Dynamite!

>> The Exploders' future is so bright they have to wear senior-citizen shades

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Putting down Toronto is like shooting fish in a barrel for most Montrealers. "Toronto blows" will roll easily off the tongue of most Plateau- dwellers, but to hear a dispiriting word against its local music scene is especially delicious when it comes from one of the main movers of T.O.'s local music scene.

"What people don't understand," says Exploders guitarist Craig "Classy" Daniels, "is that there are, like, two blocks on Queen Street and it can become easy for a lot of these people to have a big ego. All of these people walk those two blocks with this misunderstanding that they are important."

Understand that Daniels was serving garage duties with the Leather Uppers and the Stinkies while Tuuli were still listening to Bon Jovi. "People are scared of us in Toronto, a bit, because we don't really make the scene and we're a little out of hand, which is cool with me. We're not the kind of people who are too interested in being seen at the Robin Black after-party. Robin Black, I think, is the worst because he encourages people to get into that kind of bullshit."

Toronto's persona-rock thing (Danko Jones, C.J. Sleeze, Robin Black) is getting a little out of hand, but the Exploders keep it real--real fucking heavy. With their Devo-meets-Detroit's-golden-years sound, the band sees Daniels shedding his garage background in favour of kicking out the raw, sweaty jams. They've just finished recording their first record, by the way, hot on the heels of two smoking 45s.

Although Daniels likes to describe the Exploders as "Joey Ramone in a body stocking meets 12-year-old, blonde-haired blues legends," the band is a smoking display of punk rock that really shines live. "We have a lot of ideas for our live show. One is getting plastic surgery to look younger and get bigger guitar straps so we look smaller. Also, you may have noticed that our singer favours those oversized sunglasses usually reserved exclusively for senior citizens. We are going to be also branching out into solar panels as well, and Velcro shoes.

"Most of our fans like wearing those glasses, and we are really interested in having a complete fanbase of senior citizens, because I think they have been around for a while and really know what's going on."

With Steak 72 at Casa del Popolo on Saturday, March 31, 9pm, $6