Action

Websites:  https://citizenfreak.com/artists/104606-typical-small-town-band
Origin: Winnipeg, Manitoba, 🇨🇦
Biography:

The Action formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba after the Howie brothers completed high school in Shilo. Brian, Bruce and Rennie Sirianni had previously played for two years as The Saints, an instrumental group that developed while the three were teenagers; Jerry Crowder, who lived in Ottawa, joined them during summer breaks. As high school ended, the group decided to move beyond instrumentals, adding vocals and original material to their repertoire.

With no proper recording facilities in Winnipeg at the time, they travelled to Minneapolis, where they recorded two singles. Armed with those masters, they moved to Winnipeg under a new name — The Action — and began looking for a foothold in the local scene. They approached promoter Frank Wiener, who visited their house with Shondels guitarist Mike Hanford to listen to the recordings. Wiener told them the instrumental ratio in their sound wouldn’t connect with Winnipeg audiences, but he liked the singles and asked to use one for the Shondels. The Howies declined — and the disagreement set the tone for their first months in the city.

Without representation, they made a bold decision: work independently and compete head-on with Wiener. They released their Minneapolis-cut singles directly to CKY and CKRC, receiving heavy airplay for three to four months as a “mystery band” no one in Winnipeg had yet seen. During that stretch they refined their live show, strengthened their vocal work, and prepared to debut as a polished new act. When they finally hit the stages, local audiences knew their music long before they knew the musicians.

Their unconventional rise and their rivalry with Frank Wiener made The Action unpopular with some Winnipeg musicians; few knew them personally, and many objected to their strategy of undercutting Wiener’s booking prices. In later years, those close to the band acknowledged Wiener’s professionalism — but during their time in Winnipeg, the tension shaped much of The Action’s reputation.
-Robert Williston

Lineup:
Brian Howie (Winnipeg, Manitoba): lead guitar
Bruce Howie (Winnipeg, Manitoba): rhythm guitar
Jerry Crowder (Ottawa, Ontario): bass
Rennie (Tiger) Sirianni (Vancouver, British Columbia): drums