in Canadian rock history.

In 2022, founding guitarist Gord Lewis was tragically murdered in Hamilton, a shocking event that deeply affected the Canadian music community. Lewis had been the band’s musical anchor since its formation and was widely regarded as one of the most distinctive guitarists in Canadian punk and rock. The remaining members announced that Teenage Head would continue to perform, honoring Lewis’s legacy and wishes.

Today, Teenage Head are widely recognized as one of Canada’s premier punk and rock-and-roll bands, whose influence extends far beyond genre boundaries. Their combination of relentless touring, gold-selling records, legendary live shows, and cultural impact places them alongside the most significant Canadian bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s punk era.
-Robert Williston

Teenage Head — Lineups
Original Lineup (1975–1984)

Frankie Venom (Frank Kerr): vocals
Gord Lewis: guitar
Steve Mahon (Steve Marshall): bass
Nick Stipanitz: drums

This is the lineup responsible for:
Teenage Head (1979), Frantic City (1980), Some Kinda Fun (1982), and the core period associated with The Last Pogo, Ontario Place, and the band’s national breakthrough.

MCA / Transitional Era (1983–1984)
Frankie Venom: vocals
Gord Lewis: guitar
Steve Mahon (Steve Marshall): bass
Nick Stipanitz: drums
[Recorded as “Teenage Heads” for Tornado EP]

Dave Rave Fronted Era (1985–1988)
Dave Rave (Dave DesRoches): vocals, guitar
Gord Lewis: guitar
Steve Marshall: bass
Nick Stipanitz: additional drums (early sessions)
Mark Lockerbie: drums
Jack Pedler: drums (later)

Associated with:
Trouble In The Jungle (1985)
Electric Guitar (1988)

Reunion / Head Disorder Era (1995–1996)
Frankie Venom: vocals
Gord Lewis: guitar
Steve Marshall: bass
Mark Lockerbie: drums

Associated with:
Head Disorder (1996)

Marky Ramone Project (2003–2008 recordings)
Frankie Venom: vocals
Gord Lewis: guitar
Steve Marshall: bass
Marky Ramone: drums

Associated with:
Teenage Head with Marky Ramone (released 2008)

Post-Venom Era (2009–2015)
Pete MacAulay: vocals
Gord Lewis: guitar
Steve Marshall: bass
Jack Pedler: drums

Later Era / Final Lewis Lineup (2016–2022)
Dave Rave (Dave DesRoches): vocals
Gord Lewis: guitar
Steve Marshall: bass
Gene Champagne: drums

Post-Gord Lewis Era (2022–present)
Steve Marshall: bass
Dave Rave (Dave DesRoches): vocals
Gene Champagne: drums