1985

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The Mirror's first issue hit the street on Thursday, June 20, boasting, "All the listings fit to print." The jam-packed 16 pages of Volume 1, Number 1 featured stories on Montreal's festival-itis, a concession conspiracy at La Ronde and local record label Psyche Industry.

The paper promised "culture and politics every second week"--or almost: "August in Montreal is a dead zone. Almost like Toronto. That's why Mirror is not publishing on August 15." Late summer heated up however, with a fire in the original offices at 408 St-Jacques W. "On the eve of Mirror 5, it seemed either profoundly symbolic or meaningless," read the photo caption of the debris.

At the first press conference, staff, totalling 11, displayed Mayor Jean Drapeau's garbage. The first ads, totalling nine, included Dutchy's, Le St-Sulpice and the Montreal Singing Telegram Company. The first correction? Yup, Vol. 1, Number 2.

Founders: Future publisher Eyal Kattan was taking photos, while partner Catherine Salisbury was listings editor. Both would later make a lot of money off what was then a "non-profit organization." Other founding directors: Julien Feldman, Brendan Kelly, Peter Kuitenbrouwer, Daniel Sanger.

Hall of famers: José Arroyo, Zev Asher, Anna Asimakopolous, Mike Biscott, Margot Bouman, Hasmik Egian, Valerie Erdile, Paul Gott, Ian Halperin, Robbie Hart, Karen Herland, David Hogarth, Patrick Hutchinson, Walter Krajewski, Ken Morrison, Christine Parlour, Julianne Pidduck, Janet Pirie, Mimi Re/Tardif, Jenny Ross, Sonia Semenic, Martin Siberok, Ben Soo, Paula Sypnowich, Will Straw, Philip Szporer, Marcelo Toro, Maria Triant, Rick Trembles, Inger Whist and many more. (The Mirror still gets mail for some of 'em.)

News: Demos call for end to Apartheid in South Africa and Mandela's release * "City's garbage collection stinking mess" * Bicycle Bob Silverman spends three days in jail for painting bike lanes on streets * Provincial election between PQ and Liberals like choosing between "Visa or Mastercard" * Firefighter shortage in Montreal?





Music: CFMB's Top Five, July 4

1. Depeche Mode - "Shake the Disease"

2. Paul Hardcastle - "19"

3. Love and Rockets - "Ball of Confusion"

4. New Order - "The Perfect Kiss"

5. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "So in Love"

The mysterious REM

"Because they're 'different,' because of their lack of interest in AM/MTV success, because of this reluctance to spell out their social and political agendas, REM remain a mystery. Whether their oft-predicted popular acceptance and stardom will ever come about is a matter of speculation--and something, the band maintains, that it is not really concerned with."

--Daniel Sanger

The extreme supermix

"A supermix carries this mixing of music to a new extreme. There can be 20 or more different songs played in brief snatches in a five or 10 minute long supermix. This new concept in dance music has taken root in Montreal, and there are several local DJs who are quite proficient at it."

--Alan McGinty

Deconstructing Cyndi

"Listening to an American professor spend 45 minutes dissecting Cyndi Lauper's wonderful single 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun,' I realized that rock intellectuals weren't any different: they're often just as out-of-touch with real life as most academics."

--Brendan Kelly

Yes, alas

"Terminal Sunglasses have a little blurb in the ultra-slick music magazine Graffiti. Can success be far behind?"

--Mike Biscott

Pre-grunge sludge

"When you haven't slept, eaten or washed for two days the last thing you want to do is listen to the music of Deja Voodoo."

--Zev Asher

On the air: Gino Vanelli, Corey Hart and The Box. In the Mirror: OMD * Midnight Oil * "Notes from underground" by Jenny Ross debuts Oct. 17 * Dub U 5 * Ethnic Drivers * Deja Voodoo barbecues and Jungle Bashes * Stephen Barry * Ray Condo and His Hard Rock Goners * Vomit and the Zits take NYC * E.J. Brulé * My Dog Popper * Og releases It Came From Canada! * The Gruesomes * Jerry Jerry * The Cure * The Darned * The Nils * Condition's pre-swing retro revival * Circle Jerks and Asexuals at Rising Sun * 3 O'Clock Train * SNFU * "Men Without Hits"

Film: Black leather pants not enough

"Out of the macabre wasteland of a post-apocalyptic Australian outback, Mel Gibson stares balefully into the twilight of the third Mad Max adventure Beyond the Thunderdome... Not even black leather pants can stop him from being slightly boring. Whatever his past."

--Christine Parlour

Cinéma Parallèle faces financial collapse * CBC refuses controversial NFB docs * Motion Picture Purgatory debuts with Lifeforce on July 4 * Democracy on Trial: The Morgentaler Affair

Arts: Zilon in chains

"I feel like an alley cat on a leash! For my birthday I received three canvasses from my agent and I felt like I was given a new chain."

--Multimedia artist Zilon in "Avant-garde kitsch and chaos," by Dianne Brady

First International Festival of New Dance * Picasso * Fortner Anderson's free Dial-a-Poem service * La La La Human Steps * "Pushing Toronto off the literary stage" * Theatre Shmeatre * Playwrights' Workshop Montreal

The Mirror through the ages