No Flash, Please!: Underground Music in Toronto, 1987-92

by Phil Saunders, Derek von Essen (Photographer)

The music scene in the mid-eighties was in transition, just as the entire music business was, unaware that it was all about to change in 1991 when Nirvana's watershed release, Nevermind would unexpectedly hit number one on the Billboard chart. But that explosion didn't happen overnight. It was the product of many things: Toronto's developing music scene, club owners seeking original music, and the communities of musicians, artists, and fans supporting these new bands. No Flash, Please! documents an important period in Toronto's music community.

As seen and heard by two journalists covering it for a number of monthly independent magazines, not only did they experience the local bands they knew and loved becoming famous, they also witnessed soon-to-be legends come through those same clubs and concert halls. Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Jesus Lizard, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Henry Rollins, all played Toronto during this period to crowds that varied in size from twenty to five hundred. No Flash, Please! doesn't just focus on the music, it also captures the crowds and the community that spawned one of the richest periods in Toronto's music history.

Genres: Music

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2016

Reviews

[Debra Komar · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who misspent her youth on Queen West, this was a welcome blast from a past best forgotten. There are some names and faces that will be familiar to all - Iggy Pop, Kurt Cobain, The Ramones - but most of the shots are of indie bands that played the Toronto clubs. Shadowy Men and the Dundrells get more than their fair share of coverage but the photography is great. Spectacular action shots of the bands in full flight. The clubs look tiny and grungy, which is what they are. For those who fondly remember Lee's Palace and that great string of dives around Queen and Spadina, this is the book for you.

[Andy W Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great trip down memory lane. Lots of photos and snippets into the music scene of the day but if your looking for something in depth about the venues or the bands this isn’t it. I felt like the book devoted too much space to appearances of American bands like Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Iggy Pop, and Nirvana on the Toronto scene, that could have been used to explore more of the Canadian indie scene of the time. Would really love to read a biography with a little more narrative from either Saunders as a music scene columnist at the time it Van Essen’s career as a photographer of the scene. Both would be fascinating. Worth checking out. Definitely.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of fun for folks who remember these years in Toronto, and a great document of indie rock bands at the time. The book does linger a lot on the 'big' bands coming through from the US (really, a very Toronto preoccupation), but I appreciate the space given to the local workhorse bands that played shows throughout the era, even ones without Ian Blurton.
I wish more of the photos listed the places, but it's overall a great look at an amazing time in Canadian music.

[Kevin McAvoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I visited many of these bars in the 80s and saw hundreds of new bands. I appreciate all the photos Mr Saunders had the foresight to take. That high speed black and white was tricky to use. Well written account of the scene in Toronto.

[Kirk Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top drawer! Fantastic photos and wonderful and informative text, giving a great overall sense of this musical time period in Toronto music history.