Argh Fuck Kill: The Story of the DayGlo Abortions by Chris Walter Page A

sustained from his fall. While visiting the hospital initially, a bright orthopaedic specialist had chosen Murray to be a guinea pig for a revolutionary new type of surgery. “He was looking for somebody with a massive heel injury, and I fit the bill per-fectly,” recalls the singer. Doctors took Murray from the lineup and began treatment that day. Had Acton remained in the line, doctors would have eventually found the compression fractures on vertebras L3, 4, and 5. Although the foot surgery was far superior to any other treatment Murray would have normally received, the bones in his spine fused together and he now lives in constant pain. “Twenty years later, my back started causing me big problems and they finally figured it out,” says Murray, shaking his head. Teenagers may be indestructible but forty-nine year old punk rock singers are most definitely not.
    The Dishrags had long since moved to Vancouver to join the burgeoning punk scene, and Nomeansno, who had just formed, were not yet a big draw. Even though the scene in Victoria was starting to grow, there were no punk-friendly clubs, and bands had to organize hall shows themselves if they wanted to play. The police, of course, were always on hand to harass and provoke. Punk rock was an evil scourge on par with outlaw motorcycle clubs and the cops were determined to nip this nasty fad in the bud, lest the shorthaired freaks became a serious menace to society. If only the police could have known that “punk” clothing would one day be available at the mall. Society, not the police, took the teeth out of punk rock by absorbing it into the mainstream.
    Around this time, Ann Archy’s boyfriend/promoter contacted DOA manager Ken Lester to arrange a gig. Of course, The Sikphuxz were available to provide support. According to Trevor, Ann’s boyfriend failed to live up to his end of the deal and did nothing to promote the event. “He totally fucked up,” Trevor says disgustedly. The small handful of Victoria punks in attendance mostly wanted to see the headlining act, and didn’t really know what to make of The Sikphuxz, who blasted out a noisy set. Neil Embo of House of Commons recalls the show: “DOA were at their prime just before Randy Rampage and Chuck Biscuits quit. Dave Gregg was one of the nicest guys I ever met, and Randy Rampage was shooting speed in their van before the show. He was amazing.”
    Overall, the show was a bust. Joe Shithead, unsurprisingly, wasn’t impressed with the promoter. Later, when The Sikphuxz became the DayGlo Abortions, they would poster for their own shows rather than leave it to some parasitic promoter. “We used flour and water for glue, and some of those fliers lasted for years!” recalls Trevor Hagen. Such glue is also very cheap, even for punk rockers who sometimes used flour as a food substance.
    The local scene was not big enough for The Sikphuxz, and they were eager to escape Victoria for the bright lights of Vancouver. Landing a gig at the Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret, the band set off across the Georgia Strait, ready to take the big city by storm. At the very least, they could drink their weight in beer and make plenty of noise. Adventure awaited.
    That first show, supporting the Bludgeoned Pigs on August 28th 1980, was one that Acton will always remember. “The Bludgeoned Pigs were
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punk-est-assed band on earth!” Murray states emphatically. The Smilin’ Buddha was a frightening place, even for wild kids like The Sikphuxz. “That place was a pit!” recalls Trevor. As a defence mechanism, Murray wore his dirtiest, smelliest clothes to the venue. “I stunk like puke and piss. Nobody would even sit next to me!” laughs the guitarist. According to Trevor, a journalist who later interviewed the DayGlo Abortions at Club Soda smugly reported that the band had “a serious disregard for soap.” Murray smelled like dog butt.
    Anyway, The Sikphuxz, who played their best that night, were as obnoxious as they could